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InnovPlanet Summer School

More information

bgi.pt/innovplanetsummerschool 

Overview

There is only one planet Earth. Yet, by 2050, the world will be consuming as if there were three. At the same time, the European Commission acknowledges that 2/3 of our soils are degraded, estimating that Europe can only provide 60 more crops if soils are not restored. We are facing all of this under a scenario of climate change. This programme offers a unique and intensive immersion on the topics of sustainable agriculture by linking the role of soil health to target nutrition towards better health and wellbeing.
Guided by an entrepreneurial mindset participants will think of solutions to challenges under sustainable agriculture: how to promote local produce, enhance ecosystem services such as biodiversity and soil carbon sequestration, and reduce children obesity through Mediterranean diet products under the digital framework. Participants will have the opportunity to ideate around these topics namely on how sustainable agriculture can improve nutrition and increase safety and consumer confidence in the food systems, with the support of real examples of the digital transformation in agri-food.

Programme structure

Programme. Over a period of 3 weeks, the tutors will provide a dynamic and supportive environment for you to develop your scientific knowledge on sustainable agriculture, smart farming techniques, and targeted nutrition. to the participants will explore the development of strategies for targeted groups of the population. During the full programme, and especially in the third week, you will develop your entrepreneurial mindset and learn how you can transform your ideas into business propositions.

During the first and second weeks, the programme will take place online with a combination of asynchronous learning resources and live (synchronous) interactive virtual sessions:

  • Monday 4th July
    InnovPlanet Kick-off; Introduction to the challenges in sustainable agriculture, smart farming, and targeted nutrition
  • Tuesday 5th – Friday 8th July
    The Soil – importance, properties, plant-microbe interactions, best practices and case studies. Ecosystems Services and Carbon farming
  • Monday 11th – Friday 15th July
    A systems approach to food production and processing, with an impact in nutrition: from soil to the gut, sustainable diet principles. Techniques for precision agriculture and smart farming (e.g., irrigation, inputs, sensing)
  • Monday 25th – Thursday 28th July
    Introduction to Week 3. Design Thinking for the Challenges, Green Finance and Sustainable Business Models, Pitch design and training; Open labs (on-site visit in PT)
  • Friday 29th July
    Open labs (on-site visit in PT); Pitch Presentation and Closing Ceremony

Career opportunities

Training in entrepreneurship and innovation in sustainable agriculture and targeted nutrition can create career opportunities for you as a university student, early career researcher and young entrepreneur:

  • Through the creation of start-ups based on the ideas developed during the summer school programme
  • By boosting your chances of being employed by start-ups, SME´s and bigger companies across the sustainable food system.
  • By improving your chances of being employed in local, national and international activities in administration, teaching and training
  • By improving your chances of being employed by NGOs and media companies

The training of students on sustainable and smart farming can make a difference for the current and future generations that will have a reference to follow due to this capacitation. The creation of new businesses will provide a reduction of the current sectoral unemployment but also fill a gap of sectoral innovation.

Not available for applying at the moment
Not available for applying at the moment
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