Berytech is an implementing partner in Lebanon of the Participatory hub for effective mapping, acceleration and capitalization of EU-MPC NEXUS best practices – PHEMAC Project. Find out below about its background, aims and expected results.
Joint research and innovation program
The results of previously EU-funded research and innovation projects have often remained at the scientific level and failed to sufficiently establish a connection between the public and private sector.
Some of the key problems include low interest and lack of incentives by researchers to develop their results into a business-oriented career and the low involvement of the Mediterranean private sector in the research and innovation process.
The lack of communication and interaction between industry and academia is the main cause of impactless researches on markets and marketplaces not innovative: academia and industry follow too often opposite roads, making the involvement of the private sector in research and innovation insufficient or not adequate, especially in MCPs.
PRIMA is an initiative launched by Euro-Mediterranean Countries to participate in a EU joint research and innovation program. Under PRIMA, the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) aims to set the technical and scientific basis for developing knowledge and common innovative solutions for water management and agro-food systems in the Mediterranean basin.
Co-funded under the PRIMA program, the Participatory hub for effective mapping, acceleration and capitalization of EU-MPC NEXUS best practices – PHEMAC Project will facilitate the knowledge exchange among the involved actors on PRIMA SRIA priorities related programs, policies and results in the Mediterranean region.
About the PHEMAC Project
The PHEMAC Project aims to develop and disseminate an interactive platform that will gather and share best practices focused on PRIMA Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda priorities, involving a wide range of stakeholders from the farming system, water management and agri-food sectors.
The PHEMAC Projects aims to:
- Develop and disseminate an interactive platform that will gather best practices focused on PRIMA SRIA priorities, based on the previous platform built by consortium partners, supported by EC named 5TOI_4EWAS, involving wide range of stakeholders.
- Capitalize such legacies and its capacity to connect public and private sector within the EU MPC region addressing NEXUS challenges. PHEMAC will focus on best practices and projects related to farming system, water and food.
- Exploit the initial Inventory Science & Technology cooperation between EU–MPC developed during 5TOI_4EWAS which targeted FP6-H2020, ERANET and ARIMNET calls to update and improve the performed interactive mapping (5TOI) and gather additional relevant information from other programs (FAO, ICARDA, CGIAR, ENI CBC MED, LIFE, INTERREGMED and PRIMA)
- Capitalize results and best practices of previous and ongoing projects and initiatives related to farming system, water and food in the MED region and identify results more adapted to commercialization.
- Develop the framework for cooperation in the MPC region and face future Water Ecosystem, Food and their NEXUS challenges through an open innovation approach supported by an enhanced public-private sector cooperation.
- Check potential expected impacts of projects at short, medium and long terms derived from implementing suggested priorities within 5TOI EU-MPC JAP and evaluate potential external factors responsible of chronic scarce involvement of Mediterranean private sector in R&I.
- Support the exchange of compatible information between involved actors on programs and policies and give visibility to natural activities to exchange similar experiences and skills in the region.
- Help stakeholders to become aware of what already has been developed and implemented, avoiding duplication and using consolidated existing knowledge.
- Strongly encourages successful and sustainable public private partnerships to counter the phenomena of the inefficient use of resources and reduce the gap between involved countries to boost economic and social reforms.
- Raise social awareness of the value of research and innovation.
PHEMAC Project Results
Started in January 2020, during its 36 months of duration, PHEMAC will deliver the following main results:
- A comprehensive projects mapping with over 700 projects mapped, categorized and in deep analysed
- Best practices catalogue with over 40 initiatives and related multiplying methodology to maximise the impact of these success stories
- PHEMAC iHub – the one stop shop for an effective WEFE Nexus knowledge transfer
- Mobilization of the relevant stakeholders through the organisation of a series of events and specific communication actions and policy recommendations
- A capitalization plan to define a sustainable strategy for the project results implementation, exploitation, sustainability and maintenance beyond the project lifespan
Learn more about the PHEMAC Project here.
