EIP-AGRI innovation drivers on the path to climate change mitigation and adaptation: Multi-Actor approach mapping

Multi-Actor projects (MAPs) are a type of action funded by the EU Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe programmes to foster agricultural innovation in response to the challenges of climate change and rural depopulation. This study describes the regional deployment and synergies of 120 MAPs coordinated by different European countries. The analysis includes the mapping of coordination and partners, and the interactions within the H2020 landscape. The results show that Western European countries, especially Spain, France and the UK, are the main origin countries for both project coordinators and participants of MAPs, while Eastern and North European countries, as well as Ireland, present a lower share. Greece, Denmark and Sweden stand out as the countries with more significant participation relative to their population. The number of connections between projects reveals the networking and knowledge co-creation and sharing within the innovation programmes with larger countries, as well as Belgium and the Netherlands, as main EU innovation hubs performing the higher number of interactions, while Eastern countries such as Croatia and Slovakia have low figures. Therefore, the present study provides insights into the regional distribution and synergies of MAPs and suggests areas for improvement in terms of geographical balance and collaboration.