- The details of the European agrodigitalisation project were explained.
- The event was attended by Pedro Martínez Ruano, Education Counsellor of the Spanish Embassy in Benelux and Juan Castilla Medina, CEO and co-founder of Talent Factory.
11/07/2023, Brussels. On Thursday June 6, 2023 were presented the details of the Interreg POCTEP HIBA program, a European project of interregional cooperation Spain Portugal that advocates the creation of an agrodigital ecosystem, which supports the creation of new companies. The presentation was framed within the visit of the winners of the Talent Factory awards, an initiative committed to entrepreneurship in a pedagogical way and was attended by Pedro Martinez Ruano, Counselor for Education of the Embassy of Spain in Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg and Juan Castilla Medina, CEO and co-founder of Talent Factory.
Jon Larrachea, member of Finnova’s communication team, detailed the characteristics of the project that seeks to improve the business capacity and sustainability of the agri-food sector through digitalisation, generating competitiveness and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises and the promotion of entrepreneurship. Interreg HIBA has been implemented in the Spanish-Portuguese border, a region with a predominantly rural character. This circumstance leads to these areas having fewer employment opportunities, lower levels of education, less access to information and communication technologies (ICT) and accessibility problems, among others.
“Despite the disadvantages in these regions, we cannot forget that they are a source of supply of agricultural products to urban centres, as well as ensuring the conservation and management of the natural heritage”, concluded Larrachea when explaining the importance of this type of project. With a multi-regional character, the axis of the HIBA project is based on inclusive growth through cross-border cooperation between Spain and Portugal in favour of business competitiveness.
The results of Interreg HIBA hinge on three bases aligned with the initial objectives and which demonstrate the success of the project. First, it has contributed to the creation of a network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH), accelerating the digital maturity, competitiveness and visibility of companies in the cross-border area between Spain and Portugal. Second, the actions of the programme have allowed the development of new professional profiles to meet the business needs of the digital economy context and the post-Covid19 economic recovery. Finally, it has provided support for the digitisation of agribusinesses through entrepreneurship, digital innovation and experimentation.
In addition to Interreg HIBA, about ten projects in which Finnova is a partner were explained during the event, which was attended by Finnova staff in Brussels.
About Finnova
Finnova is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. Finnova’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a strong proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programmes, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.
About Interreg HIBA
The Interreg Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Project (POCTEP) HIBA will promote a multi-regional ecosystem focused on the digitisation of the agri-food sector in Spain and Portugal through the creation of a network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH) to foster initiative, competitiveness and business sustainability, promoting economic recovery post-Covid19.
With a budget of 5.3 million euros, 75% co-financed by the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) in the framework of the Interreg V-A Spain-Portugal Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020 (POCTEP), HIBA has 19 beneficiaries, with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Andalusian Regional Government being the main beneficiary.