ERIAFF Conference 2014 Seinäjoki, Finland Luciano Concezzi 3A-Parco Umbria Technology Park, Italy "3A-PTA’s experience in the management of projects funded by Misure 124 –RDP UMBRIA 2007/2013 “Cooperation for development of new products, process and technologies in forestry and agro food sector”

2. ERIAFF 2014
“3APTA’s Experience in the management of projects funded by
Measure 124 – RDP Umbria 2007-2013 “Cooperation for development
of new products, process and technologies in Agriculture Food and
Forestry”
Dr. Luciano Concezzi, Ph.D.
Head of Innovation and Research Dept
3A-Parco tecnologico Agroalimentare dell’Umbria

3. Contents
1) Who we are
2) Measure 124 - “Cooperation for development of new products, processes
and technologies in Agriculture Food and Forestry” RDP 2007-2013
3) Case studies
4) Conclusions

4. Who we are
3A – Umbria Agro-food Technology Park (3APTA)
www.parco3a.org
Total area: 4.800 square meters.
offices: 900 square meters
laboratories: 1.400 square meters
greenhouses: 1.000 square meters
3 operative companies
50 employees
12 consultants

5. Company profile
The 3A-PTA is a no profit company founded in 1989 by Umbria Region with the aim of
creating an instrument to provide highly qualified services and innovation to regional
companies in the agro-food sector.
The Company Statute reads: ”The purpose of the company is
- to promote and realize projects, research programs, scientific and hi-tech
experimentation in collaboration with national and international Scientific institutions;
- to certify products, services and systems in the agro food sector.
Today 3A-PTA is a company under the control of Umbria Region
3A-PTA conducts three main activities:

6. Three Departments
- Innovation & Research
- Certification
- International projects

7. Innovation & Research Dept
Activities:
1) promote innovation and technology transfer, creating a permanent link between
research centers and regional agro-food SME.
2) find partners and funds in order to carry out innovation, technology transfer and
research projects.
3) manage the regional agro-meteorological Network www.agrometeounmbria.it
4) carry out research activity regarding biodiversity conservation, plant tissue culture,
agronomy

8. Umbria the green heart of Italy
Umbria Italy
Total Agricultural Area: 536.676 ha (3,1 %) 17.081.099 ha
Utilized Agricultural Area: 326.877 ha (2,5 %) 12.856.048 ha
N. of farms: 36.244 (2,2%) 1.620.884
Average Farm size: 9,2 ha The surface is 845.600 ha
Farms with UAA from 1 to 5 ha: 42,3%
Farms with UAA from 5 to 10 ha: 14,6%
Farms with UAA from 10 to 20 ha: 9,3%
Farms with UAA from 20 to 50 ha: 6%

9. MEASURE 1.2.4 - Umbria RDP 2007-2013
“Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in Agriculture
Food and Forestry”
4 Calls: 2009 – 2012 – 2013 – 2014 (in evaluation)
Funds: 19 Millions €
Main Objective of the Measure:
- strengthen relationships between firms in the primary sector, processing industry,
marketing and research centers in order to introduce innovation in agriculture, food and
forestry

10. MEASURE 1.2.4 - Umbria RDP 2007-2013
“Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in Agriculture
Food and Forestry”
Objectives of the Measure:
- develop competitiveness of agriculture, food and forestry sectors through innovation;
- improve quality standards of the products through the introduction of process innovation;
- create new products and services;
- improve the labor productivity through the introduction of organizational innovation.
- improve the environmental sustainability of enterprises

11. MEASURE 1.2.4 - Umbria RDP 2007-2013
“Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in Agriculture
Food and Forestry”
Minimum partnership:
- 2 companies of which at least one of the ​​agriculture, food and forestry sector
- 3A-Umbria Agro-food technology park
- Public and private Research Centers
Project financed:
100 projects funded at 70% of eligible expenditure
Partnership management:
The lead partner manages the technical and administrative coordination of the project
(activities and accounting) and all the contacts with local authority (Umbria Region)

12. MEASURE 1.2.4 - Umbria RDP 2007-2013
“Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in Agriculture
Food and Forestry”
Methodology:
- Cooperation between agricultural and food enterprises and public and private research
centers.
- Technology Transfer & experimentation in the companies
Project activities:
- development of prototypes,
- field trials,
- testing new technologies,
- development of new products and processes,
- development of new systems to improve the organization of the company and then labor
productivity
-- results dissemination

13. MEASURE 1.2.4 - Umbria RDP 2007-2013
Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in Agriculture
Food and Forestry”
Topics:
According to the Call, the projects concern the following topics:
1) innovations for processing/marketing and distribution of products
2) innovations for energy production from renewable sources and energy-saving
3) innovations in the organization and management of the company
4) innovation for management of water resources
5) testing of new products / processes / technologies / working methods
6) innovations for food quality & food safety
7) innovations for improving the environmental sustainability of production processes
8) innovations for the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity
9) innovations for use and valorization of by-products

14. MEASURE 1.2.4 - Umbria RDP 2007-2013
Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in Agriculture
Food and Forestry”
Evaluation Parameters:
The projects were evaluated with different score according to the following parameters:
1) Topics
2) Number of Partner
3) Percentage presence in the partnership of farms and food companies
4) Food Chain/sector
5) Realization of Demonstrative activities

15. MEASURE 1.2.4 - Umbria RDP 2007-2013
“Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in Agriculture
Food and Forestry”
Data up to date:
Projects approved (June 2014): 100
Expenditure committed: € 19,000,000
Companies involved: > 600
Research centers involved: > 60 (Private and Public Research centers)
Projects where 3A-PTA is leader: 38

16. MEASURE 1.2.4 - Umbria RDP 2007-2013
“Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in Agriculture
Food and Forestry”
Data up to date:
The projects cover the following productive sectors/food chains
- Wine
- Olive oil
- Livestock
- Industrial crops
(tobacco, sunflowers, flax, dyeing plants, medicinal plants, etc.)
- Cereals
- Horticulture
- Forestry / biomass
- Other

17. MEASURE 1.2.4 - Umbria RDP 2007-2013
“Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in Agriculture
Food and Forestry”
Strengths:
- After 5 years of work on Measure 124, cooperation between SME and research centers is
increasing.
- The culture of innovation is increased in the agro-food firms
-Small companies had the possibility to develop their innovative idea
-Weaknesses:
Relevant difficulties in the accounting of the projects

18. MEASURE 1.2.4 - Umbria RDP 2007-2013
“Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies in Agriculture
Food and Forestry”
4 Case Studies
1) Umbrian Beers
2) Flax chain for feed and linoleum production
3) Valorization of the pomace for feed use
4) High oleic acid sunflower chain for Biolubricants production

19. Case studies
1) Umbrian Beers
Lead partner : La Palma - Farchioni Group
Objective: realization of a pilot plant for production of innovative beers
Innovation:
Beers produced with innovative ingredients such as spelt (triticum spelta), chickling (Lathyrus sativus), and
lentils (Lens culinaris) that are typical umbrian productions
Partnership: 7 partners - Farms - field trials - production of raw materials: barley , spelt, chickling and lentils production
- Research Centers (Beer Research Center – University of Perugia , 3APTA)
- Chemical laboratory (Analysis s.r.l.)
- Disctribution (Coop Italia)
Project activities: realization of a small craft brewery ; innovative & unique craft beers produced with cereals and
legumes cultivated in Umbria (short chain) with high health properties
Results: after the experimentation La Palma realized a brewery at industrial scale; trade mark: Mastri Birrai Umbri
Strengths: Production of a beer with innovative ingredients, typical of the region with a high
nutritional value (investigation on health properties )

20. Case studies
2) Flax chain for feed and linoleum production
Lead partner : 3APTA
Objective: - create a regional flax chain for livestock and linoleum® production
- Improvement of meet and milk sheep quality through the use of feed made ​​from extruded flax seed
Innovation: Development of a feed supplement made ​​from extruded flax seed
Partnership: 9 partners - Farms (field and livestock trials - production of flax seed)
- Research Centers (University of Perugia: Animal Science Dept & Economy Dept )
- Industry (Tarkett world leader in linoleum® production)
Project activities: - Feasibility study for the construction of a center for drying and storage of flax seed
- Field trials to evaluate new techniques for a greater economic and environmental sustainability of Flax coltivation
- Development of feed formulations based on extruded flax seed in order to conduct tests on sheep & cattle
- Evaluation of production performance, of the health status of sheep & cattle and characterization of milk, cheese and
meat produced
- Tests for the production of linoleum® floor and roof made ​​from flax oil and pulverized flax fibers
Risults: The formulation of animal feed made ​​from extruded flaxseed has improved beef cattle and milk sheep quality

21. Case studies
3) Valorization of the pomace for feed use
Lead partner : 3APTA
Objective: Valorize pomace (a by – product of the olive oil production) creating a local pomace supply chain for feed production
Innovation: Development of an innovative feed made ​​from pomace
Partnership: 10 partners - Farms and Mills (livestock trials - production of olive oil and pomace)
- Research Centers (University of Perugia: Animal Science Dept & Economy Dept )
- Local Olive Oil Producers Association (APROL)
Project Activities:
- Production of animal feed formulations for experimental tests on cattle and sheep
- Tests on sheep and evaluation of production performance, health status of the animals and characterization of milk and cheese
produced
- Tests on beef cattle production performance evaluation, health status of animals and characterization of the meat produced
- Assessment of organizational and relational aspects of the pomace supply chain and evaluation of its economic sustainability.
Results: - The formulation of feed made ​​from pomace has improved beef cattle and milk sheep quality;
- The pomace supply chain resulted economically sustainabile
Strengths: the results of the project convinced farms and Olive Mills to create a local pomace supply chain in one of the most
important area for olive oil production in Umbria

22. Case studies
4) High oleic acid sunflower chain for Biolubricants production
Lead partner: 3APTA
Objective: Create in Umbria a sunflower oil chain for production of Bio-lubricants for agriculture
Innovation: Realization of an innovative plant (prototype) for the production of biodegradable lubricants from
renewable sources (sunflower) for application on agricultural machinery
Partnership: 4 partners
- Farmers Association: Oro Verde/Coldiretti (field trials - production of sunflower seeds)
- Innovative Industries: Novamont SpA (Bio-lubricants production )
Sincro srl (Prototype )
Project Activities: - Field trials, oil production and characterization
- Market Analysis on the products and by-products of squeezing
- Analysis of the environmental impacts - Life Cicle Assesment
- Realization of an innovative plant (prototype) for the production of biodegradable lubricants
- bio-lubricants validation with tests on agricultural machinery
Results: Definition of guidelines for the cultivation of sunflower at low environmental impact
Realization in Umbria of the prototype plant for the production of bio-lubricants
Strengths: The Industrial production of Biolubricants by Novamont SpA is already started at industrial scale in Sardinia

23. Dissemination of Results
- www.parco3a.org
- Demonstration activities
- Workshops
- Conferences
- Press articles
- Scientific articles

24. Conclusions
3APTA, during the last 6 years, has developed great experience on building partnerships
through the "interactive innovation model" which focuses on forming partnerships -
using bottom-up approaches and linking farmers, advisors, researchers, businesses, and
other actors in operational groups that will be the engine of the European Innovation
Partnership - Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP – AGRI) in Umbria.

25. Thanks for your attention
lconcezzi@parco3a.org