Complex issues such as the safety and quality of food systems and water resources cannot be restricted to the limits imposed by national borders, especially in a diverse and complex area such as the Mediterranean basin, where agri-food issues are so important for the social and economic fabric.
“PRIMA - Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area” is a joint research and innovation initiative involving both EU and non-EU countries in the Mediterranean basin. This ambitious programme is aimed at developing innovative and tangible solutions for agriculture, the food industry and the use of water resources and, at the same time, at promoting their use by sector professionals, for sustainable agri-food production in the entire Euro-Mediterranean region. A total of €200 million have been allocated to this initiative by the various countries involved for a period of 10 years.
The preparation of the PRIMA project was one of the objectives of the Italian semester of EU Presidency. The most innovative feature of PRIMA is its partnership, which involves both EU Member States (France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Cyprus and Germany) and non-EU Mediterranean countries (Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Israel).
From the outset, the University of Bologna has always been a member of the Italian partnership supporting the PRIMA initiative and, in this context, Francesco Capozzi, professor at the Department of Agri-Food Sciences and Technologies, has been appointed Coordinator of the Italian Universities activities within the national partnership of this initiative.
PRIMA has defined a Strategic Agenda for Research and Innovation, which serves as a basis for joint planning between the Participating States and the European Commission and, as a result, for the Work Programmes and funding grants, which will be launched from 2018 onwards.