The FLIARA Project celebrated its Second General Assembly at the University of Galway on Monday, July 1, 2024. The event, attended by project partners from across Europe, showcased the remarkable progress and achievements of the FLIARA initiative aimed at fostering women-led innovation in rural and farming communities.
The assembly commenced with a warm welcome from the project coordinator, Associate Professor Maura Farrell, who acknowledged the invaluable contributions of all partners to the project’s success. Farrell highlighted the collaborative spirit that has driven FLIARA forward, expressing gratitude for the dedication and effort of the consortium.
Louise Weir, Project Manager, led sessions for Work Packages 7 and 8, engaging partners in activities designed to share perspectives and assess project progress. These interactive sessions provided a platform for consortium members to exchange insights and refine strategies moving forward.
Aisling Murtagh, FLIARA Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Galway, presented key findings from Work Package 1 on Contextual Concepts and Assessment Frameworks. Murtagh unveiled the results of the first report, “Assessment of Rural and Farming Policy and Legal Frameworks in Relation to Women-led Innovation,” offering a comprehensive overview of existing policies and laws at both national and EU levels. This foundational knowledge base is set to inform future tasks within the FLIARA project, addressing key policy issues and setting the stage for impactful change.
Under Work Package 2 on Foresight and Trend Analysis, Tuomas Kuhmonen from the University of Turku presented the outcomes of the foresight study. The study underscored the significant potential for increasing women’s contributions to sustainability innovations in rural and farm domains. Kuhmonen emphasised women’s strong interest in addressing sustainability challenges and their capacity to drive meaningful change through innovative solutions.
Annie Roos from Linnaeus University and Silvia Sivini from the University of Calabria shared results from Work Package 3 related to women-led innovation in rural and farming case studies. Through extensive research, FLIARA has conducted interviews with over 200 women leading innovative initiatives in farming and rural communities across Europe. By identifying and addressing specific challenges these women face, the project aims to create a more supportive and enabling environment, promote sustainable development, and enhance rural community vitality.
Duncan Crowley from ECOLISE presented progress on Work Package 4, focusing on the FLIARA Community of Practice Network. Crowley detailed the Community of Practice events and outlined future activities, emphasising the importance of ongoing collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Gerdy Verschuure-Stuip from TU Delft discussed upcoming activities under Work Package 5 on policy design and assessment. This work package aims to design effective policy and governance frameworks, leveraging project insights to boost women-led innovation in farming and rural areas.
VÃctor R. MartÃnez from Consulta Europa, leaders in communication, dissemination, and exploitation, presented results and future steps for their Work Package 6. MartÃnez outlined the development of the CD&E strategy, which includes identifying key activities, channels, target groups, and tools. He also highlighted plans for a visibility campaign to spotlight women-led innovations and strategies to establish synergies with local, national, and EU networks, ensuring wide dissemination of project recommendations and outputs.
The assembly concluded with closing remarks from Maura Farrell, who reiterated the project’s commitment to fostering innovation and sustainability in rural communities through women’s leadership. The General Assembly not only celebrated past achievements but also set a clear path for the future, strengthening the resolve of all partners to continue their impactful work towards the project’s end.