INTERVIEW WITH EVAN RROÇO – AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY OF TIRANA

“By using the Quadruple Helix innovation model, the university facilitates collaboration among academia, industry, government, and civil society, bridging the gap between research and practical application” Evan Rroço from the Agricultural University of Tirana, speaks in this interview about how the collaborate with the rest of the partners in the different activities of the BEAMING project. 

Q: What is the role of the Agricultural University of Tirana in the BEAMING project?

A: The Agricultural University of Tirana plays a crucial role in the BEAMING project, focusing on fostering innovation, promoting open science, and ensuring effective dissemination of outcomes. By using the Quadruple Helix innovation model, the university facilitates collaboration among academia, industry, government, and civil society, bridging the gap between research and practical application. Their commitment to open science involves making research outputs more accessible and transparent, enhancing the credibility and reproducibility of scientific findings. Through these initiatives, the Agricultural University of Tirana ensures that BEAMING’s efforts are relevant, impactful, and beneficial to a wide range of sectors and stakeholders.

Q: Do you collaborate with other partners in the execution of your tasks and activities?

A: Bioeconomy is a relatively new concept for many actors in Albania. There exist different national bioeconomy-related strategies like the Water and Energy strategy, Agricultural and Rural development strategy, etc. but there is no Dedicated Bioeconomy Strategy at a national level, and of course also the related working plan is missing.

Under the framework of the project, we intend to build a network with the main actors in the field of Bioeconomy. The Agricultural University of Tirana is cooperating with a large number of partners. We have realized contacts with governmental bodies like the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, National Veterinary and Plant Protection Authority, Directory of Management of Professional Education, National Agency for Employment and Skills, Albanian Investments Development Agency, Institute of Food Safety and Veterinary, Directorate for Nature Protection and Forests and Directorate of National Forest Agency etc.

In order to involve the agricultural and forestry and civil society, we are cooperating with different associations like Albanian Agribusiness Council, Albanian Centre for Exports, National Federation of Forests & Pastures, Mountain Districts Agriculture Development Association, as well as different NGO-s that work in fields related to bioeconomy.

We have also contacted other actors that are involved in Agriculture and other bioeconomy related fields like the FAO representative in Albania; the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) as well as RISI Albania which is a project that the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation supports.

We really hope that the Activities that will be organized under the framework of the BEAMING project will have an important impact in increasing public awareness and the responsibility of the governmental bodies and industry towards Bioeconomy.