On the way to the Transnational event on Agrifood innovation on next 27-28 May in Greece, GREENSMARTMED project partners are building and realizing several relevant initiatives on this topic. Among them, the event realized on 4th of February 2025 in Milan, Italy, by the project partner AFIL, in collaboration with Tecnoalimenti and Politecnico di Milano. Namely, the event hosted a meeting of the Strategic Community for Secure and Sustainable Food Manufacturing and the Safe and Sustainable Agri-Food Supply Chain (FISICO).
The Strategic Communities of AFIL are regional groups formed by members who share a common interest and commitment to addressing key strategic issues within the Lombardy manufacturing sector. These communities are shaped by the expertise and priorities of their participants.
The event focused specifically on initiatives and opportunities within the Lombardy Agri-Food ecosystem. Discussions included ongoing activities, funding opportunities, and synergies among key stakeholders in the Agri-Food industry. AFIL currently oversees five regional core groups, four of which align with sectors targeted by the project. These groups include: Strategic Community for De- and Remanufacturing for Circular Economy (that has two subgroups for batteries and textile), Strategic Community for Machinery, and Strategic Community for Advanced Polymers. 
These communities bring together regional actors who are dedicated to addressing challenges, needs, and opportunities at the regional, national, and EU levels.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to present the GREENSMARTMED project, which aims to foster transregional collaboration among 4-helix stakeholders in five target sectors: machinery, textiles, plastics, agri-food, and mobility & batteries.
The project seeks to accelerate the green transition of advanced manufacturing value chains. Engaging regional stakeholders in both the Strategic Community and FISICO value chains is critical to achieving this goal.
This alignment is reflected in the project’s methodology, which includes the following steps:
1. Regional Ecosystem Mapping
2. Identification of key R&I topics focused on RIS3
3. Establishment of regional core groups
4. Motivation and consolidation of regional core groups
5. Engagement with other regions
6. Development and evaluation of ideas
7. Assessment of SMEs’ capabilities
8. Identification of financial instruments for SMEs
9. Design of regional and transregional cooperation initiatives
The pre-existing working groups in the Lombardy Region exemplify how this methodology can be effectively applied within target territories. To inspire new ideas and strengthen the food manufacturing group, AFIL outlined the potential role of industry, research, and non-profit stakeholders in the GREENSMARTMED activities. 
The upcoming Transregional Cooperation Event in Thessaloniki, Greece, to be held on 27-28th May 2025, will further enhance transregional collaboration. Organized by CERTH, this event will focus on the agri-food value chain, providing opportunities to share best practices, participate in sector-specific roundtables, and visit sites that highlight regional excellence in Central Macedonia.
The Thessaloniki event will serve as a valuable platform for sharing the progress of regional stakeholders as they transition to a greener, more sustainable manufacturing sector. This follows the successful GREENSMARTMED transnational meeting in Lyon organized by the project partners POLYMERIS and University Claude Bernard de Lyon, which focused on the plastics sector and facilitated meaningful exchanges of best practices among partners and external stakeholders.
AFIL’s Strategic Community for Advanced Polymers, focused on the plastics and plastronics value chain in Lombardy, was represented at the Lyon meeting by two members: the University of Brescia and Elettrotecnica ROLD. These members had the opportunity to present their research, project experiences, and innovative solutions. This format will be replicated in Thessaloniki, with AFIL’s food manufacturing groups showcasing and sharing regional best practices, promoting networking, and fostering knowledge transfer among participants.
Looking ahead, the next steps will involve gathering input and gauging interest from stakeholders in the different regional groups through a bottom-up approach. Additionally, AFIL will work closely with the Lombardy Region to engage policymakers in the next phase of the project. This will help ensure that the concerns of the value chains are addressed while amplifying the project’s positive impact.
By bringing together diverse expertise and aligning efforts at both regional and transregional levels, GREENSMARTMED is well-positioned to drive meaningful change across value chains. The commitment of all stakeholders, from SMEs to policymakers, will ensure that the project not only achieves its goals but also contributes to the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of the European ecosystem—and beyond.
- Find more about the Agenda of the AFIL’s event.
- Find more about the upcoming GREENSMARTMED Transnational Event on Green Innovation in the Agrifood sector in the tentative Agenda of the event.
