What happens to a R&I project’s results after the project ends?
This question is becoming increasingly important for EXCEL4MED as the project approaches its completion in December.
After several years of work on the valorisation of Mediterranean citrus and pomegranate side-streams, the focus is now not only on the results achieved, but also on how these results can continue to be used, shared and developed beyond our project.
In this context, EXCEL4MED recently participated in the widerAdvance Facility Dissemination & Exploitation Academy Review Workshop, together with the EU-funded projects META-TOO, nexus monARC, FunShield4Med, TransEET, ETHCSTWIN and BiACEM.
Reflecting on the future uptake of our results
This workshop allowed us to review and discuss practical challenges that can arise when planning the dissemination and exploitation of research results.
Through peer discussions and case studies, participants looked at different approaches to developing key project tools, including the Characterisation Table, Exploitation Roadmap and Dissemination Strategy, which enabled us to compare experiences, discuss possible solutions and learn from the methods adopted by other projects.
Another topic explored was the Lean Canvas, introduced as a practical tool for developing and communicating a project’s use and business case. This approach can help projects clarify how their results could be used and provide a bridge towards the development of a broader business plan.
For EXCEL4MED, the timing was particularly relevant. As the project approaches its final months, we are looking at how the knowledge, technologies, best practices… developed can continue to reach relevant actors and support future opportunities beyond our project lifetime.
We also had the opportunity to revisit our exploitation approach and take a closer look at the steps that still need to be addressed to support the longer-term use of EXCEL4MED’s results.
The workshop also gave us a chance to exchange with experts and colleagues supporting the wider European research and innovation ecosystem.
The end of the project does not mean the end of the work developed within it. EXCEL4MED has generated knowledge and practical results around the valorisation of citrus and pomegranate side-streams, including innovative extraction approaches, value-added food concepts and experiences from Living Labs in Greece and Malta.
The next challenge is to ensure that these results remain visible and accessible to those stakeholders who can use, develop or build on them in the future.
The widerAdvance Facility workshop was therefore a useful activity for EXCEL4MED to exchange experiences with other WIDERA initiatives, reflect on its own approach and further consider the pathways that can support the continued use and uptake of its results.
