The European Fruit Network (EUFRUIT) includes 12 countries focussed on 4 thematic areas of critical for the competiveness and innovation potential of the European Fruit sector: i) new cultivar development and evaluation; ii) minimise residues on fruit and the environment; iii) optimising storage and fruit quality; iv) sustainable production systems. EUFRUIT will coordinate and support innovation through developing a framework for relevant stakeholders and it will establish a systematic approach for knowledge gathering and dissemination. The systematic approach includes: i) scanning & synthesis via 4 expert groups who scan state-of-art knowledge, practises and technologies and synthesise the material to identify key areas of learning and best practise approaches at a European level. ii) showing & sharing will deliver outreach/dialogue at a national level through establishment of local ‘operational groups’. An online Knowledge Platform will hold all outreach material, outreach activities include; 100 industry publications, 90 technical bulletins, 25 flyers/newsletters, 60 seminars, 160 field based meetings, 25 conference plus 12 events aimed at the general public. iii) sustaining the network will occur through long-term integration of the assembled EUFRUIT network in future actions. The overall outcome of EUFRUIT will be establishment of a framework and a systematic approach that together builds a bridge across the ‘valley of death’. This bridge will secure a direct path for new knowledge in the future and reduce the likelihood of repetition of research at a national level. The European fruit sector will have ready access to up-to-date information to implement and value will be created both for the industry with respect to competitiveness, sustainability and efficiency and society through ensuring the security and safety of fruit; underpinning human health and wellbeing.

LIAISON aims to make a significant and meaningful contribution to optimising interactive innovation project approaches and the delivery of EU policies to speed up innovation in agriculture, forestry and rural areas. Researchers, policy advisors, actors from interactive innovation projects, initiatives and networks, farm/forestry advisors, decision-makers and administrators will jointly investigate the design and implementation of interactive innovation project approaches. Looking with the eyes of a larger number of interactive innovation initiatives we will assess the infrastructure of H2020 and Rural Development Programmes at the project, national and European levels. Central in the project are a 'light-touch' review of the experiences in 200 projects and initiatives, and an in-depth assessment of 32 interactive innovation project approaches in a broad range of agricultural and forestry sub-sectors and countries. We will present the diversity of projects and practices through an online 'story map' with entries from all over Europe and select 15 practitioners from innovation projects who will contribute to the project's analyses and outcomes. LIAISON will produce practice-ready methods, protocols and tools, co-designed in processes involving the target users themselves. These include participatory tools for co-creation and co-learning, for networking, communication and dissemination, impact assessment tools, and methodologies and tools for self-evaluation. An Interactive Online System will help innovation actors to access these. LIAISON will develop detailed best practices and approaches for H2020 multi-actor projects, Thematic Networks, Operational Groups and other interactive innovation approaches that contribute to the implementation of EIP-Agri. All project outputs generated by LIAISON will be subject to a process of validation and fine-tuning based upon practical peer-review by consortium members and other closely involved actors and stakeholders.