A rapidly changing world is driving the European food system to adapt to digital transformation and the growing role of entrepreneurship. The international project ENACT (Enabling Social Innovation Entrepreneurship in AgriFood through Digital Transition) seeks to respond to these challenges by fostering social innovation in the agri-food sector and building cross-border networks.
The project involves more than 270 social economy actors working to build collective resilience and mutual support across Europe.
An international meeting of the project partners took place in Evora (Portugal) on 18-21 March 2025, with representatives from Austria, Lithuania, Portugal and Spain. Discussions, working groups and creative sessions generated ideas on how to bring together economy, society and ecology in the context of social innovation in the food sector.
A representative of the Institute of Economic and Rural Development of the Lithuanian Social Science Centre also took part in the meeting, presenting the concept of Living Labs - a practical model for testing social innovations in real-life conditions.
During the visit, the partners visited local farms with mixed agricultural activities and educational programmes for children, as well as the modern Alvita Vocational School, where tourism, food and IT programmes are developed.
The ideas generated during the event will contribute to the development of a resilient, innovative and collaborative agri-food ecosystem in Europe.
For more information on the project: https://projectenact.eu/