Network of qualified services for the development of the cross-border citrus production chain
The common challenge concerns strengthening the competitiveness of MSMEs through the provision of services to support “Research and development” in the citrus fruit sector. CITRUS will support the competitiveness of MSMEs by providing services to enhance skills and know-how in the citrus fruit sector. Starting from the results achieved by the Mare di Agrumi project (Axis 1 - 1st Call), the main changes expected concern an increase in the number of target beneficiaries, with specific reference to companies interested in creative transformation processes (new processes; improvement and innovation of the processes currently in use), the reuse of waste (circular economy) and tourism enhancement linked to citrus fruits (range of products and services related to the tourism brand). The project’s main outputs are: a “CITRUS” business plan (including a co-development strategy); a CITRUS innovation hub (including a range of specialised services and the list of “experts” who will provide the services); a “CITRUS” call for ideas to select the companies that will benefit from the specialised services; CITRUS specialised services. The direct beneficiaries will be MSMEs that are already active in the citrus fruit supply chain, or that are interested in capitalising on the development opportunities that characterise it. CITRUS involves adopting an “open innovation” approach based on the implementation of co-conception, co-design and co-development processes. Given the specific features that characterise the citrus fruit sector in the regions involved, only by adopting a cross-border approach will it be possible to transform the opportunities offered by the citrus fruit supply chain into real tools to support the competitiveness of MSMEs. The innovative aspects of CITRUS are: implementation of an open innovation process; definition of a cross-border business plan; provision of cross-border services; implementation of innovative, circular economy processes.