600 participants from more than 40 countries and 4 continents. The 2021 edition of Galicia Innovation Days became a great space for debate on science and the future, an exhibition of innovative projects and success stories and a meeting point for researchers, companies, entrepreneurs and institutions. Organised by FEUGA and the Department of Education, Culture and Universities of the Xunta de Galicia, this four-day event provided a venue for a WildMAPsFit workshop.
Dimitris Fotakis – project coordinator and researcher at the Forest Research Institute of the Hellenic Agricultural Organization – was the one in charge of presenting the objectives and interest of WildMAPsFit.
His presentation was introduced by Nuria Rodríguez, also a partner of the project and Technology Transfer Manager in EU Programmes at FEUGA.
The workshop included a short tutorial on the use of the platform developed by the WildMAPsFit partners and the presentation of the two first modules already loaded and ready for use and study- one for collectors and one for processors.
According to Mr. Fotakis, these modules were created after asking several collectors and processors of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants about their needs and finding a solution to their answers.
Having a licence is important both for biodiversity and for sustainable harvesting and cultivation.
Dimitris Fotakis
The training is completed by answering questionnaires that test the trainee’s knowledge and lead to a certification, which guarantees the individual’s ability to preserve crop biodiversity.
The importance of being at the centre of a network was also highlighted. As Mr. Fotakis explained, in order to communicate the existence of this platform, it is vital to be in contact with different stakeholders and to engage with organisations that have the capacity and interest to disseminate it.