The Horizon Europe twinning project CROPINNO aims at supporting a key scientific institution on climate-smart crop production in the Western Balkans, the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops, Novi Sad (IFVCNS), in further developing innovation capacity and scientific excellence. It will enhance its ability to respond and create innovative solutions for the challenges that agriculture faces - climate changes and need to feed the increasing population. It will further strengthen its research management and administration skills and create the conditions for positioning of IFVCNS as a regional hub of R&I in the area of agriculture and creation of Climate Crops Centre. These objectives will be achieved through a set of training, networking and dissemination activities, including short-term scientific missions, workshops, international summer schools, national and international conferences, as well as Field days.

The expected impacts of CROPPINO include: improved excellence capacity, enhanced strategic networking activities, raised reputation and attractiveness of IFVCNS and the research profile of its staff. CROPINNO  further aims strengthen research management capacities and administrative skills of IFVCNS staff, as well as improved creativity supported by the development of new research activities and collaborations and increased mobility of qualified scientists.

To that end, EMPHASIS will provide knowledge and experience on research infrastructure management, based on the expertise of the EMPHASIS Coordination and Support Office at the Forschungszentrum Jülich.

The project has an overall budget of 1.5 million Euros and will run for 3 years, being coordinated by IFVCNS and integrating four further partners.