The project, launched as part of the LivingSoiLL initiative, now brings together more than 30 Andalusian organisations and positions Jaén as a European leader in research and innovation for sustainable agriculture.
The Andalusian Living Lab, an initiative coordinated by the University Institute of Research into Olive Groves and Olive Oils (INUO) at the University of Jaén as part of the European LivingSoiLL project, has presented its annual activity report, a publication that sets out the main milestones, actions and results achieved over the past year, and which reflects the joint work of the more than 30 organisations that make up this innovation ecosystem dedicated to improving the health of olive grove soil.
The presentation of the report took place in the Pascual Rivas Hall at the Old Teacher Training College and was attended by the Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Transfer at the University of Jaén, M.ª Victoria López Ramón; the manager of the Caja Rural de Jaén Foundation, Luis Jesús García-Lomas; and the coordinator of the Andalusian Living Lab and lecturer at the University of Jaén, Juan Manuel Jurado Rodríguez.
During the event, the Vice-Chancellor highlighted the project’s impact on knowledge transfer to the agricultural sector. “Science at the UJA does not remain confined to offices; it is applied on experimental farms, in collaboration with olive oil mills and cooperatives, restoring the health of our fields and safeguarding the future of olive growing”, she stated. She also pointed out that the Andalusian Living Lab demonstrates the capacity to generate a genuine ecosystem of innovation and co-creation between universities, businesses and institutions to protect the health of olive grove soil, and congratulated Professor Juan Manuel Jurado on his leadership of the project and on positioning the University of Jaén amongst the leading European institutions in this field.
For his part, Luis Jesús García-Lomas highlighted the contribution of the Caja Rural de Jaén Foundation to the project through its Olivarum laboratory, where some of the soil analyses included in the initiative are carried out. In this regard, he emphasised the importance of developing research projects with direct applications for the region and the production sector, thereby contributing to the sustainability and competitiveness of olive groves.
The coordinator of the Andalusian Living Lab, Juan Manuel Jurado Rodríguez, outlined the main achievements detailed in the annual report and emphasised that this publication, made possible thanks to the support of the Caja Rural de Jaén Foundation, “is much more than a review of activities; it reflects the joint effort to protect the economic, environmental and cultural heart of our province: the olive-growing land”. He also pointed out that the recent Social Engagement Award presented to the Andalusian Living Lab by the Social Councils of Andalusia’s public universities recognises the model of collaboration between science, businesses and institutions developed during this first year of activity.
The Andalusian Living Lab forms part of the European LivingSoiLL project, an initiative funded by Horizon Europe with an overall budget of 12 million euros, of which nearly 2 million are allocated to initiatives carried out in Andalusia for the regeneration of olive grove soils. Together with four other Living Labs located in Portugal, France, Italy and Poland, it forms an innovation platform where researchers, businesses, public authorities and farmers work together to design, validate and implement solutions that help to conserve and restore soil health in woody crops.
Since its launch, the Andalusian Living Lab has grown from its 15 founding organisations to more than 30 participating organisations and now connects with nearly a hundred European partners. This ‘living lab’ model enables technological solutions, the monitoring of experimental farms and soil restoration strategies to be developed through co-creation processes under real-world conditions, promoting more sustainable, resilient and competitive agriculture in the face of the challenges posed by climate change.
The project’s activities will continue next week with the LivingSoiLL General Assembly in Jaén, which will bring together researchers and representatives from organisations across various European countries – including Poland, Italy, France and Portugal – from 7 to 9 July, consolidating the province’s position as a hub for European innovation in soil health and sustainable agriculture.
Fuente: Diario Digital UJA
