University of Pisa
The University of Pisa, established in the year 1343 with roots tracing back to the 11th century, is a prestigious educational institution in Italy. It offers a comprehensive range of programmes including 59 Bachelor, 73 Master, and 25 PhD programmes across 20 departments, supported by around 1,600 academic staff and serving over 46,300 students. The Institution is actively involved in over 300 EU-funded research projects.
In the context of RURACTIVE, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DISAAA-a) is involved. The DISAAA-a aims at supporting the wider society in the challenges of creating prosperity and sustainability in agri-food production systems by combining the production of private goods with the provision of public goods, i.e., by co-creating agri-food systems that are sustainable and resilient to drivers of change.
The research group involved in the project belongs to the Pisa Agricultural Economics Group (PAGE), mainly working at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DISAAA-a). PAGE is committed to investigating the multidimensionality of agriculture and food by considering the diversity of social needs and existing societal challenges through a problem-based approach, linking these different spheres in a social and ecological systems perspective, and building on multiple theories.
The PAGE group applies qualitative and quantitative research methods and collaborates with researchers from a wide range of disciplines, by also running research with actors in policy and practice, learning how to meaningfully engage with the actors ‘in the field’ and ‘co-design’ and ‘co-innovate’, according to the principles of Responsible Research and Innovation. The research areas covered by the group are food systems and food security; analysis of agri-food chains; technological, social, institutional and organisational innovations; sustainable and resilient bio-based, circular economy; innovation processes and transition management; dynamics and structural change in rural areas, and rural-urban relations; analysis of agricultural, fisheries, food and rural development policies; multifunctionality of agriculture and of rural space; innovative agri-business models.
Some EU projects that involve(d) the team are in line with the RURACTIVE topics, such as Horizon 2020 projects DESIRA (coordinated by UNIPI); SHERPA; ROBUST; and Horizon Europe GRANULAR, mainly based on multi-actor collaboration including science-policy-society interfaces through the adoption of living labs approaches in rural areas or to connect rural-urban areas.
Role within RURACTIVE
The University of Pisa is a technical partner in the RURACTIVE project. The team is involved in developing a conceptual framework for rural smart and community-led solutions, in identifying community-led smart solutions in rural areas as part of the Solutions Catalogue and the analysis of enablers and processes for rural innovation, with a focus on women-led innovation. The university team also contributes to the multilevel knowledge and competence transfer among RURACTIVE Technical Partners and Dynamos as well as empowering rural communities to act for change through training and capacity building.
