SEASN General Assembly 2024 Highlights Network’s Achievements, Introduces New Tools, and Sets Goals for the Future

On October 28, 2024, SEASN’s General Assembly was held in Belgrade, Serbia, at the premises of the Institute for Science Application in Agriculture (IPN). The assembly was organized to showcase the network’s work and achievements over the past year. Additionally, after the assembly, a training on interactive innovation was held as part of the i2connect project, tailored specifically for SEASN members from the South Eastern Europe region. Overall, the assembly welcomed 20 participants, both in person and online, representing seven countries and nine member organizations.

The assembly began with welcoming speeches by the president of SEASN, Igor Hrovatič, and the director of IPN, Dr. Rade Jovanović. Dr. Jovanović noted that this year’s assembly marks a special occasion, as it has been 10 years since the network’s founding assembly. He also emphasized that the challenges ahead make collaboration within the network even more essential. In his speech, Igor Hrovatič highlighted that the joint efforts over the years have led to the establishment and growth of this network. Both speakers expressed that this assembly has helped lay a strong foundation for SEASN’s future and its continued success.

Updates on SEASN’s Ongoing Projects and Strategic Partnerships

At the assembly, SEASN presented its project portfolio, participating in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe initiatives. SEASN has actively contributed to high-impact projects such as:

• FAIRshare (concluded in 2023, with pending financial transfers),
• i2connect (concluding in late October 2024, after training on interactive innovation),
• Climate Fruit (focusing on perennial crops in the Mediterranean region).

Since 2023, SEASN has also joined newer Horizon Europe projects like:

• STRATUS, targeting sustainable fertilizer use,
• AdvisoryNetPest for pesticide management, and
• OrganicAdviceNetwork to increase organic advisors across Europe.

For more information on our projects, please follow this link.

Two additional projects, LiveNet (addressing livestock advisory networks) and DIGI-Rangeland (focused on digital applications in livestock farming), are set to commence in 2024.

Strengthening Communication and Member Engagement

This year, SEASN launched an updated website and expanded its digital presence to LinkedIn and X, aiming to improve accessibility and communication within the network. A monthly newsletter and the new SEASNFair event series have been introduced as key tools for knowledge exchange and project visibility.

Looking Forward

The Assembly concluded with a strategic plan for 2025, focusing on increasing member engagement, enhancing financial sustainability, and expanding SEASN’s impact through events and project participation. The participants gained information about the IALB, EUFRAS, and SEASN conferences next year, which will be held in Brussels and focus on bringing together advisory service networks and EU institutions, with a special focus on young advisors. Additionally, in 2025, SEAS will celebrate its 10^th anniversary, for which an academy will be held, and SEASN’s celebratory brochure is set to be released, which will commemorate the network’s journey and achievements. The plan is that the academy would be hosted in Bulgaria, celebrating the network’s roots.

 

The SEASN team is delighted with the strong attendance at this year’s General Assembly, with participants actively engaging from across South Eastern Europe. We are especially grateful to the Institute for Science Application in Agriculture (IPN) for their warm hospitality and support in hosting the event. We are excited to see how the new tools provided will enhance collaboration among SEASN members, strengthening our network’s impact and connectivity. Looking ahead, we are eager for the achievements and impactful work that the coming year will bring, and we look forward to organizing and hosting next year’s SEASN Academy. We are excited to see and work with all SEASN members again soon.