Join us as we bring together Lebanese enterprises and SMEs, knowledge providers and support institutions to meet, learn and check opportunities for joint R&D projects. You will also be able to find out about funding opportunities for your innovation project.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, June 27, 2019
Time: 5:30pm – 8:30pm
Venue: The Key Terrace – The Key ApartHotel (map)
Agenda
| 5:30pm | Guest arrivals |
| 6:00pm | Welcome
Ramy Boujawdeh | Berytech Deputy GM |
| 6:05pm | Presentation of QOOT Lebanon agri-food Innovation cluster
Rani Azzi | QOOT Vice President |
| 6:15pm | Agro-industrial Improvement through Technology Transfer between Spain and MENA Region
Diego Teruel | Business Director at Tecnova |
| 6:30pm | From bench to business: the approach of innovation to bridge the gap between academia and agri-food industry – the case of FAFS – USEK
Dr. Lara Hanna-Wakim | Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik |
| 6:40pm | ESIA-M linkages with industries through curriculum and research
Dr. Maya Kharrat | Director of École Supérieure D’ingénieurs D’agronomie Méditerranéenne at USJ |
| 6:50pm | CDTI program presentation as opportunity to fund innovative bilateral projects
José Manuel Durán Cuevas: Chief Representative of the Spanish Agency of Innovation CDTI for Middle East and North Africa |
| 7:00 | Networking |
Speakers
Diego Teruel – Business Area Director Fundación TECNOVA
He is an Agronomist and Agricultural Technical Engineer, specialized in Agricultural and Food Industries.Fundación TECNOVA is a technology center for the ancillary industry for Agriculture, Postharvest and Food production packaging, comprising over 120 companies. Working in connection with R&D&I, training, company promotion and internationalization, it is able to offer quality services tailored to the needs of the sector in a responsible, dynamic and reliable way, whilst always seeking continuous improvement for its companies. Fundación TECNOVA is very active in R&D projects in the MENA region.
Dr. Lara Hanna-Wakim – Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK)
Dr. Hanna-Wakim is the first scientist to represent the MENA Region as a Governing Council member at the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) since 2014. She’s nominated by the Lebanese Minister of Education and Higher Education as National Contact Point (NCP) for “Climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials” for Horizon 2020. She is the Focal Point for Lebanon of the Arab States Green University Network (ASGUN) at UNEP, and the National Food Safety Expert at UNIDO. Honored as Women Leader in Lebanese Universities and Research Pioneers. Honored by the Lebanese Minister of Agriculture for her outstanding leadership and performance.
Dr. Maya Kharrat – Director of the École Supérieure D’ingénieurs D’agronomie Méditerranéenne (ESIA-M) at the Saint Joseph University
Dr. Kharrat is an experienced professor with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry, where she plays a role in the university academic commission and pedagogy mission. She strove to inject in the agricultural and agro-food industry curriculum the innovation and entrepreneurship concepts and application, as well as applied research and professional insertion. She is a renowned expert in Small Ruminant production, as a researcher and a consultant. She is also a member of the European Federation of Animal Science EAAP, and a member of the Agrytech Program Board. Her adhesion to Oenoviti International makes USJ the first and only member of the MENA region to be part of this international network. Dr. Kharrat holds a Doctorate focused in Agronomy – specialized in animal productions from Supagro Montpellier. She has been the Director of USJ’s ESIA-Msince 2011, and of USJ’s campus in Zahle since 2014.
José Manuel Durán Cuevas – Chief Representative of the Spanish Agency of Innovation CDTI for Middle East and North Africa
José Manuel Durán is in charge of the bilateral cooperation in the fields of Research, Development and Innovation with the North of Africa and the Middle East countries at the CDTI – Centre for the Technological and Industrial Development of the Government of Spain. CDTI is a Public Business Entity, reporting to the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, which fosters the technological development and innovation of Spanish companies. It is the entity that channels the funding and support applications for national and international R&D&I projects of Spanish companies.
