The GEN4OLIVE Final Event is set to take place from February 25 to 27, 2025, in Córdoba, Spain, bringing together leading experts, researchers and stakeholders to discuss the latest innovations in olive genetic resources and breeding.
🌿 Over three days, attendees will have the opportunity to explore groundbreaking research, participate in visionary talks and engage in hands-on field experiences focused on sustainable olive cultivation.
📌 Day 1 – February 25:
🔬 Presentation of GEN4OLIVE project results, including insights into AI applications for olive breeding and phenotyping tools.
📌 Day 2 – February 26:
🚀 Visionary talks on breeding advances in olives, passion fruit, apples and tomatoes, featuring discussions on AI, genome editing and future agricultural strategies.
📌 Day 3 – February 27:
🌱 Field visit to El Valenciano Rural Innovation Hub, with guided tours of comparative trials of new olive varieties, presentations on newly registered varieties by BALAM and a cultural visit to Carmona (only for GEN4OLIVE Consortium).
This event is a unique opportunity to engage with experts, discover cutting-edge innovations and be part of the future of sustainable olive breeding.
🔗 Register now: GEN4OLIVE Final Event
Stay tuned for updates as we count down to this milestone event! 🚀🌍
The GEN4OLIVE Info Day is set to take place on February 20, 2025, offering a free and interactive webinar designed for researchers, farmers and industry professionals interested in leveraging AI and data-driven tools for olive breeding and disease management.
📅 Date: February 20, 2025
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (CET)
💻 Mode: Online
🔗 Register now: https://gen4olive.eu/event/
🔍 GEN4OLIVE Search Engine Demo – Learn how to explore key agronomical traits of olive varieties using the project’s advanced database.
🤖 AI Disease Diagnosis – Discover how to identify olive diseases instantly by analyzing leaf, branch, and fruit images.
🫒 Olive Variety Recognition – See how endocarp images can be used for rapid cultivar identification.
🎥 Live Demonstrations – Experience real-world applications of GEN4OLIVE’s AI-powered tools.
💬 Q&A Session – Ask your questions and interact with leading experts in olive research.
✅ Gain practical knowledge on how AI can improve olive cultivation.
✅ Learn step-by-step how to use the GEN4OLIVE platform and mobile app.
✅ Discover sustainable solutions for improving olive farming practices.
🌱 Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your olive growing strategies with the latest AI innovations!
🔗 Secure your spot now! 🚀
The GEN4OLIVE project has been highlighted in an article published by Open Access Government, showcasing its transformative impact on innovation and sustainability in the olive sector.
🌱 The article emphasizes the role of GEN4OLIVE’s SME calls, which funded 25 projects across two calls, empowering SMEs to address key challenges such as climate change, drought resilience and agronomic performance. These initiatives have significantly contributed to pre-breeding and breeding strategies, strengthening the competitiveness and technological capacity of the olive sector.
🙏 A special thanks to the authors of this article and to all the SMEs that participated in the calls—your contributions have been instrumental in the success of this initiative!
🔗 Read the full article here: Open Access Government
📢 Let’s continue working together to shape the future of the olive sector through innovation, sustainability, and collaboration! 🌍🚀
BALAM Agriculture participated in AgroExpo 2025, one of the most important agricultural fairs in Extremadura (Spain), where GEN4OLIVE was highlighted as a key initiative in olive genetic research and breeding innovation.
📍 The event provided a valuable platform to showcase how GEN4OLIVE is transforming olive farming through advanced genetic resources and AI-driven tools.
🎙️ BALAM Agriculture’s team engaged with farmers, researchers and industry professionals, presenting the latest developments in GEN4OLIVE and its potential to drive sustainability and efficiency in olive cultivation.
🚀 The strong interest in GEN4OLIVE at AgroExpo 2025 reflects the growing need for scientific and technological solutions in agriculture, reinforcing the project’s role in shaping the future of olive breeding.
🔜 As GEN4OLIVE moves forward, the project continues to build strong connections with the agricultural sector, ensuring that its innovations reach and benefit farmers and producers worldwide.
🌿 Thank you to everyone who visited us at AgroExpo 2025!
The Jornada Olimerca, held at the Diputación de Córdoba on January 2025, marked the beginning of a weekend dedicated to celebrating Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Córdoba. This event brought together key players from the olive oil sector to discuss the main challenges facing the industry, including market prices, product quality, climate change, resource availability, generational renewal and the integration of new technologies in olive farming.
📢 BALAM Agriculture actively participated in the event, with our colleague Juan Carlos Cañasveras Sánchez contributing to a roundtable discussion on the advantages of high-density olive groves. He highlighted how mechanization and technological advancements can help address the generational gap in the agricultural sector.
🏆 A highlight of the event was the recognition of GEN4OLIVE, a project in which BALAM Agriculture plays a key role, as the "Best Innovation Project in Olive Farming." This award underscores the project’s impact in advancing olive breeding, genetic research and technological innovation to enhance the sustainability and resilience of the olive sector.
👏 We are honored to receive this award and remain committed to driving innovation in olive farming!
Stay tuned for more updates on GEN4OLIVE’s contributions to the sector! 🌿🚀
Researchers from the University of Granada, working within the GEN4OLIVE project, recently conducted a sampling mission at the Oasis Botanic Garden in Fuerteventura, Spain. The goal of this visit was to collect wild olive plant material, contributing to the project’s mission of preserving and utilizing genetic resources to enhance olive breeding.
This fieldwork plays a crucial role in identifying and studying the genetic diversity of wild olive populations, ensuring that valuable traits are incorporated into breeding programs aimed at increasing resilience and sustainability in the olive sector.
📄 Read the press release by the University of Granada here.
📹 Watch the video here.
GEN4OLIVE remains committed to unlocking the potential of wild olive genetic resources to drive innovation and sustainability in olive cultivation. 🌱🚀
GEN4OLIVE continues expanding its impact globally! 🌿 Hristofor Miho, as part of the project’s coordination team, had the honor of visiting Montenegro, where he engaged with the International Olive Council and House of Olive (Kuća Maslina) in Bar, Montenegro.
📍 The focus of this visit? Sharing advanced insights and sustainable agricultural practices to enhance olive production and safeguard the rich genetic diversity of olives in this remarkable region.
This collaboration underscores the importance of international partnerships in driving innovation, fostering sustainability, and promoting olive biodiversity. Together, we are paving the way for a more resilient and thriving future in olive cultivation! 🌍🌿
🔗 Stay connected for more updates on GEN4OLIVE’s ongoing efforts to advance the olive sector! 🚀
We are proud to have Concepción Muñoz Díez representing GEN4OLIVE at the FG Genetic Resources event, organized by the EU CAP Network. 🌿🌍
🌱 GEN4OLIVE is driving innovation by mobilizing olive genetic resources and advancing pre-breeding activities. Through our work, we support farmers and producers in tackling climate change challenges while fostering the development of more resilient and productive olive varieties.
At this key forum, Dr. Muñoz showcased the impact of GEN4OLIVE’s research, demonstrating how our H2020 project is shaping the future of olive breeding and genetic innovation.
👏 Congratulations to Dr. Muñoz for representing GEN4OLIVE and sharing our vision for a more sustainable and resilient agricultural future!
🔗 Stay tuned for more updates on our contributions to olive research, climate resilience, and sustainable farming! 🚀🌱
The 8th GEN4OLIVE Consortium Meeting took place from September 25 to 27, 2024, in Izmir, Turkey, hosted by our partner Olive Research Institute (ORI). Over three days, project partners gathered to review progress, discuss key milestones, and outline the next steps as we approach the final phase of the project.
🔎 During the meeting, we conducted our last monitoring session, ensuring that all developments are on track before presenting the final GEN4OLIVE results at the upcoming closing event in Córdoba.
👏 A huge thank you to ORI for hosting this crucial meeting, and to all partners for their continuous dedication to advancing olive breeding, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture.
🔗 Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare to showcase GEN4OLIVE’s achievements in the final event! 🚀🌿
GEN4OLIVE made a significant impact at the Olive Oil World Congress (OOWC) with two key contributions showcasing the project's advances in olive genetic resources and sustainable agriculture. 🌿🌍
🔬 Hristofor Miho from the University of Córdoba presented "Olive genetic resources in the context of climate change: The role of GEN4OLIVE Project." His talk highlighted how the project is addressing environmental challenges and contributing to sustainability in olive cultivation.
🏆 Additionally, Óscar Montaño Ramos from BALAM Agriculture proudly represented GEN4OLIVE in the OOWC poster competition, where the project was recognized as an award winner! Óscar emphasized how the knowledge and tools developed within GEN4OLIVE will directly support end-users in overcoming challenges in olive farming.
👏 Congratulations to both speakers and the entire GEN4OLIVE team for their dedication and achievements!
🔗 Stay tuned for more updates on our contributions to olive breeding, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture! 🚀
GEN4OLIVE recently took part in the Ad Hoc National Expert Group Meeting organized by the EU CAP Network, focusing on “Local Plant Genetic Resources in View of Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss”. 🌿🛠️
During the session, our colleagues Hristofor Miho and Concepción Muñoz Díez from the University of Córdoba shared key insights, discussing innovative agricultural approaches. Based on GEN4OLIVE’s results, they contributed ideas to help shape strategies for future Focus Groups.
This meeting was a fantastic opportunity to exchange knowledge, explore future collaborations, and drive innovation in sustainable farming and plant genetic resource management.
🔗 Read more about the event here.
Stay connected as we continue advancing research and innovation in olive breeding and agriculture! 🌱🚀
We are excited to share that a variety of videos related to the GEN4OLIVE Second Call for SMEs are now available on our official YouTube channel! 🎥🌱
These videos showcase the innovative projects supported through our initiative, highlighting cutting-edge research and advancements in olive genetic resources.
🔗 WATCH NOW: GEN4OLIVE YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Stay tuned and explore how these projects are shaping the future of olive breeding and genetic innovation! 🌿🚀
On 7-9 May 2024, the GEN4OLIVE project was presented at the XXII Montoro Olive Fair. The main driving forces of this fair were olive growing 4.0, innovation in machinery, technology and processes applied to the olive grove.
All this was achieved through the synergy created between the different exhibitors, which offered a space for farmers to establish relationships and learn about the advances in the world of olive groves.
GEN4OLIVE was able to be present with the help of BALAM Agriculture SL, bringing farmers closer to the progress of the project and conveying the importance of knowing the genetic characteristics of the different varieties of olive groves, in order to obtain stronger and more resilient crops in the face of future adversities.
GEN4OLIVE was present at the 1st PRO-GRACE International Workshop on Sustainable Management of Plant Genetic Resources, held on October 3-4, 2023.
🌱 Our colleague Hristofor Miho from the University of Córdoba represented the project, sharing insights into our latest research and contributions to the field.
For those who missed it, you can watch Hristofor’s presentation and access the video recording of the workshop here:
👉🏻 Presentations
👉🏻 Workshop recording (1:27:10)
We are proud to be part of such innovative initiatives that are shaping the future of plant genetic resources!
On April 18, 2024, the 'Evaluation of the 2023-2024 Olive Season and IOC Activities' meeting was organised in Izmir. This gathering was organized through collaboration between the IOC Turkish Delegation, Ministry of Trade, and key stakeholders in the olive industry.
During the meeting, participants engaged in substantive discussions concerning the performance of the recent olive season and the activities undertaken by the International Olive Council (IOC). Insights were shared regarding successes achieved and challenges encountered, with a focus on identifying opportunities for improvement within the industry.
Following the conclusion of the meeting, attendees had the opportunity to visit the Izmir World Olive GenBank. Dr. Melek Gurbuz VERAL provided a comprehensive overview of ORI's GenBank, highlighting its significant contributions to olive research and conservation efforts. Additionally, Dr. Songül Acar discussed the GEN4OLIVE project, emphasizing ORI's vital role in its execution.
All these collaborations serve to enhance knowledge sharing and foster advancements within the olive industry, ensuring its continued growth and sustainability.
On December 20th, the Horizon Europe Programme on the “Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment” Cluster Info Day was held. The event was organized by TAGEM (General Directorate of Agricultural Policies and Research) and TÜBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey), in Turkey and online.
During this gathering of over 200 researchers, our colleague Dr. Songül Acar, on behalf of the Olive Research Institute (ORI) was invited to present the GEN4OLIVE project as a success story within the Programme in Turkey.
On Thursday, December 14th, the GEN4OLIVE 3rd Co-Creation Panel was held at the Rural Innovation Hub “El Valenciano”, organised by BALAM Agriculture in collaboration with AMCAE Andalucía (Association of Women of Agri-food Cooperatives of Spain).
During this event, the AMCAE had the opportunity to first-hand experience the process carried out in the field for the development of new olive varieties. The importance of the GEN4OLIVE project was presented, emphasizing its goal of mobilizing the genetic resources of the olive grove and how these resources can nourish various lines of research.
To conclude, different ideas and knowledge were exchanged to continue working for and with women and men farmers who keep the cultivation of the olive tree alive.
CREA‘s olive germplasm collection has been recognized as “International Collection of the International Olive Council Network“. Being the only one in Italy to boast such recognition, it is the largest national collection of olive germplasm, second, after Spain, for number of olive varieties in the world.
Hosted by GEN4OLIVE’s partner, the Council for Agricultural Research and Analysis of Agricultural Economics (CREA, Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l’analisi dell’economia agraria), this collection is composed of 600 different olive varieties, 200 of which are authenticated and common to the Spanish collection.
For additional information please visit this link.
The 23 ministers of Agriculture of European countries met from September 3 to 5 in the city of Cordoba (Spain) to discuss and strengthen the role of new agricultural technologies for a more efficient agriculture in the face of the constraints imposed by climate change. During the institutional visit, they explored opportunities for cooperation that promise to strengthen food security, foster agricultural innovation and ensure sustainable practices throughout Europe. Among the scheduled activities, the European representatives visited the experimental farm of the University of Córdoba as part of the agenda for the Informal Ministers’ Meeting. Here, the results obtained over the past years were presented, and Concepción Muñoz (Department of Agronomy-UCO, project coordinator) highlighted the importance of the GEN4OLIVE project.
The Seventh Consortium Meeting of GEN4OLIVE project will be held from 7 to 8 September 2023 in Rome (Italy). It will be hosted by the Sapienza University of Rome. During the meeting, project implementation aspects will be presented by Work Package Leaders in collaboration with Task Leaders. The meeting is an opportunity for the project attendees to obtain an overview of the implementation of the WPs during previous months, discuss difficulties and proposals to solve them and schedule priorities for the next months. Also, partners will be able to have an insight on communication and dissemination activities, and to discuss open data and ethics issues, as well as managerial, financial and technical reporting issues.
The Universidad de Granada was at the SEB Centenary Conference 2023 (4–7 July) in Edinburgh. UGR team introduced the project with the talk “Shaped by the light: physiological plasticity in response to radiation explains eco-evolutionary patterns across phylogeographic lineages of Olea europaea L.”, which was presented during the session “P8 PEPG: Plant physiological responses across scales”.
The Sixth Consortium Meeting of GEN4OLIVE project will be held from 10th to 13th May 2023 in Chania, Crete (Greece). It will be hosted by the Hellenic Agricultural Organization ELGO-DIMITRA. During the first day, project implementation aspects will be presented by Work Package Leaders in collaboration with Task Leaders. The meeting is an opportunity for the project attendees to obtain an overview of the implementation of the WPs during last months, discuss difficulties and proposals to solve them and schedule priorities for the next months. On the second day, project partners will be able to have an insight on communication and dissemination activities, and to discuss open data and ethics issues, as well as managerial, financial and technical reporting issues. Other planned activities include a visit to ELGO DIMITRA Germplasm Bank, the Terra Creta Olive Mill and the Botanical Garden and Park, among others. We will also visit the olive groves of LIFE Olivares Vivos+, where we will have the opportunity to network with this EU project.
The results of the 2nd Call have just been published! 12 SMEs will receive funding for the design of olive breeding plans and their validation activities.
27 proposals from 8 countries targeted by the Call were requested. After the evaluation process, 17 proposals were proposed for funding. These companies will receive up to €10,000 for the development of their projects over the next 12 months.
The country with the highest rate of approval has been Spain (11), followed by Albania (2), France (1), Italy (1), Georgia (1) and Turkey (1). These proposals will receive funding to develop individual projects with a total budget of €170,000.
All information on the funded projects will be published on the GEN4OLIVE website soon.
The GEN4OLIVE 2nd Call for Proposals closed on January 25th, reaching successfully results in terms of participation, as 27 SMEs participated in the Call.
A total of 27 proposals led by SMEs were summitted from 8 different countries: Spain (12), Italy (4), Turkey (4), Albania (2), Greece (2), France (1), Georgia (1), and Morocco (1).
Now, submitted applications will be evaluated by external experts plus review by the GEN4OLIVE Evaluation Committee in order to select the best projects that will receive 10.000€ of voucher funding.
Selected companies will be contacted in April 2023 and will be able to start designing their olive breeding plans and related validation activities.
More information and updates will be regularly published on GEN4OLIVE website.
The Moroccan Infoday & Co-creation Panel was successfully organised at the Regional Center of Agronomic Research of Marrakech (INRA) at the end of November 2022. A total of 56 participants, divided between farmers, breeders, industrials, nurserymen and public administrations attended the infoday.
During the discussion, local partners asked several questions related to the project and possible ideas for activities that could be submitted in the GEN4OLIVE Second Call for Proposals. INRA team solved all these queries and highlighted the importance of developing and submitting proposals to this Call, as it is a plus for the project, thus allowing to combine the efforts of all the actors in the field of the olive tree for the diversification of the genetic material and the selection of genotypes resistant to the extreme climatic conditions of cold and drought.
On November 25, 2022, the Regional Center of Agronomic Research of Marrakech (INRA) is organising the Moroccan Infoday & Co-creation Panel. Local representatives of the sector are invited to know more about the 2nd Open Call for SMEs.
For reservations and more information, please go to this link.
On November 24, 2022, the Hellenic Union of Nurseries (EFE) is organising the Greek Infoday & Co-creation Panel at the Sikyon Coast hotel and Resort (Sikelianou, Sikia). Local representatives of the sector are invited to know more about the 2nd Open Call for SMEs.
To ensure the safety of attendees, this event follows a reserved seating policy. For reservations and more information, please go to this link.
The Olive Research Institute (ORI) is hosting the Turkish Infoday & Co-creation Panel regarding the launching of the 2nd Open Call for SMEs. The event will take place on 29 November 2022 and can be attended onsite at the Izmir Olive Research Institute Conference Room. Attendees will have the opportunity to get an insight into the Second Call for Proposals during this event.
For more information, please contact mehmet.hakan@tarimorman.gov.tr
The International Infoday of GEN4OLIVE 2nd Call for Proposals will take place next November 8th, 2022 from 10:00 to 14:00 (CEST). With a budget of €250.000, this call will fund the design of olive breeding plans and its validation activities. The deadline to submit proposals is on January 25th, 2023. The registration is open here.
Stay tuned for upcoming information events to be organised in Italy, Turkey, Greece, and Morocco.
The GEN4OLIVE Spanish National Infoday took place on October 26th, 2022. The event was organised in a hybrid online and face-to-face format at the Rural Innovation Hub El Valenciano, in Carmona, Seville. During this event organised by BALAM Agriculture, attendees had the opportunity to know more about the project, specifications, requirements and eligibility criteria of the 2nd Call for Proposals. Useful information on the Call, the recorded session and the presentations can be found here.
We encourage you to work on your proposals and wish you good luck during this process!
GEN4OLIVE project has just launched the 2nd Open Call for Proposals with €250.000 of funding available for SMEs, who will be able to apply for funding of up to €10.000 for individual projects. This call will fund the design of olive breeding plans and its validation activities. The deadline to submit proposals is on January 25th, 2023.
For further information about this call, we also invite you to the International Infoday that will be organised next November 8th from 10:00 to 14:00 (CEST). Registration is open here.
For more information, call guidelines and much more, please visit 👉 https://gen4olive.eu/second-call-gen4olive/
The Fifth Consortium Meeting of GEN4OLIVE project will be held from 21st to 23rd September 2022 in Rende (Italy). It will be hosted by CREA-OFA at Azienda “Li Rocchi”, where we will have the opportunity to visit their collection of olive Germplasm Bank during the last day of the meeting. On the first day, project implementation aspects will be presented by Work Package Leaders in collaboration with Task Leaders. The meeting is an opportunity for the project attendees to obtain an overview of the implementation of the WPs during last months, discuss difficulties and proposals to solve them and schedule priorities for the next months. On the second day, project partners will be able to have an insight on communication and dissemination activities, and to discuss open data and ethics issues, as well as managerial, financial and technical reporting issues.
GEN4OLIVE project was present through his Project Manager, Hristofor Miho (University of Córdoba) at the workshop convened by the International Olive Council (IOC) where representatives of 23 olive germplasm banks were present.
The theme of the workshop was: “Harmonisation of protocols to analyse the agronomic behaviour of the different varieties included in the World Olive Catalogue”, organised in Izmir (Turkey), on 27 June-1 July 2022.
The GEN4OLIVE project, thanks to its progress and results, presented the protocols used by the consortium as an example to follow and harmonise for the rest of the banks. Also, during this trip, the coordinator visited the pilot plant built by the partner University of Ankara in Izmir (Turkey). This plant is working and the first experimental results are bearing fruit in relation to the early entry into production of olive varieties.
The Kick-off Meeting of the 1st Call for Proposals’ funded projects was organised on April 27th, 2022. The new beneficiaries had the opportunity to know more about the timeline and specifications of projects’ execution, monitoring and reporting procedures and communication issues through the explanations provided by the FCTA, BALAM and supported by other GEN4OLIVE partners. Also, all funded projects were presented by the SMEs beneficiaries. The projects, which will run during 2 years, are aimed at pre-breeding and enabling-technologies development in order to accelerate and make the breeding process more effective.
More information about funded projects can be consulted through this link.
The European project GEN4OLIVE has recently published the results of its 1st call, in which a total of 14 SMEs are receiving funding to develop 2 individual and 6 collaborative projects, with a budget of The European project GEN4OLIVE has recently published the results of its 1st call, in which a total of 14 SMEs are receiving funding to develop 2 individual and 6 collaborative projects, with a budget of €700,000. Spain is the country with more companies receiving funds (7), followed by Italy (3), Greece (2) and Albania (2). The second GEN4OLIVE call will finally open in October 2022. Detailed information on each funded project can be consulted through this link.. Spain is the country with more companies receiving funds (7), followed by Italy (3), Greece (2) and Albania (2). The second GEN4OLIVE call will finally open in October 2022. Detailed information on each funded project can be consulted through this link.
The 4th Consortium Meeting of GEN4OLIVE will be organised on 23rd – 24th March, 2022 and hosted by the project leader, the University of Córdoba and the project partner Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique Morocco (INRA). The meeting will consist of a two-day online session where the attendees will have the opportunity to share main project’s progresses made since the previous meeting and the actions that are planned for the upcoming months. The agenda of the second day (24th March) will be of special relevance since both the official technical and financial reports will be submitted to the European Commission for the first time. Next Consortium Meeting is expected to be held in Italy in September 2022.
The Head of the Prefecture of Crete hosted a meeting with representatives of ELGO-DIMITRA in the headquarters in Heraklion on Monday, March 14th 2022. The GEN4OLIVE project among other activities were presented and collaboration opportunities at large scale were discussed.
The GEN4OLIVE project was presented by the project partner INRA (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique) as Moroccan coordinator at the ClimOliveMed project launching meetings held from March 7 to 12, 2022 in Marrakech.
These meetings gathered all the partners of the project from France and Morocco: researchers, national olive growers’ associations, managers of genetic resources collections, international olive growing council, FAO and funders.
The European Project GEN4OLIVE has recently published the results of the 1st Call for Proposals aimed at SMEs, whose main goal was funding activities for olive pre-breeding and the development of new technologies that accelerate and make the breeding process more effective. A total of 35 proposals were received, with representation from each of the 7 countries to which the call was addressed. Eligible proposals were each evaluated by 3 different experts with different nationalities from the applicant. As a result, a total of 8 proposals (2 individual and 6 collaborative) were finally proposed for funding and 14 SMEs (7 from Spain, 3 from Italy, 2 from Greece and 2 from Albania) will soon receive funding to develop these projects with an overall budget of 700,000€.
More information and updates on the second call for proposals to be launched in September 2022 will be regularly published on GEN4OLIVE website.
The GEN4OLIVE Call for Proposals closed on December 1st, reaching successfully results in terms of participation, as 63 SMEs participated in the Call. A total of 35 proposals led by SMEs were summitted from all the eligible countries: Italy (11), Spain (10), Greece, (5), France (3), Morocco (3), Turkey (3) and Germany (1). Now, the GEN4OLIVE consortium will evaluate all these applications to select the best projects that will be funded with grants of 50.000€ for individual projects and 100.000€ for collaborative projects. The selected companies will be contacted in March 2022 and will be able to start implementing their projects. The GEN4OLIVE Call for Proposals will fund olive pre-breeding activities and the development of new technologies that accelerate and make the breeding process more effective.
More information and updates will be regularly published on GEN4OLIVE website.
The 3rd Consortium Meeting of GEN4OLIVE was recently organised and hosted by the project leader, the University of Córdoba, during November 10, 11 and 12. It has been the first face-to-face meeting since the beginning of the project! Both attendees in person and online could have an insight on main project’s progresses made and actions to take in the upcoming months. Also, during last day of the meeting, the Germplasm Bank, greenhouses and laboratories of the University of Cordoba were visited. All in all, the consortium has addressed the challenges related to the exploitation of genetic resources of the olive tree to accelerate pre-breeding activities, and laid the groundwork for a robust and easy-to-use interface that uses Machine Learning technology for the first time in the olive industry. Next Consortium Meeting is expected to be organised in March 2022.
Take a look at some of the pictures from INRA´s Gen4Olive 1st Open Call Information Meeting and Co-Creation Panel held in Marrakech November 3rd!
The session was opened by M. Lhassane SIKAOUI (head of INRA Marrakech and coordinator of GEN4OLIVE Project ‘Moroccan component’), followed by the heads of development services of the Agricultural Ministry of Essaouira, Marrakech and Ouarzazate. Also, Dr. Sara OULBI, Dr. Abdelaziz BOUIZGAREN, Dr. Hayat Zaher and Dr. Yamna Ouguas made informative presentations about the 1st Call for Proposals.
In total 45 participants benefited from this infoday. Participants mainly belonged to development services of the Agricultural Ministry of Essaouira, Marrakech and Ouarzazate, scientists from the University of Marrakech, and several SMEs presidents (cooperatives, nurseries, food industries, young promotors, etc.).
The Olive Research Institute (ORI) is hosting a local Co-creation Panel & Dynamization Event in conjunction with the opening of the 1st Call for Proposals. The event will take place on 14th October at 14:00 pm and can be attended onsite at Olive Research Institute Meeting Room, in Bornova (Izmir, Turkey). Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the project’s progress, offer feedback and get an insight into the first open call for SMEs during this event.
For more information, please contact songulacar76@hotmail.com
The Hellenic Union of Nurseries (EFE) is organising its local Co-creation Panel & Dynamization Event regarding the launching of the 1st Call for Proposals for SMEs contributing to olive breeding activities. The event will take place on 8th October and can be attended onsite. It will start at 10:30 am at Muse Urban Venue, in Monastiraki (Athens, Greece). During this event, attendees will have the opportunity to get information about the progress of the project, contribute to it with their opinion and get useful information about the 1st Open Call for SMEs.
To ensure the safety of the attendees, this event follows a seat reservation policy. For booking and more information, please contact unionofnurseries@gmail.com.
GEN4OLIVE project has just launched its 1st Open Call for Proposals with € 750.000 of funding available for SMEs that contribute to the olive breeding activities. If you are a farmer, breeder, an innovative SME or you are related to the olive sector, you can participate on this GEN4OLIVE Co-creation panel and Infoday that will be organised in Spain.
The event will take place on 13th October and can be attended onsite or online. If you want to attend in person, you will be expected at 10:30 am at the Rural Innovation Hub El Valenciano, in Carmona (Seville, Spain). On the other hand, at 11:45 am, the online event will begin.
During this event, attendees will have the opportunity to contribute to project results, find potential partners and learn how to get European funding for olive breeding projects, as we will also provide information about the 1st Open Call for SMEs.
The event is organized by Balam Agriculture in collaboration with CTA (Andalusian Technological Corporation), both partners of GEN4OLIVE.
If you want to attend this event, please register here.
GEN4OLIVE has recently launched a call for independent experts with experience in planning, exploitation and commercialization strategies of international R&D projects, to evaluate the proposals received in the 1st Call for Proposals. The experts must be experienced evaluators with 5 years of expertise in one of the following fields:
The guidelines to know the requirements are available here and applications can be submitted through this platform. The call will be open until 15th November 2021
The GEN4OLIVE Infoday & Matchmaking Event took place on September 15th. During this event organised by CTA, attendees had the opportunity to know more about the project, specifications, requirements and eligibility criteria of the 1st Call for Proposals, and they could also connect with potential partners at international level. Among others, the Call for Experts, recently launched on September 15th was also presented and the details about the independent experts we are looking for to evaluate the proposals submitted under the first call were communicated. Useful information on the Call, the recorded session and the presentations can be found here (SAVE THE DATE section). We encourage you to work on your proposals and wish you good luck during this process!
GEN4OLIVE project has just launched the 1st Open Call for Proposals with € 750.000 of funding available for SMEs. This call will fund olive pre-breeding activities and new technologies that accelerate and make the breeding process more effective.
For further information about this call, we also invite you to the International Infoday & Matchmaking Event that will be organised next September, 15th from 10:00 to 17:00 (CET). Registration is open here 👉 https://gen4olive-infoday-matchmaking-event.b2match.io/
For more information, call guidelines and much more, please visit 👉 https://gen4olive.eu/1st-gen4olive-call-proposals/!!
The National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), a GEN4OLIVE partner, plays an important role in the definition of common protocols to characterize the best agronomic features of olive varieties. Among its activities developed, the institute has observed phenological features of olives in Marrakech, one of the world olive tree collection fields subject of study. Also, they have evaluated olive peacock leaf spots and the olive fruit fly. Moreover, they participate in other activities such as olive oil tasting.
GEN4OLIVE project will launch its 1st Open Call for Proposals on September 1st, 2021 with €750.000 to fund olive pre-breeding activities and new technologies to address this issue and make the breeding process more effective.
For further information about this call, we invite you to the International Infoday & Matchmaking Event that will be organised next September, 15th from 10:00 to 17:00 (CET). Registration is open here.
For more information, please visit 👉 https://gen4olive.eu/1st-gen4olive-call-proposals/!!
The long juvenile period (period of time from seed germination to first flowering) of trees is a severe impediment to study reproductive biology and genetic inheritance, and is a serious constraint for traditional breeding programs.
In this context, main objective of Task 4.4 is to overcome this limitation, and one of our partners, the Ankara University (ANKU), plays a key role, as they are implementing an integrated and innovative growth evaluation system to define the best protocols for shortening the juvenile phase and understand the effects of different environmental parameters on the olive growing process.
Within this task, the university has designed, produced and installed three different “Hybrid Fully Automated Climate Controlled Cabinet” (Hybrid-FAC) pilot prototypes (at ORI’s facilities) by using uninterruptible power supply from solar energy, reverse osmosis water purification system and dosing, and EC (Electrical conductivity) – pH control systems to develop new techniques to accelerate breeding process by shortening the juvenile phase of olive growing.
The aim of the Hybrid-FAC Experimental prototypes is to observe the effects of different environmental parameters, such as humidity, CO2 and lightening on the growing of olives and on the stimulation of rapid growth.
Thanks to these cabinets, the observations and experiments will be made with minimum cost and maximum efficiency.
This system is unique for this task and GEN4OLIVE Project!
The GEN4OLIVE Consortium successfully conducted an online 6-month progress meeting between April 15th and 16th, 2021. The meeting was attended by representatives of the GEN4OLIVE Consortium and it was organised and hosted by our Greek partner, DEMETER.
The aim of this GEN4OLIVE 6M meeting was to allow the partners to discuss thoroughly on the activities realized during the first six months of the GEN4OLIVE lifetime and to also elaborate on the planned actions for the following semester. During the meeting, the partners developed a scientific discussion on actions regarding the definition of common protocols and consulting end-users needs (WP1), among others. These tasks will lead to the optimization of the protocols and methodologies that the following WPs, which were also addressed during the meeting will undertake to ensure the soundness of the expected results. Also, specific information with regards to managerial and communication and dissemination issues were discussed during the meeting.
The next Consortium Meeting is expected to be held during September 2021 and organised by the FCTA in Seville (Spain).
In September 2021 we will open the first GEN4OLIVE call to finance innovative projects that maximize the use of olive genetic resources. It will be aimed at SMEs in Spain, Italy, Morocco, Greece and Turkey. This activity is coordinated by our partner CTA (Technological Corporation of Andalusia.
On December 16th, 2020, the GEN4OLIVE project was presented at the workshop “Virtual exchange between operational groups and innovative projects under genetic improvement thematic” organized by the Spanish National Rural Network (Red Rural Nacional, RRN). Hristofor Miho and Cristian García from the University of Córdoba (UCO) and Nathalie Chavrier from Corporación Tecnológica de Andalucía (CTA) presented the main objectives to be achieved and the potential results. The presentation is available from minute 22:55.
On December 11th, 2020, the GEN4OLIVE project was presented at the workshop held by the International Olive Council where representatives of the germplasm banks from 23 countries participated. Concepción Muñoz and Hristofor Miho from the University of Córdoba (UCO) presented the project.
On December 10th, 2020, the GEN4OLIVE project was launched before the oil community at the Rural Innovation Hub, on the El Valenciano farm in Carmona (Seville, Spain). In this event, attendees were able to see the project first-hand, as well as discussing the importance of genetic variability of the olive tree. In addition, there was a tasting of 13 varieties of oil and networking of European project.
GEN4OLIVE (Mobilization of Olive Genetic Resources through pre-breeding activities to face the future challenges and development of an intelligent interface to ensure a friendly information availability for end users) project held its online kick-off meeting on October 19th, 2020.
The meeting was an opportunity for the project partners to meet, obtain an overview of the entire project and initiate the first interactions which will take place during the project. Further actions upon the scheduling and requirements of activities were discussed and agreed among all partners.
A plan for future interactions will be discussed over email and in following virtual meetings soon.
This project has received
funding from the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 research
and innovation programme
under grant agreement No. 101000427
Login to your account
Login to your account
