DISTRETTO AGROALIMENTARE REGIONALE SCRL

Their core work

DARE Puglia is a regional agri-food cluster organization based in Foggia, southern Italy, that connects farmers, food producers, and rural communities with EU-funded innovation projects. They specialize in mobilizing agricultural supply chains — from woody biomass feedstock sourcing to nutrition innovation for aging populations. Their practical role is bridging small-scale farming operations with European research networks, acting as a regional intermediary that brings EU project results to the ground level in Puglia's agri-food sector.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2015-2016) was rooted in tangible agricultural operations — biomass from pruning, feedstock supply chains, farmer engagement, and agri-food cluster building. By 2017-2018, their focus shifted decisively toward rural development as a broader concept: heritage-led regeneration, landscape management, cultural tourism (pilgrimage, art festivals), and digital tools like online decision support systems. This evolution suggests a move from farm-level technical problems toward regional development strategy and territorial innovation.

DARE Puglia is moving from narrow agri-food technical projects toward integrated rural development combining food, culture, tourism, and landscape — positioning themselves for rural innovation and smart village initiatives.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which is typical for regional cluster organizations that contribute local networks and territorial knowledge rather than scientific leadership. With 64 unique partners across 26 countries from just 4 projects, they consistently join large consortia (averaging 16+ partners per project). This makes them an accessible partner: experienced in multi-country collaboration, comfortable in complex consortia, and unlikely to compete for the coordinator seat.

Despite only 4 projects, they have built a remarkably wide network of 64 partners across 26 countries, reflecting their participation in large Innovation Actions and CSA consortia. Their geographic footprint is heavily Mediterranean but extends across most of Europe.

What sets them apart

As a regional agri-food cluster (distretto agroalimentare), DARE Puglia offers something rare in EU consortia: direct access to farming communities, SMEs, and rural territories in southern Italy's Puglia region. Unlike universities or research institutes, they can mobilize local agricultural actors for pilot demonstrations and real-world testing. Their combination of biomass expertise, food innovation, and rural heritage work makes them a versatile partner for any project needing an Italian rural testbed.

Highlights from their portfolio

• uP_running
  Their largest project (EUR 313K, nearly half their total H2020 funding), addressing the practical challenge of turning agricultural pruning waste into sustainable biomass feedstock across European farming systems.
• RURITAGE
  A flagship Innovation Action on rural regeneration through heritage, covering an unusually wide scope from food production to pilgrimage tourism, with online decision support tools for rural communities.