The idea for the European Group for Insect Production (ERGIP) was born during a recent EAAP annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland in 2021. A core team of researchers has worked on the shape and organisation of this group and at the EAAP annual meeting in Porto, Portugal in 2022 ERGIP was officially launched during the Insects Study Commission meeting.
There has been a long-cherished wish amongst European research institutes to start a European Research Group for Insect Production with the aim to improve the exchange of information and collaboration between research institutes on the expertise of insects.
We aim for a more intense collaboration between research institutes and between (inter)national projects, to exchange information, results, and standard operating procedures. ERGIP is also a platform to indicate possibilities for internships and partnerships. For a starting industry, it is also important to provide insight on past and present insect related projects to avoid reinventing the wheel and duplications. Expertise of partners is mapped and visible to others and joint strategies for (intern)national research can be developed. Project calls can be shared.
The aim is helping to fill the research gaps, find solutions for the short but moreover for the long term and helping in collaboration with the industry to shape the growing insect sector and optimize (inter)national funding possibilities. ERGIP will act closely with academics, government, the industry, and existing branch organisations.
ERGIP thanks EAAP for their great support.
