The 4^th Summit of Polish EIP Operational Groups, organized within the framework of SIR by the Agricultural Advisory Centre Warsaw branch, was held on November 5-7, 2024, in Lodz, Poland.

The conference gathered representatives of 70 operational groups, innovation brokers, representatives of scientific institutes and universities, farmers and those interested in multi-stakeholder partnerships. The meeting aimed to foster networking and exchange experiences in implementing innovative solutions in agriculture and rural areas, including production, processing, and distribution of agri-food products. The added value of the meeting was the dissemination of the projects results from the groups, including both completed, and ongoing initiatives.

During the three-day Summit, presentations were held on operational groups’ projects, research directions of agricultural institutes and opportunities for cooperation within the framework of the EU programmes. Participants were introduced to the guidelines of Intervention 13.5 Cooperation of EIP Operational Groups within the framework of the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027, and took part in a workshop on the formation of new groups. The main funding priorities for 2023-2027 programming period were also discussed. The conference ended with consultations with innovation brokers.