The ProGriCC project is about production of grapes in a changing climate. It will focus on international cooperation between universities in the Baltic Sea region and Eastern Partnership countries.
ProGriCC notes that unpredictable weather as a consequence of climate change is a serious challenge for wine producers across the world. Over the next few decades, drought is expected to expand globally. In countries such as Sweden, Armenia and Georgia, summers are getting drier and heatwaves more frequent. On the other hand, different countries and regions are, however, experiencing different changes. The ProGriCC project argues that more international collaboration is necessary. Researchers from different countries must come together to exchange knowledge on production of grapes to be able to cope with a changing climate. Moreover, it suggests that it should not only be researchers working together across the borders, but also the next generation of winemakers and wine technologists. Therefore, the project will cover both internationalisation of education and internationalisation of research. One purpose of the project is to lay the foundation for climate-proof education where international collaborations are central. Another purpose is to facilitate exchange of knowledge and experiences between researchers.
The activities include analysis of today’s education, identification of educational gaps, mapping of future needs and required skills, and investigation of international double degree programmes. As for the research part, the activities include co-creation of common strategies for knowledge exchange, finding tools for technology watch, exploring ways to expand knowledge on stress tolerance mechanisms.