The BIOVEXO Project, titled ‘Biocontrol of Xylella and its vector in olive trees for integrated pest management’ is an EU-funded innovation action, which officially kicked off on the 12^th-13^th of May 2020. BIOVEXO will run for 5 years, starting 1^st of May 2020 and will be implemented by 11 partners from five EU member states. The search for environmentally sustainable and economically viable biopesticides has begun.

The BIOVEXO project officially kicked-off on the 12-13^th of May 2020. A virtual two-day meeting had taken place instead of the originally intended face-to-face meeting due to recent COVID-19 measures imposed by national authorities across Europe.

Although at first, the partners were disappointed not to have the opportunity to meet personally, a full pan-European collaboration has been successfully established in the two-day kick off meeting. The meeting was also attended by the EU project officer from the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking, Ana Cuadrado Galván, who congratulated all partners towards the successful launch of the BIOVEXO project.

Ms.Cuadrado Galván also took the opportunity during the meeting to remind the BIOVEXO partners of their due obligations as per the Grant Agreement No. 887281, as regards the implementation of the project and to comply with the appropriate EU visibility measures in reference to dissemination, exploitation and communication.

The Work Package leaders presented the objectives, methodology and work to be carried out.

With a secured EU contribution of 6.6 Mio EUR, the Project aims to establish a set of novel and sustainable biopesticides which target a pathogenic bacterium called Xyllela fastidiosa, a disease which to-date vastly threatens European almond and olive trees.

The BIOVEXO Project is coordinated by the RTDS Association (Austria). The Austrian Institute of Technology (Austria) is responsible for the scientific coordination of BIOVEXO. The RTDS Association also leads WP 7 – Dissemination, exploitation and communication.

Other partners of the BIOVEXO Project include Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy), Centro di Ricerca, Sperimentazione e Formazione in Agricoltura Basile Caramia (Italy), Universidad de Sevilla (Spain), Universiteit Antwerpen (Belgium), Globachem NV (Belgium), Domca SA (Spain), Acies Bio Biotehnoloske Raziskave in Razvoj Doo (Slovenia), Aimerit Sl (Spain) and Asociación Agraria De Jóvenes Agricultores (Spain).

Additional information:

BIOVEXO Project website: www.biovexo.eu