Socio-economic Assessment of the LIFE Laser Fence Project
The Laser Fence project was funded by the EU’s LIFE programme and carried out via a partnership of seven coordinating beneficiaries managed by LJMU. This trans-national partnership was made up of five Spanish companies and one Dutch company, one UK University, and one UK-based NGO. The overall LIFE programme was a €3.456bn funding scheme operating between 2014-2020. The LIFE programme is the EU’s primary financial instrument for achieving environmental objectives with priorities of the fund including topics as diverse as flooding, chemicals, noise and the urban environment, and nature and biodiversity.
The Laser Fence project’s main objectives were to demonstrate:
Reduced exposure of the environment to toxic chemicals through the application of innovative laser systems
The use and improvement of laser systems to reduce impacts of rodenticides on non-target species of birds and animals in ecologically sensitive areas
Cost-efficient sustainable agricultural management practices for preventing animals intruding into fields
ERS submitted their findings to LJMU in August 2020 in a report covering the following areas:
Project delivery model and management;
Delivery challenges, successes, and key learnings;
Performance against targets and progress against key KPIs;
Emerging outcomes;
Social, environmental and economic benefits and counterfactual analysis; and
Future potential applications, plans, and research avenues.
The evaluation was carried out in order that LJMU might present achievements, lessons learned, and socio-economic impact to the funder, as well as a range of stakeholders - from those connected to the agricultural sector, to academic and industry researchers, and the wider public.
ERS’s input on this project contributed to LJMU’s final report to the EU’s LIFE programme. Many of the insights and data generated via this project will be used by both the client and project partnership to support future recommendations and good practice within related fields of study and relevant commercial sectors, as well as the development and operation of similar initiatives in the future.