SmartAgriHubs is a €20 M EU project under the Horizon 2020 instrument, and brings together  a consortium of well over 164 partners in the European agri-food sector. The project aims to realise the digitisation of European agriculture by fostering an agricultural innovation ecosystem dedicated to excellence, sustainability and success. 

To this end, SmartAgriHubs employs a multi-stakeholder approach and covers a broad value-chain network across all EU member states. The consortium includes a diverse network of start-ups, SMEs, business and service providers, technology experts and end-users. The end-users form the core of the project and are the driving force behind digital transformation. The development and adoption of digital solutions is achieved by a tight ecosystem of 140 Digital Innovation Hubs embedded within 9 Regional Clusters, which are led by organisations that are closely involved in regional digitisation initiatives and funds.

SmartAgriHubs will not only increase the competitiveness and sustainability of Europe’s agri-food sector. It will become the 4th industrial revolution. - Dr. ir. George Beers, SmartAgriHubs Project Coordinator.

Moreover, this network of Digital Innovation Hubs consists of 2000 Competence Centers and 28 Flagship Innovation Experiments where ideas and prototypes are developed and introduced into the market. The key to the interconnectivity and knowledge-sharing of this network of European innovation in agri-food is SmartAgriHubs, which leverages, strengthens and connects all the different dots. 

 

The SmartAgriHubs project serves as a catalyst for game-changing innovations in smart farming techniques. It aims to deliver 80 new digital solutions to the market, raise €30M additional funding from public, regional, national and private sources, and plans to help digitise over 2 million farms spread across Europe. End-users will be trained and informed throughout the lifespan of SmartAgriHubs (2018-2022), through for instance an innovation portal where information will be easily accessible to farmers and their businesses, thereby creating an efficient and satisfactory user-experience. Similarly, a catalogue for farmers and agribusinesses will map the existing digital technology field and facilitates the exchange of best practices among the network. 

By connecting and fostering European agricultural and IT innovation SmartAgriHubs extends digital solutions into the agri-food sector and helps farmers and their businesses to achieve real and attainable results. 

If you are interested in joining this high-impact community, the first step is to get in touch with your respective Regional Cluster, and to register on the SmartAgriHubs Innovation Portal to access the ecosystem.