Synergy Days is designed to celebrate and showcase European research projects that are transforming the European agri-food sector. Who are they, and how are they using digital technology to innovate the sector? We spoke to AgrifoodTEF to learn more about the project, its goals and journey.

 

 

What inspired the creation of your project? 

The spark that led to the creation of AgrifoodTEF was the opportunity of bringing together “Testing and Experimentation Facilities” across Europe to create an accessible infrastructure for validating AI and Robotics solutions in the agrifood sector. The motivation that keeps alive the interest in the proposed action is the need to bridge the market with all the “made in Europe” excellent agrifood-related research and innovation activities that SMEs and Startups especially have been focusing on recently.

Can you share some of the key milestones or successes your project/EDIH has achieved to date?

Despite the administrative hurdles of pioneering the execution of such a complex Digital Europe Program project, which included quite some effort in smoothening interactions with Member States co-funding the project service delivery capacity, AgrifoodTEF has already engaged dozens of European SMEs and Startups, showing there is a market for AI and Robotics field testing and validation services. Early feedback from startups and SMEs that have been using our services are positive and indicative of tangible gap the project is filling.

What innovative technologies or methods are you most excited about within your project? 

We are very excited by all those solutions that, leveraging the power of AI and Robotics, can help farmers migrate towards using increasingly more sustainable practices. Some of these are novel precision agriculture applications that can use AI to spot problems on the fruits, the plant, the air and raise alerts for timely interventions that can help reduce the use of harmful substances that deteriorate soil and air quality. The use of Robotics in agriculture can also help with mechanical removal of weeds or in harvesting where conditions start to get tricky for operators. IoT, improved satellite imagery and renewed ability to collect precise remote sensing data are producing a paradigm shift also in agriculture, with data gathering from different sources becoming more and more important in a landscape where digital transition will have a profound impact on the way we produce our food.

What advice would you give to other innovators looking to make an impact in the agricultural / food sector through digital technologies? 

The advice would be to be aware technology only provides a partial answer to the problems of such a complex sector. Proposed solutions must bring tangible benefits to stand a chance of being adopted and be affordable by the farmers. Affordability does not mean “low-cost” necessarily but rather being able to ripen benefits that realise a good return on innovation investment.

What is the added value of Synergy Days for your project? 

Synergy Days gives a unique opportunity to meet European SMEs and Startups that are already engaged with the community of innovators in collaborative projects for the agrifood sector. Attendants get to hear, discuss and interact with colleagues in multi-disciplinary settings, working on the latest trends and innovative technologies in many different European countries and therefore locations. This is the added value that broadens one’s knowledge and allows faster creation of innovative solutions without ignoring the hurdles that may come from societal, business and legal considerations.

Want to meet them and learn more about the project? Join AgrifoodTEF at Synergy Days 2024! More details and how to register.