Synergy Days 2024
Join us in Barcelona!
The Synergy Days is the most important conference connecting the digital innovators of the European agri-food sector.
Building onto the legacy of the SmartAgriHubs project, for 3 years in a roll, the event offers a space for our community to meet, debate and exchange knowledge. We connect the dots in the agri-food sector by bringing together EU projects, policy-makers, European and Digital Innovations Hubs, farmers and more.
You can expect two action-packed days of crucial discussions, workshops, live demonstrations, EU project pitches, designed to create more networking connections than ever before.
This year's edition will also feature a parallel event focused on the work of European Digital Innovation Hubs.
Become a partner or sponsor of the Synergy Days
Join us at Synergy Days 2024, where our ecosystem comes together to create a world of possibilities!
For partners: As a European-funded project, EDIH or initiative, you have the opportunity to actively participate, showcase your work, and find new partners. From our exhibition hall to the possibility to organise workshops, Synergy Days offers the perfect platform to reach your communications objectives and share your results with a wider audience.
For sponsors: As a company or a business, you have the opportunity to sponsor certain activities and parts of the event, increasing your visibility and getting access to the vast Synergy Days ecosystem. Become part of the key event for digital innovation in the European agri-food sector.
Take the leap and be part of this inspiring event - contact us now to receive more information and conditions. Your contribution will make a difference!
Take a look at last year's edition below:
Day 1
08:00 - 09:00 • Registration
09:00 - 10:00 • Opening session: Connecting communities
Speakers:
George Beers, Chair of the SmartAgriHubs Community
Andres Montero, Special Advisor of the President of the Spanish Government for Agriculture challenges
Doris Marquardt, DG CNECT, European Commission (TBC)
10:00 - 10:20 • Project pitches I
European research projects will showcase their vision, goals, and achievements in digitising the agri-food sector. This session will feature a dynamic and interactive format, offering the audience a fresh perspective on these projects.
10:20 - 10:40 • Coffee break
10:40 - 11:00 • Project pitches II
European research projects will showcase their vision, goals, and achievements in digitising the agri-food sector. This session will feature a dynamic and interactive format, offering the audience a fresh perspective on these projects.
11:00 - 12:30 • Project workshops I
The following workshops will be running in parallel:
Workshop 1: Digital Transformation in food processing: The HIGHFIVE Approach to Support SME’s (SS4AF, FoodScalEUp, HIGHFIVE)
Workshop 2: QuantiFarm Toolkit: An All-in-One Service for Digital Agriculture Technology Solutions (QuantiFarm)
Workshop 3: An Augmented Reality application for Enhanced Co-Creation and engagement with rural stakeholders (FUTURAL)
Workshop 4: Helping farmers and rural stakeholders navigate the world of digital technologies (COMMECT)
Workshop 5: Validation Services for SMEs leveraging AI and Robotics in the agrifood sector (AgrifoodTEF)
Workshop 6: Digital transformation in agri-food industries (BBTWINS)
Workshop 7: Transforming Advisory Services: Embracing Digital Tools and Overcoming Challenges (ModernAKIS)
12:30 - 14:00 • Lunch break
14:00 - 14:45 • Plenary session: Food and innovation
- Speakers:
Alba Graells Roca, Technician on Food Losses and Food Waste (Catalan Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda -DACC) (TBC)
Eduardo Cuoco, Director, IFOAM Europe
Moderated by: Simon Maas, AgriFood Capital
14:45 - 15:05 • Project pitches III
European research projects will showcase their vision, goals, and achievements in digitising the agri-food sector. This session will feature a dynamic and interactive format, offering the audience a fresh perspective on these projects.
15:05 - 15:20 • Coffee break
15:20 - 15:40 • Project pitches IV
European research projects will showcase their vision, goals, and achievements in digitising the agri-food sector. This session will feature a dynamic and interactive format, offering the audience a fresh perspective on these projects.
15:40 - 16:55 • Project workshops II
The following projects will be running in parallel:
Workshop 8: Exploring the potential of private data sharing: Identification of gain creators, needs and opportunities (FOODDATAQUEST)
Workshop 9: Agrifood EDIHs network / cluster and AgrifoodTEF interactions (AgrifoodTEF (leading), EDIHs from the Agrifood Cluster (TBC which)
Workshop 10: New Multipurpose Hub for Managing and Presentation of Agriculture and Rural Related Information (PoliRuralPlus, ALIANCE, COMUNIDAD, SmartAgriHubs, Plus Change, DALIA)
Workshop 11: Assessing socio-economic impact of connectivity solutions for rural communities (COMMECT, QuantiFarm)
Workshop 12: Gender equality: Case studies and data (GAIA)
Workshop 13: TBC
Workshop 14: TBC
16:55 - 17:15 • Project pitches V
European research projects will showcase their vision, goals, and achievements in digitising the agri-food sector. This session will feature a dynamic and interactive format, offering the audience a fresh perspective on these projects.
17:15 - 18:15 • Plenary session: Smart farming
The panel will be discussing smart farming, including its pitfalls, benefits, uptake assessment, and barriers for further deployment. The discussion will also cover collaboration between the research community, the agricultural machinery industry, and farmers, as well as bridging the gap between technology users and providers.
Keynote speaker:
Francesco Iadecola, Research Programme Officer, DG AGRI - European Commission
Panel speakers:
Ignacio Ruiz, Secretary General, ANSEMAT
Dr. Filippo Maria Renga, Founder of the Smart AgriFood Observatory, Digital Innovation Observatories, Politecnico di Milano
Moderated by: Vanja Bisevac, European Agricultural Machinery Association (CEMA)
Day 2
08:00 - 08:30 • Registration
08:30 - 09:30 • Plenary session: The interplay between the challenges, objectives, skills and capabilities of the players to foster the genesis and adoption of innovations
Speakers:
Jaume Sio, General Director for Agriculture in the Catalan Government
Bill O'Gorman, Professor, Director for Research, CEDRE, School of Business, South East Technological University (SETU)
1 Living Lab coordinator/member (TBC)
1 EIDH coordinator (TBC)
Moderated by: Adrien Guichaoua, ACTA (The French Agricultural Technical Institute)
09:30 - 09:40 • Inspiration talk I
09:40 - 10:00 • Coffee break
10:00 - 10:45 • Plenary session: Empowering women in rural communities
Speakers:
Representative from DG AGRI, European Commission (TBC)
Paloma Fra, International Programmes Coordinator, Federación de la Mujer Rural, FEMUR (TBC)
Associate Professor Maura Farrell, Senior Lecturer in the School of Geography, Archaeology and Irish Studies, University of Galway
Moderated by: Lorena van de Kolk, Schuttelaar & Partners
10:45 - 10:55 • Inspiration talk II
11:00 - 12:30 • Project workshops III
The following workshops will be running in parallel:
Workshop 15: OpenAgri and Farmtopia Open Calls presentation (OpenAgri and Farmtopia)
Workshop 16: Data Flows and Framework Conditions in Agriculture & Forestry (4Growth)
Workshop 17: Advanced Analytics for Emerging Food Safety Risks (FOODDATAQUEST and EFRA)
Workshop 18: AgroBot: bridging technological divide in rural communities (FUTURAL)
Workshop 19: How AI can improve Earth Monitoring for Agriculture (ALIANCE, COMUNIDAD, PoliRuralPlus, EO-Informed Agent-Based Models for Digital Twins Applications)
Workshop 20: Enhancing Knowledge Flow Modelling in IT for the Agri-Sector: Addressing Barriers and Challenges (modernAKIS)
Workshop 21: TBC
12:30 - 13:30 • Lunch break
13:30 - 14:00 • Plenary session: Investment and startup funding
14:00 - 14:45 • Plenary session: Boosting the potentialities of the agrifood sector by generating synergies with tourism
Speakers:
Dana Bonaldi, Politecnico de Milano
Nina Cvar, Universidad de Ljubljana
Alfonso Bonet Pastor, Fundación Dieta Mediterránea
Moderated by: Dolores Ordoñez, AnySolution
14:45 - 14:55 • Inspiration talk III
15:00 - 16:15 • Project workshops IV
The following workshops will be running in parallel:
Workshop 22: Tentative title: Robs4Crops - Perspectives of robotics in agriculture (Robs4Crops)
Workshop 23: START-UPS AND SCALE-UPS SUPPORT IN FOOD PROCESSING (Food-scalEUp, Smart Sensors 4 Agri Food (SS4AF) and HighFive)
Workshop 24: BUILDING DIGITAL BRIDGES: insights from COMMECT Living Labs (COMMECT)
Workshop 25: Is it possible to use Generic AI and Large Language Models in Agriculture and Rural Development? (PoliRuralPlus, Aliance, COMUNIDAD, cooperation with ADRA and BDVE)
Workshop 26: Gender in European funded projects: concrete steps for projects (GAIA)
Workshop 27:
Workshop 28:
16:15 - 16:30 • Closing plenary
16:30 - 17:30 • Farewell drinks
Participating projects
Participating European Digital Innovation Hubs
Organising Committee
