AI and Innovation for Sustainable AgriFood sector: Building Resilient and Competitive Regional Ecosystems through Business Collaboration
Setting the scene
The AgriFood Forum 2024 takes place during a pivotal time when the global agrifood sector faces unprecedented challenges, including climate change, food insecurity, geopolitical instability, and rising production costs. The forum’s theme, FIELD OF THE FUTURE: Rethinking AgriFood for Resilience and Sustainability, captures the need for transformative approaches to tackle these issues head-on.
Digitalization, technological innovation, and sustainable practices are becoming indispensable tools for addressing the complexities of modern agrifood systems. By merging traditional knowledge with new technologies, we can overcome the challenges of feeding a growing global population while preserving the environment. The Field of the Future initiative has shown that embracing cutting-edge innovations such as AI, blockchain, IoT, and new business models can enable agrifood systems to become not only more productive but also resilient, equitable, and environmentally sustainable.
The AgriFood Forum 2024 will bring together agrifoodbusinesses, policymakers, researchers, and technology providers to explore practical solutions and collaborative pathways. Through high-level discussions and cross-sectoral partnerships, the forum will create the way for a sustainable evolution in the agrifood sector. It will explore how to leverage innovation to improve productivity, address resource management challenges, and adapt to a changing climate—all while promoting economic and social inclusivity. This event is set against a backdrop of the EU’s goals of fostering sustainability, digital transformation, and strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, closely aligning with Ursula von der Leyen’s 2024-2029 priorities.
AI and Innovation for Sustainable AgriFood sector: Building Resilient and Competitive Regional Ecosystems through Business Collaboration
Context of the theme
AgriFood Forum 2024 will be centered around the theme of FIELD OF THE FUTURE: Rethinking AgriFood for Resilience and Sustainability, with a strong focus on aligning with Ursula von der Leyen’s set 2024-2029 priorities. This aligns with the EU’s goals of fostering sustainability, digital transformation, and strengthening Europe’s competitiveness in the global market.
The forum aims to explore how cutting-edge technologies and innovations, including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, IoT, digital tools, and new business models, can reshape the agrifood sector to tackle pressing challenges like climate change, food security, and resource management. By embracing both digital and non-digital innovations, the event will demonstrate how advanced technologies and innovative approaches can make agrifood more productive, resilient, and sustainable.
In addition, the event will foster business-to-business (B2B) collaboration, creating opportunities for agrifoodbusinesses, tech innovators, financial institutions, and policymakers to develop resilient and sustainable food systems. The forum will act as a hub for exchanging insights, facilitating partnerships, and sharing success stories from start-ups and new innovation ecosystems in agrifood development.
Key Features:
- AI-Powered Smart Farming and Food Processing:
- This feature will explore how AI and innovative technologies are optimizing farm productivity, enhancing food processing, and enabling data-driven decision-making. The focus will be on how these technologies can help manage climatic and generic resources, reduce environmental impact, and implement smarter business models for a more sustainable and resilient agrifood future.
- Circular Economy and Sustainable AgriFood Value Chains:
- The forum will discuss how innovative practices and technological tools are driving sustainability by reducing waste, enhancing resource efficiency, and improving traceability in the agrifood value chain. It will also explore the role of innovative business models in promoting the circular economy and optimizing resource use to achieve greater sustainability.
- B2B Networking and Cross-Sectoral Collaboration:
- Networking sessions and matchmaking opportunities will allow stakeholders to form partnerships that drive innovation and support regional ecosystems. Emphasis will be placed on cross-sectoral partnerships to create a supportive environment for both technological adoption and non-digital innovations, thereby enhancing competitiveness and resilience in agrifoodbusinesses.
- Inclusive Innovation and Capacity Building:
- Inspired by the Field of the Future initiative, AgriFood Forum 2024 will include sessions on broadening access to innovation to ensure inclusivity. The event will highlight strategies for improving infrastructure and capacity-building initiatives that enable all food value chain stakeholders, especially farmers, to benefit from new innovations. Panels will focus on building skills necessary for effectively using advanced technologies and innovative approaches.
- Empowering Women in Agriculture and Food Sector:
- The forum will feature a special focus on women-led innovations in the agrifood sector, highlighting participants from the EIT FOOD EWA (Empowering Women in Agrifood) program as well as the Grassceiling initiative, which will demonstrate ongoing results. This feature will emphasize the role of women entrepreneurs in driving sustainable, inclusive transformation and contributing to the overall innovation ecosystem in the agrifood sector.
- Policy Development for AgriFood Innovation:
- AgriFood Forum 2024 will contribute to developing strategic recommendations aimed at facilitating innovation in the agrifood sector. This will include promoting a Regional and National Digital and Innovation Strategy for AgriFood, which ensures coherence across regulatory frameworks, simplifies bureaucratic processes, and fosters innovation to build a thriving and competitive agrifood sector.
- Building Resilient and Competitive AgriFood Systems:
- Discussions will focus on building resilient regional ecosystems through both technological and innovative approaches. Emphasis will be placed on strengthening value chain relationships, enhancing communication between stakeholders, and fostering an environment that encourages data sharing and collaboration to enhance resilience and efficiency throughout the agrifood value chain.
We expect the upcoming AgriFood Forum to yield multiple positive outcomes:
The forum will contribute in the development of strategic recommendations for policymakers, focusing on promoting National and Regional Digital and Innovation Strategies for the agrifood sector. These recommendations will aim to ensure coherence across regulatory frameworks, simplify bureaucratic processes, and create an enabling environment that fosters the adoption of sustainable technologies and practices.
The forum will drive collaboration among government bodies, businesses, and civil society to support the digital and innovation transformation of agrifood. Participants will establish frameworks for cross-sectoral partnerships that emphasize building resilient regional ecosystems and a more coherent public-private response to global challenges in the agrifood sector
By promoting inclusive access to technological and non-technological innovations, the forum will provide pathways for all stakeholders, including smallholder farmers, to benefit from the twin transition. Initiatives will include expanding digital infrastructure in rural areas, capacity building, and encouraging micro-entrepreneurship within the agrifood value chain to support underserved communities.
A special emphasis will be placed on empowering women entrepreneurs through showcasing ongoing successes from the EWA and Grassceiling initiatives. This outcome will underline the role of women-led innovations in driving sustainable change and provide actionable steps to increase female participation in the agrifood innovation ecosystem.
The forum will develop actionable strategies to strengthen value chain relationships, enhance communication between stakeholders, and foster an environment that encourages data sharing, collaboration, and the adoption of new technologies. By focusing on both technological and innovative approaches, the forum will ensure that agrifood systems are prepared to withstand future shocks, adapt to changing conditions, and deliver on sustainability goals.
Participants will gain practical insights into how AI, data science, and other advanced technologies can enhance decision-making, resource management, and efficiency in the agrifood sector. The forum will also address the barriers to adoption and explore how innovation can be scaled up to benefit all stakeholders along the value chain.
Emphasizing the importance of skills development, the forum will provide recommendations for farmer-centric training initiatives that empower stakeholders with the necessary skills to effectively utilize advanced technologies and adopt innovative practices. These initiatives will be designed to address the diverse needs of different farming communities, ensuring that no one is left behind in the transition to a more sustainable agrifood future.
By bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, academics, and innovators, AgriFood Forum 2024 will serve as a catalyst for sustainable change, driving AI-powered solutions and overall innovations, and fostering cross-sectoral cooperation for a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable food future.
Speakers
Christian Holzleitner
Dr. Sjaak (J.) Wolfert
Andrius Pranckevičius
Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Eglė Vaičiūkynaitė
Dr. Aistė Balčiūnaitienė
Elmantas Pocevičius
*The list of speakers will be updated.
Jury
Dr. Karolina Trakšelytė-Rupšienė
Dr. Artūras Jakubavičius
Final event
Agenda
08:00 - 09:00 Registration & B2B matchmaking breakfast
09:00 - 09:30 Opening remarks
09:30 - 10:45 High level opening panel
10:45 - 11:10
11:10 - 11:35 Coffee break
I Hall A
II Hall B
III Hall C
11:35 - 12:50 Panel
12:50 - 14:15 Lunch break
15:30 - 16:45 Panel
10:30 - 12:50 TBA
12:50 - 14:15 Lunch break
15:30 - 16:45 Panel
10:00 - 10:30 Welcoming remarks
10:30 - 11:45 Panel discussion: "Breaking Ceilings, Sowing Seeds of Success"
11:45 - 12:15 Coffee break
12:15 - 13:00 Presentation from the Grass Ceiling project partners
- WP1: Mega trends and foresight on rural women led innovation
- WP2: Incentives and obstacles towards women’s participation in innovation
- WP4: Benchmarking agricultural and rural policies against gender inclusivity Followed by Q&A
Parallel Living Lab Session (LL participants only)
13:00 - 14:30 Lunch break
14:30 - 16:00 WP3: Living Labs
1 st year of operation of the living labs Role of living labs in driving solutions of societal and cultural challenges Innovator Journey (pecha kucha presentations)
16:00 - 16:30 Coffee break
16:30 - 17:25 Grass Ceiling Policy Forum
17:30 Closing Remarks
IV Hall D
11:35 – 12:45 Unlocking Industry 5.0 in AgriFood: The Cluster as Facilitators
In this foundational session, we will embark on a journey to uncover the essence of “Industry 5.0” and its profound implications for the agri-food industry. As we set the stage, we’ll explore why clusters should take center stage as the guiding force in championing Industry 5.0 within this sector.
Objectives:
- Define the core principles and vision of Industry 5.0 and its departure from traditional industry paradigms.
- Discuss the significance of putting worker well-being at the core of the agri-food production process.
- Explore the societal contributions and sustainability goals that Industry 5.0 brings to the industry.
- Examine the pivotal role that clusters can play in facilitating the transition to a human-centric and resilient agri-food industry.
11:35 – 12:00 AgriFood evolution to Industry 5.0
Tautvydas Pipiras | Project Manager at Lithuanian Innovation Centre
12:00 – 12:45 Moderated discussion: Clusters as a guiding force in championing Industry 5.0 within Agrifood.
Armands Lejas-Krumins | Director at Food Products Quality Cluster
Christelle Domingos | Executive Director at InovCluster
Ana Felgueiras | European Programmes Coordinator at Galicia Food & Drinks Cluster (CLUSAGA)
Tautvydas Pipiras | Project Manager at Lithuanian Innovation Centre
Giedrius Bagušinskas | CEO at Lithuanian Food Exporters Association
Moderated by Gytis Junevičius | Project Manager at the Lithuanian Innovation Center
14:15 – 15:30 Building a Sustainable Future for AgriFood: Resilience through enabling the ecosystem
In this forward-looking session, we’ll set our sights on the sustainable future of the agri-food industry. Embrace the opportunity to discover how learning and applying new technologies and skills can fortify the industry’s resilience and secure its place in an ever-changing landscape, including the pivotal role of capital and investors in both early and growth phases.
Objectives:
- Discuss how innovation in practices, products and workforce development contributes to sustainability and competitiveness.
- Explore the role of capital and investors in supporting agri-food industry innovation, both in early-stage startups and during the growth phase.
- Examine the strategies, funding models, and collaborations that can drive industry resilience, ensuring the alignment of investment with sustainable practices.
14:15 – 14:40 Baltic Poultry – on the way to sustainable future
Saulius Petkevičius | Poultry Business Deputy Director at Vilniaus Paukštynas
14:40 – 15:05 Building European and worldwide leaders
Dylan Thuillier | Founding Partner at Nature4Growth
15:05 – 15:30 Future of Upskilling: Why Minecraft is better than school?
Darius Kniūkšta | Co-Founder at Edtech Lithuanian, Co-Founder and Chief Information Officer at Three Cube
15:45 – 16:35 Digital Technologies: Paving the Way for Industry 5.0 Transition
In this dynamic session, we’ll delve into the transformative power of digital technologies in driving the evolution towards Industry 5.0 within the agri-food sector. Get ready to understand how these innovations can be harnessed and the strategic preparations required to usher in the new era.
Objectives:
- Explore the pivotal role of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and IoT, in advancing the agri-food industry.
- Examine how these digital tools can enhance productivity, sustainability, and efficiency across the value chain.
- Gain insights into staying competitive in an evolving digital landscape and leveraging technology for industry growth.
15:45 – 16:10 Leveraging technologies: Manufacturing digitalisation index
Povilas Bacevičius | Expert at Lithuanian Innovation Centre
16:10 – 16:35 Building a comprehensive picture for healthy fields: identifying nutrient deficiencies in individual plants to increase crop yields
Andrius Čiapas | Co-Founder at Smart Agrometer
Side events
C2Lab - Vilnius, Lithuania
Lithuania, 14 November 2023 - 15 November 2023
Are you preparing your next project on sustainable agri-food value chains? Or on skills and empowerment? Would you like to expand your network and meet new collaboration partners? Then, C2Lab is the right place for you!
Welcome to B2B matchmaking at the AgriFood Forum 2023
Lithuania, on November 14th, 2023
Enterprise Europe Network partners in Lithuania are organizing an on-site B2B matchmaking event during the AgriFood Forum 2023 in Vilnius, Lithuania, on November 14th, 2023.