AgriFood Forum 2020

Business as (Un)usual:

Emerging from the Crisis Stronger and Greener thanks to Digital Transformation

November 26th-27th, 2020

Organized by:

Event partner:

Patroned by:

About The Forum

This year has been an abnormal one for the global, European and Lithuanian agri-food ecosystem. Hence, this year’s Forum focuses on how the Lithuanian agri-food sector can turn the crisis imposed by COVID-19 into an opportunity to reimagine the food systems on more fair and sustainable foundations.

The impact of COVID-19 has accelerated adoption of digital technologies on many sectors of the economy, with agri-food being one of them. Fluctuations in both demand and supply, labour shortages and restrictions in travelling are more and more motivating all actors in the agri-food value chain to look at technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Internet of Things and Blockchain as the enablers of a more prosperous future under new circumstances.

At the same time, the Green Deal – Europe’s “Man-on-the-Moon” moment – has highlighted the need to make our food systems fairer, healthier and more environmentally-friendly. Extraordinary times require extraordinary actions. The Lithuanian agtech and foodtech ecosystem has proven its entrepreneurial spirit, technical talent and extrovert approach, but are those elements enough to bring Lithuania into the forefront of the post-COVID-19 era?

The Forum will aim to explore how all actors can work together towards a future that secures safe and adequate food and preserves the environment without leaving anyone behind.

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AgriFood Forum | DAY 1

AgriFood Forum | DAY 2

Event Speakers

Viktorija Čmilytė - Nielsen

Viktorija Čmilytė - Nielsen

Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania

Blaga Valentinova Popova

Blaga Valentinova Popova

EC Directorate-General for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG-GROW)

Antonio Novo Guerrero

Antonio Novo Guerrero

President of the European Clusters Alliance and Clusters.es, Member of the EC Expert Group on Clusters

Marja-Liisa Meurice

Marja-Liisa Meurice

Director of EIT Food CLC North-East

George Beers

Dr. ir. George Beers

Chief coordinator of SmartAgriHubs, Wageningen

Vidmantas Janulevičius

Vidmantas Janulevičius

President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists

Augustas Alešiūnas

Augustas Alešiūnas

Business angel in AgriFood Tech, CEO at ART21

Juozas Olekas

Juozas Olekas

Member of the European Parliament

Petros Kokkalis

Petros Kokkalis

Member of the European Parliament

Arnoldas Pranckevičius

Arnoldas Pranckevičius

Head of the European Commission Representation in Lithuania

Daiva Jakaitė

Daiva Jakaitė

Head of European Parliament Liaison Office in Lithuania

Kazys Starkevičius

Kazys Starkevičius

Member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Chairman of the Economic Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania

Bronis Ropė

Bronis Ropė

Member of the European Parliament

Astrida Miceikienė

Prof. dr. Astrida Miceikienė

Chancellor of Agriculture Academy at Vytautas Magnus university

Rasa Melnikienė

Dr. Rasa Melnikienė

Director at Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics

Tomas Orlickas

Tomas Orlickas

Deputy Director at the National Paying Agency

Sergejus Fedotovas

Sergejus Fedotovas

Director of the State Crop Service under the Ministry of Agriculture

Mantas Nocius

Mantas Nocius

Adviser, Lithuanian Business Support Agency

Grigoris Chatzikostas

Grigoris Chatzikostas

Vice President of Business Development, FoodScale Hub

Thomas Solupajev-Ronlev

Thomas Solupajev-Ronlev

Chairman of the Board, Lithuanian Robotics Association

Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė

Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė

Managing Director at AgriFood Lithuania DIH

Gintaras Vilda

Gintaras Vilda

International innovation ecosystems expert, ex-vice minister at Ministry of the Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania

Erika Tauraitė-Kavai

Erika Tauraitė-Kavai

Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology, Expert at Smart InoTech for industry

Mantas Vilys

Mantas Vilys

Director of the Lithuanian Innovation Center

Kasparas Jurgelionis

Kasparas Jurgelionis

Partner at Iron Wolf Capital

Sigitas Dimaitis

Sigitas Dimaitis

Director of the Chamber of Agriculture of LR

Giedrius Bagušinskas

Giedrius Bagušinskas

Managing Director of the Lithuanian Food Exporters Association

Edgaras Šakys

Edgaras Šakys

CEO at Agrokoncernas

Donatas Dailidė

Donatas Dailidė

CEO at Dojus Agro

Julius Puodžiuvelis

Julius Puodžiuvelis

CEO at Scandagra Baltic

Aušrys Macijauskas

Aušrys Macijauskas

Chairman of the Lithuanian Agriculture Council

Jonas Talmantas

Jonas Talmantas

Chairman of the Lithuanian Farmers’ Union

Karolis Šimas

Karolis Šimas

President of the Lithuanian Association of Grain Processors and Traders

Paulius Guzevičius

Paulius Guzevičius

Director for Innovation at “Vikonda”

Artūras Jakubavičius

Dr. Artūras Jakubavičius

Lithuanian innovation centre, Head of Innovation support services department

Ruslanas Iržikevičius

Ruslanas Iržikevičius

The moderator of the event

Agenda


DAY I – November 26th

Opening of Day I of the AgriFood Forum 2020

Greetings and guidance from the moderator

Welcome speech

Viktorija Čmilytė - Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania

Welcome speech

Daiva Jakaitė, Head of European Parliament Liaison Office in Lithuania

Opening remarks by Augustas Alešiūnas

Business angel in AgriFood Tech, CEO at ART21

Welcome speech

Arnoldas Pranckevičius, Head of the European Commission Representation in Lithuania

Presentation: "Needs and opportunities of the AgriFood ecosystem"

Blaga Valentinova Popova, EC Directorate-General for the Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG-GROW)

Presentation: “Cluster impact on making AgriFood value chains more resilient”

Antonio Novo Guerrero, President of the European Clusters Alliance and Clusters.es, Member of the EC Expert Group on Clusters

Presentation: “Robotics importance in AgriFood sector after facing COVID-19”

Thomas Solupajev-Ronlev, Chairman of the Board, Lithuanian Robotics Association

Reflections by Grigoris Chatzikostas

Grigoris Chatzikostas, Vice President of Business Development, FoodScale Hub

Discussion: “National ambitions within a European Framework: a policymaker perspective”

Participated by:

  • Juozas Olekas (Member of the European Parliament)
  • Petros Kokkalis (Member of the European Parliament)

Moderated by:

  • Grigoris Chatzikostas (Vice President of Business Development, FoodScale Hub)

Discussion: “Importance of the digital transformation of the bioeconomy on the AgriFood sector”

Participated by:

  • Vidmantas Janulevičius (President of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists)
  • Prof. dr. Astrida Miceikienė (Chancellor of Agriculture Academy at Vytautas Magnus university)
  • Dr. ir. George Beers (Chief coordinator of SmartAgriHubs, Wageningen)
  • Augustas Alešiūnas (CEO at ART21)

Moderated by:

  • Grigoris Chatzikostas (Vice President of Business Development, FoodScale Hub)

Summary by Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė

Managing Director at AgriFood Lithuania DIH

Reflections: “Innovation in the face of Crisis”

Case presentations by Paulius Guzevičius (Director for Innovation at “Vikonda”)

Change makers: Final of the online hackathon "HACK AgriFood’20"

Nominee team presentations and award ceremony

Closing of Day I

DAY II – November 27th

Opening of Day II of the AgriFood Forum 2020

Greetings and guidance from the moderator

Welcome speech

Kazys Starkevičius, Member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Chairman of the Economic Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania

Future vision for the Lithuanian AgriFood industry by Kazys Starkevičius

Member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Chairman of the Economic Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania

Discussion: “The Green Deal and the digital transition of Lithuanian AgriFood sector”

Participated by:

  • Bronis Ropė (Member of the European Parliament)
  • Sergejus Fedotovas (Director of the State Crop Service under the Ministry of Agriculture)
  • Mantas Nocius (Adviser, Lithuanian Business Support Agency)
  • Dr. Rasa Melnikienė (Director at Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics)

Coffee and networking break

"Digitalizing of the AgriFood industry: one person in the battlefield is not a warrior"

Dr. Artūras Jakubavičius, Head of Innovation support services department at Lithuanian innovation centre

Discussion: “Reimagining AgriFood after COVID-19: the role of Digital Innovation Hubs”

Participated by:

  • Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė (Managing Director at AgriFood Lithuania DIH)
  • Gintaras Vilda (International Expert)
  • Erika Tauraitė-Kavai (Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology, Expert at Smart InoTech for industry)
  • Mantas Vilys (Director of the Lithuanian Innovation Center)

Discussion: “AgriFood perspective in 2030: the Future is Now”

Participated by:

  • Kasparas Jurgelionis (Partner at Iron Wolf Capital)
  • Tomas Orlickas (Deputy Director at the National Paying Agency)
  • Sigitas Dimaitis (Director of the Chamber of Agriculture of LR)
  • Giedrius Bagušinskas (Managing Director of the Lithuanian Food Exporters Association)

Discussion: “Re-shaping and re-starting business after COVID-19”

Participated by:

  • Edgaras Šakys (CEO at Agrokoncernas)
  • Donatas Dailidė (CEO at Dojus Agro)
  • Julius Puodžiuvelis (CEO at Scandagra Baltic)

Discussion: “Farming in the Digital Era: what we are ready for now?”

Participated by:

  • Aušrys Macijauskas (Chairman of the Lithuanian Agriculture Council)
  • Jonas Talmantas (Chairman of the Lithuanian Farmers’ Union)
  • Karolis Šimas (President of the Lithuanian Association of Grain Processors and Traders)

Closing of the AgriFood Forum 2020

During the conference, there was simultaneous translation from English into Lithuanian on both days.

Contact Us

Address

Mokslininku st. 2A, Vilnius

Phone Number

+370 650 22269