The Synergy Days 2024 were opened by George Beers of the SmartAgriHubs community, who introduced the opening plenary session, themed "Connecting Communities on Digital Innovation in Agrifood," centered on uniting diverse stakeholders across European, national, and regional levels to propel digital transformation in the agrifood sector.

What followed were presentations by Andres Montero, an advisor to the Spanish Government, and Doris Marquardt of the European Commission, who discussed ways to bridge the digital divide, enhance connectivity, and foster innovation. Andres Montero outlined Spain's efforts to bolster rural internet access and 5G infrastructure, surpassing the EU average in network deployment. He emphasized the need for structural transformation, highlighting substantial investments in digitizing irrigation systems and providing digital tools and consulting services to 70,000 farmers and SMEs, which are aimed at modernizing and building resilience in the agrifood sector. Montero also pointed to a significant push for skills development, noting Spain's success in equipping rural women and other populations with digital competencies, essential for closing the urban-rural gap.

Doris Marquardt presented on the importance of leveraging communities to amplify the impact of policy instruments, as emphasized in the Draghi Report, which advocates for supporting SMEs and cross-sectoral data sharing to enhance innovation. She discussed the barriers faced by small businesses in adopting digital technologies, such as limited data access, a lack of interoperable standards, and concerns around data privacy and AI’s opacity.

Marquardt argued for a holistic approach that considers the entire value chain to support Europe’s twin transition goals—digital and sustainable transformation. She highlighted the critical role of data spaces and interoperability as foundational for AI adoption, encouraging systemic investments to enhance digital infrastructure. Additionally, she underscored the influential role of community-driven initiatives in accelerating policy impact, aligning governance, and drawing public and private investments to support strategic digital advancements across Europe’s agrifood sector.

To finish off the session, Joost Schuttelaar, Managing Partner at Schuttelaar & Partners pitched the newly updated Synergy Portal, an online platform where members of the SmartAgriHubs community gather to exchange their work and ideas.

Food processing serves essential purposes: it transforms raw ingredients into safe, edible food, extends shelf life, supports food security, and reduces waste. This industry, Europe’s largest, comprises over 290,000 companies, creating 4.6 million jobs and serving 1.5 billion meals daily. The EU leads as the top global exporter, with 10 major companies investing over €2 billion annually in innovation.

Wim Haentjens, a Policy Officer at DG Research & Innovation, emphasizes food processing as central to the food systems approach outlined in the Food2030 framework. FutureFoodS, a new EU partnership, aims to transform food systems to be sustainable, safe, and resilient. Haentjens highlights the need to prioritize data and technology in this transition, placing food processing at the core of these efforts.

Veerle De Graef, Innovation Manager at Flanders' FOOD, notes that 99% of the EU food processing sector comprises SMEs, which face common challenges in enhancing efficiency and environmental sustainability. Initiatives like the SS4AF partnership help SMEs adopt data-driven solutions. Through local living labs, SS4AF fosters collaboration and trust, guiding SMEs through innovation stages from awareness to implementation, ultimately reducing energy consumption and food waste.

On a global scale, Professor Laurette Dubé of McGill University addresses food system inequalities. In regions like Africa, food processing can empower farmers by increasing the local market value and mitigating post-harvest risks. Developing cooperatives and regional capabilities could unlock profitable local and regional markets.

Gert-Jan van Fessem, founder of Food for Analytics, presents FFA Titan, an ISO27001-certified platform that acts as a digital twin for food processors. This scalable platform supports decision-making by integrating internal and external data, enabling organizations to navigate complex data ecosystems.

In conclusion, the panel agreed on the potential of food processing to drive transformative change in food systems, particularly through data sharing and digital innovation. Lessons from the agricultural sector could support this integration, guiding food processing toward a more resilient and sustainable future.

The future of farming depends on and is being shaped by research, innovation, and capacity building in the agri-food sector, funded through multi-financial framework initiatives. These initiatives provide crucial funding for developing, upscaling and implementing cutting-edge technologies such as IoT, robotics, data spaces and AI.

CEMA was privileged to actively participate in the organization of Synergy Days 2024, and it is grateful for the opportunity given to our Research Director, Vanja Biševac that moderated a session on Smart Farming featuring Francesco Iadecola (DG AGRI), Ignacio Ruiz Abad (ANSEMAT), and Filippo Maria Renga (Politecnico di Milano).

The discussion was engaging and constructive, focusing on how smart farming tools and techniques are driving more sustainable and efficient food systems, and positively impacting the agri-food sector overall. To create a more sustainable future, innovation and policy must go hand in hand, complementing each other. Continued investment in research and innovation, from the EU down to the local level, is essential. As Filippo Maria Renga emphasized, “We need innovation. We can’t reach economic, environmental, and social sustainability without innovation, and digital innovation is a big part of this. However, to push the adoption of this necessary innovation we must first measure and communicate the benefits in a simple, clear way. Working together is key—we can't face these challenges alone.”

Financial support, such as through the CAP, will empower farmers to adopt cutting-edge equipment and produce more with fewer resources in a greener, more sustainable way. Ignacio Ruiz Abad underscored the need for a balanced approach to innovation, stating, “Historically, our industry has provided innovations that meet farmers’ needs while complying with legislative frameworks. But now, with investment constraints, we need an innovative balance among all stakeholders’ demands to enable the adoption of sustainable technologies. Policies should be redesigned to offer farmers effective, tailored financial support and education on the specific benefits of innovation.” Francesco Iadecola added, “Research and innovation are key to empowering all farmers to benefit from digital and data-based technologies, enabling smarter, more sustainable, and more resilient agriculture.”

How do you make people work together? How to coordinate actors to generate the expected Impact?

In the frame of multi-actor European projects but also local-based projects in EU territories, one of the key succes factor is the capacity to make the different actors working together to reach a common objective and adress together complex societal challenges that must have impact on the society as a whole.

However in practice, this proves to be a difficult task because there’s systematically some original gaps between the different actors commited in the innovation process, notably in terms of objectives, timeframes, skills, capabilities, methodologies, practices, cultures, ambition, etc…

Through different and contrasted cases and points of view (NGO representative, Policy maker, Researcher, Project Manager) the speakers showed how they cope with these challenges an how they generate impact in different territorial schemes such as the S3 strategies at Regional level, EDIH, Living Labs and other projects.

Eduardo Cuoco, (Director of IFOAM Europe) explained to the audience the capacity of innovation of the organic sector across Europe through different cases that bring territorial actors together to achieve social, organisational and technological innovations.

Jaume Sio, (Head of the Technical Cabinet of the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food at the Catalan government) talked about the barriers that Regional Policy makers must remove to break different silos (thematic, organisational, territorial) and support impactful projects for the benefit of Catalan rural territories.

Irene drew on her experience with the CTIC Foundation (Centre for the Development of Information and Communication Technologies in Asturias), which has supported women's digital empowerment in rural communities for over 20 years. Initially focused on closing the digital gap in the early 2000s, by the 2020s, their efforts shifted to addressing the "use gap," helping women not only access technology but also use it effectively, aiming to make them active content creators.

Key lessons learned highlight the importance of being physically present in rural areas. They found that actively listening to women's needs and encouraging their participation—rather than simply imposing technological solutions—is essential. Additionally, flexibility and responsiveness to specific requirements are critical, as urban solutions do not necessarily apply to rural contexts. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst, leading to greater adoption of digital technologies, particularly mobile devices, among women in these communities. Ongoing engagement is vital for their continued empowerment.

Sally pointed out that rural and farm women engage in entrepreneurial activities that are not adequately supported by rural entrepreneurial agencies. These agencies often take a 'male' perspective, focusing on larger enterprises with an export orientation. In contrast, women typically run smaller businesses aimed at regional markets. They need support tailored to their specific needs, including access to microfinance, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

Moreover, women in remote areas often participate in social enterprises that provide essential infrastructure to sustain rural communities, often working within nonprofit organizations. It is crucial to ensure that these women are not exploited. There is significant potential for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) National Plans to better address equality in agriculture. Additionally, a concerning backlash against women’s equality in the European Union has been observed, which must be monitored to prevent further negative impacts on women in rural areas and farming.

Sara emphasized the importance of harnessing our inner power. We all face internal and unconscious barriers that can prevent us from fully engaging due to fears of failure and feelings of inadequacy, often rooted in historical norms. These internal saboteurs take different forms, and becoming aware of them can help expose their underlying falsehoods.

In response to a question, Sara discussed how many individuals she has worked with in the agri-tech sector possess a hyper-achiever saboteur. Instead of leading to success and happiness, this "striving" mentality can drain mental and emotional resources. In her experience, once they recognized this pattern, they were able to intercept their saboteurs and allow a kinder, wiser inner voice to emerge, restoring their energy and focus.

Sara reminded us that we are all human, and working on our unconscious barriers first will empower women to creatively and constructively challenge the status quo. She also mentioned a free resource to help individuals identify their own saboteurs, available here.

When asked about key lessons learned, the panellists reflected on the unique challenges and successes in their regions. EDIH BOOST highlighted a gap in their services, finding it difficult to onboard clients with less advanced needs. They addressed this by creating more accessible, lower-cost projects to engage a broader audience. The Location Innovation Hub emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration, advocating for a more cohesive approach where innovations developed in one industry can be leveraged in another. Meanwhile, DigiAgriFood noted their focus on scaling services efficiently to meet the "one-to-many" service model, a challenge many EDIHs face as they expand their reach.

The impact of the EDIH network, according to the panellists, is multifaceted and evolving. While the full effect will take years to unfold, each EDIH has seen significant progress. DigiAgriFood, for example, has played a pivotal role in advancing digital solutions in agriculture, helping farmers integrate precision farming technologies and improving operational efficiency. EDIH ENTIRE, though a late starter, has developed a strong service pathway and scaling strategy, contributing to rapid digital adoption in Ireland’s Midlands region. Across all hubs, it became clear that the definition of "impact" varies—whether it's economic growth, technological innovation, or capacity building, the EDIHs are making strides.

Looking ahead, the panellists shared their visions for the coming year. EDIH ENTIRE plans to launch new training programs through the EDIH Academy, aiming to assist EDIHs in scaling their services and provide more targeted support for digital transformation. The Location Innovation Hub stands out with its unique initiative to bring researchers closer to clients, breaking down barriers to engagement. While some hubs plan to refine their service offerings, others, like EDIH BOOST, are prioritizing education and training as key drivers of future growth.

Alba Graells Roca, Technician on Food Losses and Food Waste (Catalan Ministry Department of Agriculture, Farming, Fisheries and Food (DARPA) gave an insight on Catalonia’s strategy to prevent food waste. Their initiatives aim to generate knowledge, raise awareness, promote best practices, provide guidance to the sector, and establish regulations and co-governance.

An example was the “Aprofitem els Aliments” awareness campaign, which translates to “Recover the value of food”. The campaign featured a series of activities for citizens: Firstly, through the Gastrorecup meals initiative, 50+ restaurants across Catalonia prepared meals with 'recovered' food. Secondly,  through the Great Lunch Food utilization, 400 people received a free meal prepared with food that would have otherwise gone to waste. Finally, through the Espigolades Marathon campaign, 80 tonnes of food was saved in the span of 3 weeks.

Another highlight was the region’s pioneering food waste prevention legislation. In 2020, Catalonia adopted their food loss and waste prevention law, being among the first regions in Europe to do so. More importantly, the legislation takes a holistic approach targeting the entire food value chain - from primary production to households – with a focus on prevention over redistribution. As such, it sets obligations for all stakeholders such as data measurement and reduction plans.

This truly inspiring presentation showcased the potential for European regions to tackle food loss and waste through various initiatives, involving all food stakeholders.

Key points included identifying and leveraging connections between agrifood, digital technologies, rural tourism, and "smart" rural development. Examples highlighted how digital tools and narratives can enhance the appeal of rural tourism, promoting agrifood products and services while also modernizing the rural economy. In this context, local engagement is vital, as community involvement ensures that digitalization efforts respect local agrifood heritage.

While opportunities are not infinite, due to commodification of culture and nature, uneven economic benefits and other issues, the discussions also explored the potential for these synergies to yield many opportunities, particularly within the Horizon Europe framework.

The conversation closed with insights into potential services and innovations—such as agritourism, heritage-inspired digital campaigns, and local branding—that could further integrate tourism with the agrifood sector, driving growth and sustainability in rural economies across Europe.