ICT-AGRI-FOOD Project Summit 2025 Report

 February 4-5, 2025 | Dublin, Ireland

The ICT-AGRI-FOOD Project Summit 2025 took place on February 4-5, 2025, in Dublin, Ireland. The two-day physical event, hosted by Teagasc brought together over 50 participants, including researchers, scientists, institutional representatives and funders from the EU and beyond. 

The conference focused on discussing how we can drive sustainable, transparent, and technology-driven agri-food systems that mitigate climate impact and improve efficiency across the entire value chain. Providing a valuable platform for project teams to present their completed and ongoing projects and engage in discussions with experts and funding agencies.  

 

Day 1 Highlights  

The summit opened with insightful introductions from Elke Saggau (BLE), Johannes Pfeifer (BLE), and Niels Gøtke (DASHE), who set the stage for an engaging two-day event. The core objective? To foster connections among research groups working on ICT-AGRI-FOOD-funded projects, promote collaboration, and translate innovative research into real-world impact. 

Following the introduction, Raymond Kelly (TEAGASC) introduced the status of the summit for the first day which was structured into two main sessions. The first session featured projects from four different calls (2019 Cofunded Call, 2021 Joint Call, 2022 Joint Call, and 2024 Joint Call). Representatives from these project calls presented elevator pitches, followed by interactive discussions in breakout groups and a keynote speech. The second session focused on introducing the AgDATA partnership.

In the first session, fourteen projects were featured, covering the a range of topics aimed at advancing sustainable practices, enhancing food security, and addressing the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation in the agricultural sector.

Throughout the session, participants explored the adoption of ICT technology in enhancing sustainability, data-driven innovation for sustainability, greenhouse gas mitigation and circularity, multi -criteria assessment for agricultural production. These discussions highlighted the collaborative projects’ contribution to enhancing food security and addressing climate change challenges.  

Following the first session, Jonathan Herron from Teagasc delivered a keynote on AgNav: Accurate and Verifiable Data to Support On-Farm Decision-Making for Climate Action. He highlighted the critical role of reliable data in empowering farmers to make sustainable choices. AgNav utilises digital tools to improve farm management, minimize environmental impact, and promote climate-smart practices. Designed specifically for Irish farmers, AgNav illustrates how data-driven solutions can enhance sustainability efforts in agriculture.

During the seminars, all projects had the opportunity to provide other participants insights into methodologies, results, impacts, challenges and future activities.

The second session featured an insightful session on the upcoming AgDATA Partnership, and it was introduced by Niels Gøtke (DASHE) and Johannes Pfeifer (BLE). The initiative aims to enhance agricultural sustainability by integrating Earth Observation (EO) data, environmental and agricultural datasets, and advanced digital technologies. The partnership aligns with Europe's digital and green transitions, offering robust tools for policy monitoring and evaluation.

The day concluded with a meet-and-greet dinner, fostering collaboration and networking among participants. 

 

Day 2 Highlights

The second day of the summit maintained the momentum with interactive sessions featuring national and transatlantic projects from the 2019 Cofunded Call, 2022 Joint Call, and 2024 Joint Call. Eight projects presented their work, combining elevator pitches with in-depth breakout discussions. These projects showcased innovative ICT tools, such as sensors, robotics, artificial intelligence, and data-sharing platforms, all aimed at enhancing sustainable agricultural management.

During the project presentation, Conor Fitzpatrick from Teagasc delivered a compelling presentation on VistaMilk and the System of Systems Approach. He explained how VistaMilk is revolutionising dairy farming through its Acquire, Analyse, and Act framework, which optimizes farm operations, enhances food security, and reduces environmental impact. By identifying critical gaps, VistaMilk supports policymakers and farmers in creating more sustainable food systems.

In conclusion, the ICT-AGRI-FOOD Project Summit 2025 fostered insightful discussions, new collaborations, and a shared vision for sustainable agriculture, reinforcing the role of technology in addressing agricultural and environmental challenges. Special thanks go to the event hosts, Raymond Kelly, Evelyn Zuniga-Soto, and Philomena Haughney, for their exceptional coordination. The ideas and partnerships formed at the summit will play a crucial role in shaping the future of sustainable agriculture.

Speakers and Projects in Day 1  

  • Laura Boyle : TailBiteAdvice
  • Claus Sorensen : LivestockSense
  • Dimitrios Argyropoulos : Mushnomics
  • Abdul M Mouazen : ADDFerti
  • Bruce Osborne : ReLive
  • Aleksejs Zacepins: TOP4HoneyChains
  • Lorraine Balaine : DairyMix
  • Claus Sorensen : ET4D
  • Dimitrios Paraforos : OENOTRACE
  • Angelo Ugenti : STAR
  • Brian Lee : CAgriLab
  • Ibrahim Khalil : Holoseu
  • Viktorija Zagorska : Healthytomato
  • Fabian Frick : Inspire

 

Speakers and Projects in Day 2  

  • Brendan O’Flynn : Haly.ID
  • Abdul M Mouazen : POSHMYCO
  • Dimitrios Argyropoulos : STAR
  • Claudio Carnevale : APP4FARM
  • Koen Uyttenhove : SusPot
  • Meryem İpek : AI-CROPBREED
  • Álvaro Fernández Solas : DIGI-GROW
  • Sjouke Van Poucke : SENSOR-PP

 

More about the conference:

Collaborating Partners:

  • Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), Germany
  • Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism (BMLRT), Austria
  • Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO), Belgium
  • Flanders Innovation and Entrepreneurship / Hermes Funds (VLAIO), Belgium
  • Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), Belgium
  • Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF), Bulgaria
  • Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Higher Education (DASHE), Denmark
  • Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Danish AgriFish Agency (DAFA), Denmark
  • Ministry of Rural Affairs (MEM), Estonia
  •  Estonia Reseach Council (ETAg), Estonia
  • Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MMM), Finland
  • The French National Research Agency (ANR), France
  • Region Bretagne (CRB), France
  • Research Centre Juelich (Juelich), Germany
  • Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany
  • Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), Germany
  • Greek Research & Technology Network SA (GRNET), Greece
  • The General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRT), Greece
  • National Research, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH), Hungary
  • Ministry of Agriculture (AM), Hungary
  • Agriculture and Food Development Authority (Teagasc), Ireland
  • Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM), Ireland
  • National Technological Innovation Authority (InnoAuth), Israël
  • Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry and Tourism Policies (MIPAAF), Italy
  • State Education Development Agency (VIAA), Latvia
  • Research Council of Norway (RCN), Norway
  • National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR), Poland
  • Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI), Romania
  • Corporacion Tecnologica de Andalucia (FCTA), Spain
  • The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS), Sweden
  • Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG), Switzeland
  • Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (MIN LNV), The Netherlands
  • The General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM), Turkey
  • The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Turkey