Next Generation Training on Intelligent Greenhouses (NEGHTRA) is a specialized training project that addresses knowledge transfer in precision agriculture focusing on specific needs and challenges, identified from a comprehensive need analysis. It aims to provide innovative training on smart greenhouse technologies coupled with selected optimum matchings of technologies/cultivations with regions including conditions for economic and environmental sustainability.NEGHTRA aims at the development of an adaptable and flexible lifelong learning system, ensuring high quality and efficient teaching. It aspires the delivery of knowledge to young farmers of how innovation, entrepreneurship and technology utilization can benefit their businesses, personal skills and competence development.The target groups are a) HEIs and RIs which will update the training curricula portfolio, b) agricultural intermediaries that provide counseling and training to the farming communities and c) the farming community of the participating countries and beyond.The project will be implemented by a comprehensive consortium of 5 HEIs, 4 specialized SMEs, and 7 intermediaries, each contributing from its collective expertise and dissemination capacity, in seven languages. This will be complimented by 5 Associate Partners with direct access to existing and potential farming communities. The training material will be broadly accessible, promoted by virtual reality tools, instructional videos, e-platform training delivery, presentations of best practices, etc. The training will be delivered to two distinct groups: a) 1st tier learners including staff/researchers of HEIs/RIs, intermediary staff and trainers, local stakeholders, regional authorities engaged in agricultural development and b) 2nd tier learners including farmers of any size and type of cultivation.The project contributes to higher growing efficiency and greater economic potential in view of environmental challenges.

SMARTPROTECT is a thematic network focusing on cross regional knowledge sharing of SMART IPM solutions for farmers and advisors. The aim is to stimulate knowledge flow in the regional AKISs across the EU and connect these on the innovative potential of advanced methodologies for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in vegetable production, integrating precision farming technologies and data analytics. Through a well-balanced consortium and an emphasis on multi-actor approach the outcome of the project and exploitation of its results will stimulate an increased adaptation of IPM methodologies, taking the specific regional needs of farmers across Europe into account. The EU-wide concern for environmental sustainability and economic competitiveness for agriculture requires the entire agriculture sector to grow under IPM conditions. This project develops a basis for a common EU approach to collecting, sharing, managing and disseminating knowledge on IPM in order to maximise the knowledge flow. Farmers from different European regions will thus dispose of the latest knowledge, best practices and practical tools for the implementation of IPM in their daily practice in crops in open field and greenhouses. The project provides an e-platform for exchange on a variety of innovative IPM techniques. We will benchmark practices in the frame of their socio-economic and regulatory context, select those with a high innovation potential and disseminate them through participatory events including cross border exchange visits. Local and regional knowledge sharing will lead to interactive cross-regional seminars for farmers and advisors, resulting in a final SMARTPROTECT innovation rally. The project’s results will be deployed through a targeted communication and wide dissemination strategy, providing an online data sharing platform and close interaction with EU and national initiatives and projects, the National Rural Networks and the EIP-AGRI.

The Ploutos project focusses on rebalancing the value chain for the agri-food system, transforming it into one that works for the benefit of society and the environment. The project will develop a Sustainable Innovation Framework that follows a systemic approach to the agri-food sector, building on three pillars: Behavioural Innovation, Sustainable Collaborative Business Model Innovation and Data-driven Technology Innovation. Exploiting a history of significant agri-food projects and the respective ecosystems around these, the project will deploy 11 innovative systemic Sustainable Ιnnovation Pilots, where using a Multi-Actor Approach new innovative solutions and methodologies will be implemented, tested, assessed and derive practical lessons learned. The pilots cover a large range of agri-food ecosystems, across 13 countries, covering arable, horticulture (both open fields and greenhouses), perennials and dairy production among other. In each case, behaviour change, collaborative business modelling and data driven innovation will be integrated to deliver the most environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable solution. A Ploutos Innovation Academy will be established to as a vehicle for integrating the know-how, best practices and assessments developed across the project and derived from the Sustainable Innovation Pilots. Ploutos includes 33 partners, 23 of them being end-users, representing all relevant actors in the food system, including farmers, food industry companies, scientists, advisors, ICT specialists and policy makers.

SmartAgriHubs is dedicated to accelerate the digital transformation of the European agri-food sector. It will consolidate, activate and extend the current ecosystem by building a network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) that will boost the uptake of digital solutions by the farming sector. This will be achieved by integrating technology and business support in a local one-stop-shop approach involving all regions and all relevant players in Europe. The heart of the project is formed by 28 flagship innovation experiments demonstrating digital innovations in agriculture, facilitated by DIHs from 9 Regional Clusters including all European member states. Concurrently, SmartAgriHubs will improve the maturity of innovation services of DIHs so that digital innovations will be replicated across Europe and widely adopted by European farmers. A lean multi-actor approach focusing on user acceptability, stakeholder engagement and sustainable business models will boost technology and market readiness levels and bring user adoption to the next level. This will be enhanced by synergetic effects between SmartAgriHubs and RIS3, since SmartAgriHubs will work in lock step with European regions to maximize the return of European investments, including regional structural funds and private capital. Open Calls with a total budget of ±6 M€ will expand the network and ensure that technological developments and emerging challenges of the agri-food sector are incorporated in the DIH service portfolio. SmartAgriHubs’ inclusive structure and ambitious targets will bring the entire European ecosystem together, connecting the dots to ensure global leadership for Europe in the AgTech market. The consortium, led by Wageningen Research and other partners of previous key projects such as IoF2020, FIWARE, S3P Agri-Food and I4MS, will leverage the existing ecosystem and guarantee a maximum ROI for European taxpayers and a vital agri-food sector producing adequate and safe food for future generations.