On the 15th & 16th of December, 2022, the Kick-Off Meeting of #DigiAgriFood, the first European Digital Innovation Hub in the Hellenic agri-food sector, took place in Xanthi.
During the Kick-Off Meeting, the representatives of the partners of the scheme had the opportunity: a) to present the scope of action of their organizations and the solutions they can offer in order to facilitate the digital and green transformation, b) to discuss planning and management issues of the actions and deliverables of the project and c) to become aware of the corporate identity of #DigiAgriFood.
The #DigiAgriFood hub has been approved by the European Committee along with 135 other hubs, it is part of the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) network and it is funded by the “Digital Europe 2021-2027” programme.
The Lead Partner of the project is Democritus University of Thrace. The hub’s consortium consists of 5 more partners: the Region of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace, the University of Thessaly, the Institute of Bioeconomy and Agrotechnology (iBO) by the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), the Perrotis College of Agriculture, Environment & Life Sciences by the American Farm School (AFS) and the company ena Development Consultants.
The main objective of the #DigiAgriFood hub is the facilitation of the digital and green transformation of the entire spectrum of the agri-food value chain with direct benefits for citizens, SMEs and the public sector in the regions of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Central Macedonia, Western Macedonia, Epirus and Thessaly. To achieve the aforementioned objective, the hub will take advantage of its specialization in Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Digital Skills and High Performance Computing Technologies.
The Project Coordinator, Maria Michalopoulou, Vice Rector of Research and LifeLong Learning of the Democritus University of Thrace, welcomed the project partners’ representatives at the Kick-Off Meeting that took place in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering on the university campus.
A welcome address was also given by Konstantinos Kourtidis, Vice Governor of Xanthi Prefecture, who referred to the importance and benefits of the #DigiAgriFood hub in the agri-food sector.
During the two-day meeting, the representatives of the 6 partners of #DigiAgriFood tasted local and traditional products, enjoyed a guided tour of the Old Town and the Folklore Museum of Xanthi and dined at a well-known restaurant in the city.
The Democritus University of Thrace wants to thank the #DigiAgriFood partners’ representatives for their valuable contribution to the Kick-Off Meeting and everyone involved in organizing this event.
The actual implementation of the project begins in the forthcoming period, with the creation of the information, training and testing spots of the hub where end-users can get in touch with the services of the hub.
Komotini, 19/12/2022
