Tag: NEUROPUBLIC

NEUROPUBLIC to Boost Sustainable Avocado Farming in the Farmtopia Project

The EU project Farmtopia, running from 2023 to 2026, aims to make digital technologies accessible to all, including small- and medium-sized farmers.

To transform farming practices across Europe, Farmtopia addresses the underdeveloped existing Agricultural Digital Solutions (ADSs), while also spotlighting regionally important crops, through 9 Sustainable Innovation Pilots. One of the Pilots happens to be tied to Greece, as NEUROPUBLIC, a pioneering ADS provider, which also coordinates the project, is set to launch activities that tackle sustainability and cost-effectiveness challenges of the organic avocado sector and could lead to a 15% reduction in water consumption and 10% reduction in production costs in the sector.

Path to a Solution for Small-Scale and Medium-Scale Farmers

Smaller farms are operating on fragmented land parcels with limited financial resources, leading organic avocado farming to face significant sustainability hurdles and high expenses. With an increasing demand for irrigation, there’s an urgent need to mitigate environmental impact and reduce input costs.

With the technological infrastructure ready and the challenges mapped, NEUROPUBLIC together with GAIA EPICHEIREIN, representing and engaging farmers in this Sustainable Innovation Pilot 1 (SIP1), aims to leverage the Farmtopia software modules to enhance the gaiasense Smart Farming solution. This enhancement will provide farmers with low-cost, high-quality advice on irrigation and fertilization, crucial for optimizing resource usage and maximizing yield potential.

The key components of SIP1’s strategy include establishing a regional-wide infrastructure of IoT weather stations installed in 7 different parcels, leveraging economies of scale to ensure accuracy in data collection. The strategy also includes combining various data types of different spatial and temporal analysis, as to provide farmers with precise insights, empowering them to make informed decisions. Finally, SIP1 will facilitate the controlled exchange of sensor recordings, farm advice, and regional data among farmer cooperatives, well-connected local agronomists, and food companies.

Vasilis Papaspiliou, Leader of SIP1 activities on behalf of NEUROPUBLIC in Farmtopia

By implementing its innovative solutions, SIP1 aims to achieve a 15% reduction in water consumption, a 10% reduction in fertilizer use, and a 10% reduction in production costs.

Farmtopia’s Open Call for Innovation in 2024

While 9 SIPs have been pre-selected, more will be chosen later, with the Farmtopia Open Call beginning this year. The forthcoming Open Call will facilitate the collaborative development and testing of intelligent solutions tailored for small farms by 9 newly established Sustainable Innovation Pilots (SIPs). These initiatives will leverage Farmtopia’s reusable software modules. A total funding of €900,000, amounting to €100,000 per SIP, will be allocated for this purpose.

EU Project Farmtopia: Cultivating Community

Farmtopia’s inclusive strategy will unite a wide array of stakeholders across the agricultural value chain, including farmers, ADS providers, farm advisors, scientists, policymakers, AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems) actors, and other essential contributors. Together, they will actively contribute to the project’s overarching mission.

The Farmtopia project (GA No.: 101083541) has received funding by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme. All the information is available on the project’s website, as well as Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and YouTube.

gaiasense at the 2nd Panhellenic Rice Congress

The 2nd Panhellenic Rice Congress, organized on Thursday, February 15, 2024 by the National Interprofessional Organization of Greek Rice (“N.I.O.O.R.EL.”) in Thessaloniki, was the ideal opportunity for NEUROPUBLIC’s gaiasense system to highlight the necessity and contribution of smart farming in the primary sector and, in particular, in Greek crop production.

Representatives of the political leadership, institutional bodies such as agricultural cooperatives and rice mills, as well as rice producers were present and discussed the developments and challenges facing rice cultivation, while highlighting key issues that concern Greek rice cultivation and rice processing, with the main aim of developing strategic choices for the product and highlighting its value.

In fact, Ioannis Mavroudis, NEUROPUBLIC’s Vice President and Executive Director, was at the Porto Palace Hotel and spoke about climate change and the challenges it creates, the road to sustainable agriculture, as well as the role of new technologies and, of course, smart farming and the development of the competitiveness of Greek rice in international markets.

“Smart farming is the application of advanced computing and data analysis technologies with the ultimate goal of optimizing and rationalizing the entire production system“, Mr. Mavroudis commented, and continued by saying that “the gaiasense smart farming system is a Greek innovation that combines computing technologies with agronomic science in a holistic way. Gaiasense is the largest smart farming infrastructure on a pan-European level, covering through a proprietary network of more than 500 telemetric stations in 27 different crops, an area of more than 2 million acres in 6 countries in Europe. It is a system that aims to transition agri-food into the digital future“, while he did not fail to further elaborate on gaiasense’s contribution to the environment and climate: “It guarantees their safety, confirming that the future of the agri-food sector goes hand in hand with technological development,” he explained.

“A necessary requirement for the implementation of all new technologies is the existence of agricultural advisors who will stand by the producers and will be able to exploit the potential of technological tools for their benefit. It is necessary to form in our country an integrated system of agricultural advisory services, with the incorporation of all the links in the value chain and knowledge of agricultural production, so that the Greek producer can be competitive in the global market and ensure its economic and social sustainability, ” Mr. Mavroudis concluded.

Event for Greek agriculture by GAIA EPICHEIREIN and NEUROPUBLIC

The prospects of Greek agriculture, as well as the national actions in relation to the CAP 2023-2027, were presented during the informative event entitled “The Common Agricultural Policy today and in the future: ecological and digital transformation for a sustainable Greek agriculture”, organized jointly by GAIA EPICHEIREIN and NEUROPUBLIC on Friday 2 February 2024 in Thessaloniki.

George Stratakos, Secretary General of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, Minister of Rural Development and Food, Christodoulos Antoniadis, President of NEUROPUBLIC and Ioannis Mavroudis, Vice President – Executive Member and Executive Director of NEUROPUBLIC.

Representatives from the country’s political and business leadership, local authorities, the academic community and the agricultural world were present at The Met Hotel, with Mr. Christodoulos Antoniadis, President of NEUROPUBLIC, opening the evening, welcoming the attendees to Thessaloniki and to “this important event co-organized by GAIA EPICHEIREIN and NEUROPUBLIC for an issue that is topical and of great importance for our country“, he also stressed that “it is well known that the two companies have been playing a leading role for several years in informing and supporting producers and their collective schemes, while leading the development of agrifood“.

Then, the President of GAIA EPICHEIREIN, Mr. Christos Avgoulas, who, among other things, said that one can make significant criticisms of the CAP, but cannot overlook the fact that “it is a valuable toolbox for the support and development of the sector which should not be rejected outright when conditions are difficult, but we should make every effort first of all to make the best use of it at national level, but also to seek to improve it together with our EU partners for the benefit of the sustainability of the farmer and the countryside“.

The Minister of Rural Development and Food, Mr. Lefteris Avgenakis, who delivered the main speech of the event, referred to the current agricultural news and in particular to the issues of the mobilizations.

“We understand the anxiety and insecurity of farmers with the data we have. The climate crisis has taken over and the phenomena are not over with the disasters in Thessaly. We have to work wisely and with a perspective for the next period,” he argued, and referred to the aid package announced by the Prime Minister.

In his final remarks, the Minister spoke about the prospects opened up by the establishment of agricultural departments in the Chambers of Commerce and also the actions undertaken by our country for cooperation with the countries of the South (EUMED-9) on issues related to climate change in the primary sector.

Rosa Gargalakou, CEO of NEUROPUBLIC, in her turn, spoke about the digital transformation of the agricultural sector, which “is a one-way street and we have been serving it as a company for more than a decade”.

“The new CAP clearly recognises the introduction of digital technologies as the most important tool for the transition to an agriculture that is sustainable for the environment but also economically viable for the farmers who practice it. In this direction, digitalisation is a horizontal objective of the CAP, i.e. an objective that serves all the others,” she said.

“The crucial question that is being asked globally is not whether ” digitalisation can be implemented ” but whether and how the huge inequalities it can create at the expense of those unable to keep up with its dizzying pace can be addressed. We have no more time to waste,” Ms Gargalakou stressed, to conclude: “In this direction, the country’s decision to invest in the creation of a national public infrastructure for the collection and processing of data for agricultural use is more than promising and is bound to contribute decisively to the widespread use of new technologies in the field.”

Mr Paolo de Castro, Member of the European Parliament, former Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development of the European Parliament, former Minister of Agriculture of Italy.

Ms Catherine Geslain-Lannéelle, Director of Strategy & Policy Analysis at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture & Rural Development.

Mr. Paolo de Castro, Member of the European Parliament, former President of the Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development of the European Parliament, former Minister of Agriculture of Italy, Ms. Catherine Geslain-Lannéelle, Director of Strategy & Policy Analysis of the Directorate-General for Agriculture & Rural Development of the European Commission, and Mr. Giorgos Katsoulis, President of the Association of Agricultural and Cooperative Organizations and Enterprises of Greece (SASOEE) took the floor.

The first part of the event was completed with conclusions by Mrs. Elli Tsiforou, Managing Director of GAIA EPICHEIREIN, who emphasized that “there should be an end to the tension, the polarization between the economic and environmental/climatic dimensions of agricultural activity and the corresponding objectives of the Green Deal of the CAP. The golden mean between economy and environment-climate must be found”.

The evening ended with a seated dinner where the attendees had the opportunity to enjoy a fine, specially designed menu with products from producers and businesses that apply the principles of smart farming and, in particular, the advice of NEUROPUBLIC’s innovative gaiasense system.

Specifically, potatoes from the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Messinia, tomato products from D. Nomikos S.A., green olives from Chalkidiki from G. Mylonopoulos & Co., cheeses from Moschos Farm, legumes from the company Arossis, beef from the Agricultural Cooperative of Kastoria, kiwifruit from the Agricultural Cooperative “Neos Aliakmon” and oranges from the company Anyfion Greece S.A. In all the preparations, olive oil from the company Terra Creta was used, while the dinner was accompanied by wine from the winery Kir Yianni Estate.

The President of NEUROPUBLIC, Mr. Christodoulos Antoniadis with the MEP Mr. Nikos Papandreou.

The CEO of NEUROPUBLIC, Rosa Gargalakou with the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis.

Mr. Yannis Boutaris, former Mayor of Thessaloniki, also welcomed the participants.

Mr. George Katsoulis, President of the Association of Agricultural and Cooperative Organizations and Enterprises of Greece (SASOEE).

The event was attended by, among others, the Members of the Southwestern Parliament Mr. Stavros Kalafatis and Fanis Pappas, the MEP PASOK-KINAL, Mr. Nikos Papandreou, the Secretary General of Rural Development and Food, Mr. George Stratakos, the former Mayor of Thessaloniki, Mr. Yannis Boutaris, the interim President of OPEKEPE, Mr. Kyriakos Babasidis, the President of Geot.E.E., Mr. Menelaos Gardikiotis, the President of the Interprofessional Organization of Cotton, Mr. Efthymis Fotinos, the President of the Interprofessional Organization of Meat, Mr. Yannis Fassoulas, the Team Leader for Digitisation from DG Agriculture EU, Ms Evangelia Mourmoura, the former Member of the South-Western Parliament, Mr Kostas Kiltidis, the temporary Vice-Presidents of OPEKEPE, Mr. Eleftherios Zervos and Mr Kourdis Ioannis, the General Secretary of OPEKEPE, Mr Eleftherios Zervos and Mr. Kourdis Ioannis, the President of the European Commission, Mr. Kourdis, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Commission. Mr. Eleftherios Zervier and Mr. Kierkerios, Mr. Alkiviadis Alexandrou, General Manager of Agricultural Banking of Piraeus Bank, representatives of the LATSCO Family Office, who hold a minority share in the share capital of NEUROPUBLIC, representatives of large agronomic offices and Presidents of Agricultural Cooperatives – shareholders of GAIA EPICHEIREIN from all over the country, and many others.

The Municipality of Thessaloniki was represented by the Deputy Mayor of Entrepreneurship & Citizen Service, Mr. Pantelis Kazantzidis, who addressed the attendees.

gaiasense at the 30th Agrotica International Fair

The 30th International Exhibition of Agricultural Machinery, Equipment and Supplies, Agrotica, which welcomed more than 150,000 visitors from 1 to 4 February at the Helexpo International Exhibition Centre in Thessaloniki, was the focal point of the agricultural world from all over the country and the wider Balkan region.

Focusing on digitalisation, innovation and high technology in agricultural production, this year’s Agrotica once again emphatically set the dominant priorities of the primary sector at an international level.

Of course, NEUROPUBLIC, the company that leads the developments in agriculture and, in particular, the in green and digital transformation of the agricultural sector, could not be absent from the event. In fact, the Piraeus-based technology and IT company was at Agrotica with its own booth where it presented all its latest innovations, as well as the technological “tools” it has developed to help farmers improve and rationalize their production.

The complete solution for the effective treatment of olive tree fruit fly has the signature of NEUROPUBLIC.

In detail, the people who passed through the gates of this year’s Agrotica had the opportunity to discuss with NEUROPUBLIC representatives how they can improve their agricultural production and see for themselves:

gaiaTRAP, the most comprehensive solution for the effective control of olive fruit fly, which is based on the latest technology of electronic lace traps and an electronic platform, using AI (Artificial Intelligence) developed in collaboration with the Smart Sension technoblast of the Ionian University,
the new functionalities of the gaiasense mobile app and, in particular, the fertilization advice and the nutrient balance that help the producer to calculate the nutrient needs of his crop, get personalised advice and benefit from the aid of the Ecological Programmes,
the capabilities of the Smart Weather by gaiasense platform, which offers a 5-day weather forecast throughout Greece, as well as 24-hour historical data from the 400 agro-meteorological stations of the gaiasense network.

At the same time, the programme did not lack events. Thus, NEUROPUBLIC, in cooperation with GAIA EPIXEIREIN, organized on Friday, February 2, a working dinner entitled “The Common Agricultural Policy today and in the future: ecological and digital transformation for a sustainable Greek agriculture” and the presence of selected representatives of the political, academic, business and agricultural world.

Specifically, the main speech at the event was delivered by the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis, while the following participated with their statements. Christodoulos Antoniadis, President of NEUROPUBLIC, Christos Avgoulas, President of GAIA EPICHREIN, Rosa Gargalakou, CEO of NEUROPUBLIC, Paolo de Castro, Member of the European Parliament, former Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development of the European Parliament, Catherine Geslain-Lannéelle, Director of Strategy & Policy Analysis of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture & Rural Development, George Katsoulis, President of the Association of Agricultural and Cooperative Organisations and Enterprises of Greece (SASOEE), and Elli Tsiforou, CEO of GAIA EPIXEIREIN.

Companies from the entire spectrum of agricultural production and technology, a multitude of associations, organizations and institutions, as well as educational foundations and ordinary farmers came to the 30th Agrotica to bring to the fore all the critical issues of Greek agriculture and the dynamics of the primary sector, while not failing to highlight the products, services, innovations and technology that change the “face” of agri-food.

AGROTICA 2024: gaiasense will be dynamically present

Once again, the eyes of the agri-food sector will be on Thessaloniki and the 30th Agrotica International Fair between 1-4 February 2024. And not without reason, as for four days, the entire spectrum of agribusiness will meet at the Helexpo International Exhibition Centre and the benchmark exhibition for the agricultural sector in the Balkans and South East Europe.

NEUROPUBLIC, the leading company in the green and digital transformation of agricultural production, which last year celebrated 20 years of successful and creative progress and is now preparing for even more dynamic and decisive steps forward, will also be present at the internationally renowned event.

At its specially designed booth at Stand 28, Booth 2 (floor), all its advanced services and applications will be presented, while experienced company representatives will be there to introduce visitors to the innovative products developed by NEUROPUBLIC and discuss with them the modern challenges of the primary sector.

In detail, the new upgraded features of the gaiasense app for mobile phones will be presented and, more specifically, the Nutrition Advice and Nutrient Balance that help the producer to calculate the nutrient needs of his crop, to receive personalized nutrition advice and to benefit financially from the support of the Ecological Programmes.

At the same time, those who pass by the company’s stand will have the opportunity to discover the capabilities of the Smart Weather by gaiasense platform, which offers a 5-day weather forecast throughout Greece, as well as 24-hour historical data from the 400+ agro-meteorological stations of the gaiasense network – the largest in the country.

George Papadimas, Commercial Director of NEUROPUBLIC commented: ‘The primary sector is one of the main pillars of the Greek economy, given the need at international level to ensure food sufficiency and security. Our aim is for Greek producers to make use of our tools and services in order to exploit their crops more efficiently and effectively, thus enhancing their outward orientation and reducing their environmental footprint.”

Hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over Greece and abroad are expected to pass through the gates of Agrotica, while numerous trade missions from the Balkans, Europe and the Middle East have confirmed their presence.

The gaiasense app in the list of the most popular mobile apps

Just before the end of this anniversary year, NEUROPUBLIC has another reason to celebrate. After the latest successes achieved by undertaking important public interest projects in the agri-food sector, as well as the recent conclusion of dynamic partnerships, the IT and Technology company with its 20-year creative path and headquarters in Piraeus, proves that high expertise, passion and dedication to innovation are rewarded.

This time, the recognition comes from the users of its own products and services, who highlighted the innovative smartphone app, gaiasense app, among the top public choices in both the Apple App Store and the Play Store for Android smartphones.

In fact, the gaiasense app, which brings the future of agricultural production into the hands of the farmer and allows him to earn more with less, is currently among the top 35 apps for iOS phones, ranking 31st, and among the top 10 apps for Android devices, ranking 9th!

NEUROPUBLIC’s gaiasense app helps to improve the quality and quantity of agricultural production, reduce the use of pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation water, reducing the impact of the production process on natural resources and climate, and – last but not least – the cost of production. At the same time, it helps to effectively address the risks that threaten production, ensures its stability and adds value to agricultural products, enhancing their safety, quality and negative carbon footprint.

Thanks to all these features, the gaiasense app is a valuable ally for the farmer’s support under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027, supporting producers who implement environmentally and climate-friendly practices.

TIF 2023: Innovation, digitalization and smart farming on the agenda of NEUROPUBLIC

Under the shadow of the recent adverse weather that had an incalculable cost on lives and property, the 87th Thessaloniki International Fair was took place; the country’s largest international exhibition event that reflects the status and trends of domestic and international business. As a result, this year’s event was held in low tones.

The NEUROPUBLIC booth at the Trade Gate of TIF 2023.

Nevertheless, more than 123,000 visitors passed through the gates of the HELEXPO Exhibition Centre in Thessaloniki from 9 to 17 September, in the annual meeting of the largest Greek companies to present the market’s new proposals on technology, innovation, environmental protection, energy, education and e-government, reflecting the country’s current socio-economic reality.

The stand of NEUROPUBLIC, the dynamic Piraeus-based Technology & Information Technology company, was a pole of attraction for those visitors who wanted to see the company’s innovative proposals for agri-food, business and the wider public sector.

The NEUROPUBLIC stand at the Trade Gate of TIF 2023.

The Daniel storm tragically underlined the need for significant changes in both civil protection and agricultural production, areas in which NEUROPUBLIC is leading the way with its gaiasense smart farming system and the agro-meteorological stations it has installed throughout the country – the most extensive network in Greece. Thus, gaiasense was in the spotlight as the most comprehensive and reliable solution for the urgent upgrade and transformation of agri-food, public and local government.

At the same time, the TIF was also an opportunity for the first presentation of the Smart Weather by gaiasense weather forecasting platform that leverages the gaiasense network of stations to provide accurate and timely information on weather conditions in the country.

The agrometeorological station of the gaiasense system at the NEUROPUBLIC stand at the “Smart City” pavilion of the Ministry of Digital Governance

At the same time, NEUROPUBLIC’s participation at Booth 12, in the “Smart City” organized by the Ministry of Digital Governance, an initiative that attracted the intense interest of a significant number of visitors from a wide range of stakeholders, was also significant. In fact, the NEUROPUBLIC booth where a fully functional agrometeorological station gaiasense was set up highlighted the potential of the services that the company provides to the farmer and the citizen.

The Minister of Digital Governance, Mr. Dimitris Papastergiou visited the NEUROPUBLIC stand and spoke with the company’s Marketing Director, Mr. Ioannis Michailidis, about the role of technology in the face of the great challenges of our times.

Concluding this year’s event, NEUROPUBLIC renewed its appointment with TIF 2024, proving that after 20 years of presence in the technological scene of Greece, it aims to continue to be at the forefront of developments for its green and digital transformation.

The “Smart City” initiative of the Ministry of Digital Governance at Booth 12 of the Thessaloniki International Fair attracted the public’s interest

NEUROPUBLIC supports for once more the Panhellenic Congress for the Development of Greek Agriculture

The Panhellenic Congress for the Development of Greek Agriculture, organized for the 9th year by GAIA EPICHEIREIN, is in the finishing line, as the event-institution for the primary and wider agri-food sector of our country will take place on Monday, July 17, 2023 at the gaiasense HUB building in Piraeus, and will be broadcast online.

With the main theme “Greek agriculture towards 2030: winning the sustainability bet with the assistance of the CAP”, the 9th Congress will focus on strengthening the sustainability and resilience of European and Greek agriculture in the face of the major challenges of climate change and geopolitical shocks, but also on the need to produce more – and better – with less through the green and digital transition of the production process.

The 2030 milestone is particularly important in this direction, as it is a deadline for achieving the targets set by the farm-to-table and biodiversity strategies, as well as the EU’s climate target to reduce emissions within its borders by at least 55% compared to 1990 levels. Legislation serving these ambitious objectives, some of which is already underway, is foreseen to be gradually integrated into the CAP National Strategic Plans, radically changing the production profile of European and Greek agriculture.

In this context, the 9th Congress will be the starting point for an in-depth debate on the current global, EU and national climate-related challenges affecting the agricultural sector, the relevant CAP instruments, as well as national strategic options and best practices from EU Member States.

Ally, as always, in the effort for correct and responsible information of farmers, NEUROPUBLIC supports again the most important event for the information of the agricultural world and the promotion of dialogue for its future. Thus, the company is again this year a major sponsor of the 9th Panhellenic Congress for the Development of Greek Agriculture.

In fact, NEUROPUBLIC’s Executive Director, Ioannis Mavroudis, will speak on innovative consulting services for the green and digital transition of the agri-food sector. At the “heart” of his speech will be, of course, the gaiasense smart farming system that brings high technology to every field and helps farmers to improve their production both quantitatively and qualitatively, reduce environmental impact and, ultimately, create added value in their products.

The Panhellenic Congress for the Development of Greek Agriculture will also be broadcast live via a digital platform, which you can register for free using the following link: 9th Panhellenic Congress for the Development of Greek Agriculture (eventora.com)