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“. Mr. Christodoulos Antoniadis. 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, Mr. Avgenakis. 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. Mrs. Rosa Gargalakou. 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. Mrs. Elli Tsiforou. 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. 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 Advisor of NEUROPUBLIC. 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 benefits of gaiasense in the SKAI Eco News TV broadcast On Tuesday, 28 November 2023, a special report on the gaiasense system was made on SKAI TV station and on the Eco News show presented by Korina Georgiou. Specifically, the show, which focuses on issues related to the environment and the planet for a more sustainable future, hosted the CEO of AROSIS S.A., Tryfon Fotiadis, who spoke about smart farming and its application in the crops of the company’s production and standardization of legumes based in Kastoria. The company AROSSIS S.A. applies NEUROPUBLIC’s gaiasense smart farming system in its farms in order to save resources, increase the quantity and quality of its production and reduce the impact of farming on the environment and climate. In fact, Mr. Fotiadis made reference to the benefits for producers thanks to the technology and its applications, with particular emphasis on the sustainability of farms in terms of a circular economy. “We combine the vast experience of our growers with modern farming methods. This means that we install stations in fields, which give information directly to the mobile phone of both the company’s agronomists and the grower about when to water, what ingredients are missing in the soil and what to give them,” explained Mr. Fotiadis, to conclude that “nature must want to give you its best crop and the way to challenge it to do so is to be an ally. You are an ally when you use traditional farming with the new ways of smart farming and the circular economy.” You can watch the special feature of the show, below: https://www.skaitv.gr/episode/enimerosi/eco-news-by-dei/2023-11-28-20
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.
Sustainable development of the national cotton sector through smart farming: Workshop on the future of the sector The technological developments that are coming at the service of the primary sector, as well as the benefits of smart farming especially for cotton production, were presented and discussed during a workshop on “Sustainable development of the national cotton sector: the contribution of smart farming” held on Wednesday, 31 May 2023. The meeting was co-organized by NEUROPUBLIC and GAIA EPICHEIREIN at the newly built gaiasense HUB building in Piraeus, in cooperation with the President Antonis Siarkos and the members of the Panhellenic Union of Cotton Ginners and Exporters (PUCGE). On the part of PUCGE, the meeting was attended not only by the President, Mr. Siarkos, but also by the Vice President of the Association, Mr. Prodromos Ousultzoglou and Mr. Euripides Dontas, Mr. Nikolaos and Charalambos Karagiorgos, Mr. Stamataios Kouroudis, Ms. Maria Pavlidou, Mr. Vasilios Petsas, Mr. Vasilios Polychronos, Mr. Klearhos Sarantidis and Mr. Georgios Siarkos. The delegation of PUCGE initially met with the Board of Directors and the President of NEUROPUBLIC, Mr. Christodoulos Antoniadis and toured the company’s facilities in Piraeus, where they saw the excellent technological infrastructure and asked relevant questions to the specialized executives. Afterwards, the members of PUCGE visited the ultra-modern gaiasense HUB, the second privately owned building of NEUROPUBLIC, where they were welcomed by the CEO of GAIA EPICHEIREIN, Elli Tsiforou. This was followed by a tour of the fully automated production line, the warehouse and NEUROPUBLIC’s second data center, while they were given the opportunity to talk to the agronomists of the integrated, innovative gaiasense by NEUROPUBLIC smart farming system and learn about the advanced technologies supported by the HUB. Opening the meeting, President Antoniadis stressed that “the sustainable development of Greek agriculture is equivalent to the development of ambitious and visionary sectoral strategies, especially for sectors of national importance and significant export profile such as cotton. Technological innovation provides a guarantee of sustainability and a passport to the future development of the sector for the benefit of all: producers, ginners and the national economy”. Shortly afterwards, Ms. Tsiforou took the floor, and spoke about the “Political and institutional framework for the sustainable development of the cotton sector”, noting that “the European Green Deal sets the tone for the way we will produce in the EU in the coming decades, with important legislative initiatives outside the CAP framework shaping the new, green and digital profile of European and Greek agriculture”. Mr. Ioannis Mavroudis, founding member and Executive Director of NEUROPUBLIC, explained that the application of the gaiasense smart agriculture system has already significantly helped cotton farmers to reduce production costs and the environmental footprint of the production process. “Effective fertilization, utilization of irrigation needs and targeted spraying, i.e. rational use of inputs, lead not only to the production of higher quality products but also to lower carbon footprint,” said Mr. Mavroudis, to conclude that “NEUROPUBLIC provides new digital tools that promote pro-environmental standards in cotton.” In particular, to date, gaiasense has been applied to 28.490 hectares of cotton in 6 regions of the country and has proven to help reduce up to 14% in irrigation water costs per hectare and up to 28% in crop protection costs by avoiding unnecessary spraying. In addition, it can reduce fertilization costs by up to 33% per hectare. A path is therefore opening up for a sustainable digital passport for cotton products with high added value for all stakeholders in the sector. The workshop concluded with statements by representatives of the Union and a discussion on the need to formulate a sectoral strategy in relation to the digital transition of the cotton sector, a bet for the sustainable future development of our national product.