SmartAgriHubs is an EU project worth EUR 20 million under the Horizon 2020 instrument, bringing together a consortium of over 164 partners in the European agri-food sector.
The project aims to accelerate the digital transformation of the European agri-food sector. The project strengthens, activates and expands the current ecosystem by creating a network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) that stimulate the absorption of digital solutions by the agricultural sector. The project aims to integrate technological and business support as part of a one-stop-shop approach covering all regions and all relevant actors in Europe. The heart of the project is 28 flagship innovation experiments demonstrating digital innovation in agriculture, supported by DIH from 9 regional clusters, including from all European Member States.
At the same time, SmartAgriHubs improves the maturity of DIH’s innovative services so that digital innovations are replicated throughout Europe and widely used by European farmers. A multifactorial approach focused on user acceptability, stakeholder engagement and sustainable business models increases the level of technological and market readiness and brings users to a higher level of customization. This effect is strengthened thanks to the synergy effects between SmartAgriHubs and RIS3, because SmartAgriHubs cooperate with European regions to maximize the return on European investments, including regional structural funds as well as private capital.
Open calls with a total budget of ± 6 million EUR allow the network to be expanded and ensure that the technological development and emerging challenges of the agri-food sector are included in the portfolio of DIH services. The integrative structure and ambitious goals of SmartAgriHubs aim to unite the entire European ecosystem, “connecting points” to ensure Europe’s global leadership in the AgTech market.
The project is implemented by a scientific and industrial consortium of 164 partners, including: Wageningen Research, Poznan Supercomputing and Networking Center, Wielkopolska Agriculture Advisory Center, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Łukasiewicz Research Network – Industrial Institute of Agricultural Engineering, and others.
