With great success and with the participation of leading institutional and business representatives from Greece and the European Union, the 11^the Conference on the Development of Greek Agriculture, organized by GAIA EPICHEIREIN on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 May, in the crowded Grand Pietra Hall of the Porto Palace Hotel in Thessaloniki.

This year’s Gaia CONGRESS was held with the central theme: “The power of collaboration as a catalyst for achieving sustainability goals” and of course gaiasense could not be missing from such a venture.

Cooperation between technology and traditional structures of the agricultural sector

More than 2,500 people active in the agri-food sector, both with a physical and online presence, participated in the work of the Conference, attending the presentations of about 40 distinguished speakers from Greece and the European Union. Their interventions highlighted, with particular emphasis, the need to strengthen cooperation between technology and traditional structures of the agricultural sector, as a fundamental factor for the formulation and adoption of innovative solutions. At the entrance of the hall, the delegates had the opportunity to see up close an agrometeorological station in a special showcase but also to learn more about how it works and what it can offer to the producer.

Rosa Gargalakou on the digital transition

«The future of Greek agriculture is being built now – and it inevitably passes through technological innovation.” With these words, the CEO of NEUROPUBLIC, Rosa Gargalakou, opened the 11th GAIA EPICHEIREIN Conference, sending a strong message about the need to accelerate the digital transformation in agricultural production. Speaking to an audience that included government officials, scientists, farmers and institutional bodies, Ms. Gargalakou stressed that technology is no longer an auxiliary means, but the very “core” of modern agriculture. As he characteristically said: “The next day does not wait. Digitization is not an option, it is a one-way street.”

The example of gaiasense

Looking back at the beginning of the effort, Ms. Gargalakou referred to the distant 2012, when “the first ‘seeds’ of smart farming were planted in Greece. Today, the gaiasense platform has over 100,000 users, offering technological tools that improve yields, reduce costs and enhance producer decision-making.” At the same time, she referred to the developments in telemetry stations, which from 2015 until today have passed through three technological generations, with the fourth already in the development phase. The new stations, energy autonomous and equipped with remotely controlled irrigation systems, promise even greater precision and convenience for producers.