On 25-26 November, Lleida is to host the 4th #DATAGRi2021 forum, the premier gathering in southern Europe on driving digital transformation in the agri-food industry. Agreement to host this major event was reached on 9 February with the organisers and endorsed yesterday afternoon by the Local Committee. The Eurecat technology centre is a member of the committee along with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food (DARP), Lleida Provincial Council, Lleida City Council, the University of Lleida (UdL), the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) and the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of Catalonia (FCAC), which together with the University of Cordoba’s School of Agricultural Engineering (ETSIAM) coordinates the committee.
The choice of Lleida as this year’s technology innovation capital is to a great extent down to its agri-food tradition. The purpose of hosting the conference is to enhance the city’s role as a knowledge hub and as a region underpinned by a green, circular and digitalised economy model.
Also instrumental in the choice has been the staunch engagement of all the regional and local authorities which have come together with the other organisations on the Local Committee to bring about a flagship conference as a platform to support partnership between agri-food and technology businesses.
Owing to the current healthcare situation, this international meeting will combine limited face-to-face sessions with online streaming. The first day, Forum Day, will feature plenary discussions, expert presentations and case studies. The second day, Farming Day, will enable companies and research centres to show attendees the application in a real-world setting of some of their most innovative solutions in areas including artificial intelligence, big data and satellite connections.
The Forum Day sessions will be held at La Llotja Conference Centre and the Farming Day ones mainly at the UdL’s Agri-Food, Forestry and Veterinary Campus and other venues around the IRTA’s experimental fields and stations.
The last #DATAGRI had a global audience of more than 5 million people, almost 1,800 registered attendees from 20 countries and 80 speakers.
The joint planners of the #DATAGRI congresses are Agrifood Cooperatives, the Farmers and Stockbreeders Organisations Coordinating Committee (COAG), technology firm Hispatec Analytics and the University of Cordoba’s School of Agricultural Engineering (ETSIAM) together with the host city’s local authorities and organisations.
