4Growth took part in Synergy Days 2025 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on October 21st and 22nd. Organised as a hub for the European digital and data economy, the event brought together EU policymakers, researchers, SMEs, Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs), and technology providers to exchange ideas and strengthen synergies across EU-funded initiatives.
This years’ programme balanced strategic and practical content. Plenary sessions and policy discussions explored topics such as ecosystem building, data spaces, and sustainability, while workshops offered hands-on engagement with emerging tools and pilot projects.
The timing of the event was particularly important for 4Growth as it coincided with the launch of the 4Growth Visualisation Platform! A live demonstration of the current functionalities of the platform was given at the 4Growth booth, with multiple viewers interacting and commenting on the release of the new product. Valuable feedback was gathered on user experience and potential improvements that could be implemented for the next update to the platform, coming in early 2026.
4Growth was also represented at two workshops, the first being titled “Data Spaces in Practice: Perspectives for Scaled and Inclusive Innovation” and was co-hosted by Data4food2030, CEADS, 4Growth and ScaleAgData. This workshop explored the practical development and implementation of data spaces within digital agri-food ecosystems, focusing on how shared, interoperable data infrastructures can drive innovation, sustainability, and value creation across the sector.
The session addressed the technical foundations (including interoperability frameworks, standards, and architecture models), governance mechanisms (covering data ownership, access rights, and stewardship), economic models (incentives, business models, and sustainability), and scaling strategies (for replication and cross-sectoral integration).
The second workshop was titled “How to cross the valley of death in agrifood AI and robotics?” and was co-hosted by AgrifoodTEF and 4Growth. This workshop explored strategies for translating emerging AI and robotics innovations into market-ready products and services within the agri-food sector. It focused on bridging the gap between research and commercialisation, highlighting the opportunities and barriers faced by developers, investors, and end-users across the value chain.
On the second day of Synergy Days 2025, the 4Growth project took part in the Project Pitch session, delivering a concise three-minute presentation. The pitch highlighted the motivation driving the project — the urgent need to accelerate sustainable growth within the agri-food sector through digital innovation and data-driven collaboration. It emphasised how 4Growth seeks to bridge the gap between research and real-world application by supporting policy makers, technology developers, farmers and foresters in understanding the market and adopting advanced digital solutions that improve productivity.
Dáire Boyle (Evenflow) presenting 4Growth’s vision at the Synergy Days 25 project pitch session
Synergy Days 2025 succeeded in fostering genuine collaboration and dialogue between the different actors of the agri-food innovation ecosystem. Its focus on digitalisation, sustainability, and European cooperation resonated strongly with the current priorities of the sector. The event provided a valuable space not only to exchange ideas but also to identify tangible opportunities for future partnerships and research.
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