On February 11th, participants of the EU Industry Days will have an exceptional possibility to learn more on the unique topic “AgriFood and Photonics: the synergy through cross-ecosystem collaboration”, which is initiated by the AgriFood Lithuania DIH and the Laser and Engineering Technology Cluster. It will be the official part of the European Commission’s annual European Industry Days, which brings together industry leaders and European policy makers to discuss the future of industrial policy and ways to meet the challenges.
“The invitation to organize one of the panels of the main Industry Days event in Brussels is a great European Commission’s appreciation of our work in Europe and Lithuania. Two years ago, the European Commission laid the foundations for an industrial strategy aimed at enabling the twin – green and digital – transition to increase the global competitiveness of EU industry, strengthen the continent’s strategic autonomy and achieve its ambitious environmental goals. The agri-food sector is one of 14 industrial ecosystems that play a crucial role in the ongoing transformation. We must not forget that the sustainability and efficiency of the food system cannot be ensured by green technologies alone, this requires combining greenery and digitalization, creating appropriate funding programs and promoting cross-sectoral cooperation,” said Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė, Director of the AgriFood Lithuania DIH, one of the most recognized sectoral digital innovation hubs in Europe and EIT Food Hub in Lithuania.
According to the organizers, the panel discussion will focus on involving the younger generation in the ongoing changes. In addition, the networking of different ecosystems, the importance of this in enabling twin transition solutions and the role of such synergies in increasing business resilience to crises will be discussed.
“Photonics or, in other words, everything related to the generation, manipulation or detection of light, is an integral part of the digitalization and the Green deal. Light-based solutions such as lasers, optical systems, advanced sensors and other detectors enable fast data collection and transmission and ensure the accuracy and efficiency of operations. In this way these solutions contribute to the competitiveness and efficiency of various different sectors, including agrifood. Although solutions based on photonics are already being developed to study the quality of food and water, for example, to identify damaged crops in the field in real time, only close cooperation between sectors will lead to impressive results and changes, ” said Kristina Ananičienė, Head of the Laser and Engineering Technologies Cluster.
The importance of the topic of synergies between the agrifood sector and photonics is confirmed by the impressive list of speakers who will take part in the panel discussion initiated by Lithuanians during the largest industry-oriented European Commission’s event of the year. Lithuanian Minister of the Environment Simonas Gentvilas will open the discussion with a welcome speech. In addition to the organizers of the panel Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė and Kristina Ananičienė, the discussion will be participated by “Pan-European DIH”: “PhotonHUB Europe” coordinator prof. dr. ir. Hugo Thienpont, “Pôle OPTITEC” Director of EU and International Affairs Ziga Valic, Director of Business Development at EIT Food Benoit Buntinx, and President of the Lithuanian Cluster Network and Director of LitMEA Giedrius Bagušinskas.