RTO Lithuania, in partnership with Photonics Bretagne and the European Technology Platform Photonics21, successfully co-hosted the “Cross-regional Collaboration Workshop in the Agrifood/Agriculture sector” on March 20, 2025. The event brought together stakeholders from agriculture and photonics sectors across multiple European regions (including France, Italy, Poland, and Lithuania) to foster innovative collaborations and develop strategic R&D initiatives.
The workshop was designed to identify common regional challenges in agriculture and agrifood sectors while exploring how photonics technologies could address these challenges through cross-regional collaboration. Dr. Linas Eriksonas from RTO Lithuania and Dr. David Méchin from Photonics Bretagne led the event, which featured presentations from agricultural clusters and photonics technology providers.
“This collaborative event aimed to spark innovative ideas and co-create strategic plans for R&D cooperation between regions in one of our most critical sectors – Agriculture & Agrifood,” said Eriksonas. “By bringing together experts from both domains, we create a win-win opportunity to match technological capabilities with real-world agricultural challenges that are relevant to all of us.”
The workshop featured presentations from several key organizations:
Agriculture/Agrifood Clusters:
- Vegepolys Valley (France) – a national cluster with over 600 members focused on the plant sector
- Agrobio Cluster coordinated by UNIMOS (Poland) – representing 73 members across the agri-food value chain
- Coldiretti, a major farmers’ organisation in Italy
Photonics Technology Providers:
- Photonics Bretagne (France) – offering expertise in spectroscopy, imaging, and lidar technologies
- PPTF (Polish Technological Platform on Photonics) – specializing in photonics and microelectronics
- RTO Lithuania – bringing together national RTOs, including the Center for Physical Sciences (FTMC)
During the interactive brainstorming session, participants identified several key agricultural challenges where photonics technologies could provide innovative solutions:
- Crop Monitoring and Management
- Growth monitoring and plant nutrition assessment
- Precision agriculture technologies for optimized fertilizer use
- Water quality monitoring and improved water use efficiency
- Quality Control and Food Safety
- Quality assessment of fresh products
- Detection of food fraud
- Improved traceability systems for consumer awareness
- Disease and Pest Management
- Early detection of plant diseases and pests
- Automated inspection and control systems
The discussions highlighted the potential of various photonics technologies, including spectroscopy, fluorescence imaging, multi/hyperspectral technologies, and laser applications in addressing these agricultural challenges. The workshop established a clear roadmap for future collaboration that will result in the Strategic Plans to be presented to regional authorities by mid-June 2025, potentially leading to funded cross-regional initiatives.