DIH AGRIFOOD
DIH AGRIFOOD is a non-formal, non-profit, free-membership, facilitation-based network managed by actors and stakeholders from the agrifood domain.
DIH AGRIFOOD - Digital Innovation Hub for Agriculture and Food production
Digital Innovation Hub - DIH AGRIFOOD is a »One-Stop-Shop«providing digital transformation services to organisations (farmers, farmer associations, food producers, food supply chain actors, and solution providers) through a Multi-Actor Approach (MAA) to provide safe, sustainable and quality food while considering economic, environmental and social aspects and implications of food production, delivery and consumption.
DIH AGRIFOOD Services
Awareness creation
Awareness creation about digital technologies and the digital transformation process is highly important for farmers, food producers, agricultural advisors and other stakeholders to better understand why and how new technologies and methodologies should be implemented and what their consequences are. Highlighting the benefits, threats and challenges of digital transformation is a key factor in farmers' and other actors' acceptance and mobilisation.
Innovation scouting & Technology Transfer
Identification and mapping of solution providers, on the one hand, and identification of needs and farmers/food producers, on the other hand, is one of the most important DIH services. All sorts of technologies are already available to take and implement. However, the challenge is how to bring them closer to effective implementation by the farmers and food producers.
Develop strategies & business models
Farmers and food producers need to understand how new technologies affect their business models, which technology to deploy, and why. How to choose the right technology and what are the economic benefits for the farmer are key questions to answer prior to deployment. On the other hand, solutions providers (Startups and SMEs) need to develop their own business models when placing new products on the market.
Financing & Funding
Farmers, food producers and solution providers (Startups and SMEs) need financial support for digital transformation and deployment/development of innovative digital products and services. The key question is how we can motivate them to adopt new technologies at a faster pace, thus not losing competitiveness if they fail to do so. DIH is providing access to funding through European projects, cascade funding opportunities, investors and other financial sources.
Mentoring & Training
Farmers and food producers need knowledge about digital technologies and how technologies will change their lives and work environment, which can be shared through existing and new mentoring and training methodologies/channels. In order for them to understand the complex world of digital technologies and their benefits, we need to find new ways of providing mentoring and training, which is more and more focused on the "Hands-on" type of training.
Living Lab
Farmers' and food producers' decision-making process is better and faster if they can test and try technologies before buying them (test before invest). The living lab infrastructure brings together successful use cases from all over Europe, showcasing existing technologies implemented in real-life environments so that interested target groups can get all relevant information about and around those technologies.
Cooperation with other DIHs & Networks
Collaboration with other DIHs and networks is key for more efficient deployment of all DIH services. It is important to have an international overview when considering the transfer of knowledge and technologies, financing/funding opportunities and business development prospects. DIH AGRIFOOD follows the principle of "connect globally – act locally".