PowerPoint Presentation

[Audio] Welcome to this training seminar, Digital Transformation as a Business Opportunity in Agriculture. This session is part of the training programme developed under the TALLHEDA project, a Horizon Europe initiative dedicated to strengthening skills and capacities across the agri-food sector. Over the next three hours, we will explore one of the most significant shifts happening in agriculture today: the move from traditional farming and agribusiness practices toward digitally enabled, data-driven ways of working. We will not stop at technology for its own sake. Our focus throughout this seminar is business opportunity: how digital transformation can open new markets, create new revenue streams, and strengthen the competitiveness of farms, cooperatives, and agri-food enterprises, including the small and medium-sized businesses that make up the backbone of European agriculture. Let's begin..

[Audio] Let me walk you quickly through how today's seminar is organised, so you know what to expect. We'll move through five modules. In Module 1, we build a shared understanding of what digital transformation actually means in an agricultural context. In Module 2, we look at the specific digital technologies driving this change, from sensors to artificial intelligence. After a short break, Module 3 is where we shift the conversation from technology to business: new business models, new revenue streams, new ways of creating value. Module 4 brings this to life through real case studies, and Module 5 helps you begin translating everything into a practical roadmap for your own organisation. We'll close with a summary of key takeaways and time for questions. Throughout, I'll pause at several points with reflection questions. I encourage you to actually think through your own answers, even if you're taking this seminar individually, because the value of this session comes from applying it to your own business context, not just listening to it..

[Audio] By the end of this seminar, you should be able to do five things. First, understand what digital transformation actually means for an agricultural or agri-food business, and how it differs from simply buying a new piece of equipment. Second, identify the main digital technologies that are reshaping the sector today, from sensors and satellite data to artificial intelligence and blockchain. Third, and this is the heart of the seminar, explore how these technologies translate into new business models and new revenue streams, not just operational efficiency. Fourth, examine real cases of organisations that have gone through this transformation, so the ideas are grounded in practice, not just theory. And fifth, begin building the first draft of a digital transformation roadmap that you can take back to your own farm, cooperative, or enterprise. This is a practical seminar. The goal is not just to inform you, but to leave you with tools you can use..

[Audio] So why does this matter right now, for your business? Three reasons. First, scale: industry analysts at MarketsandMarkets estimate the global digital agriculture market at around 24.2 billion US dollars in 2024, projected to reach nearly 40 billion dollars by 2029 (MarketsandMarkets, 2024). That is not a niche trend; it is one of the fastest-growing segments connected to agriculture worldwide. Second, policy: this growth is not happening by accident. In 2019, twenty-six EU Member States signed a formal declaration of cooperation committing to a smart and sustainable digital future for European agriculture and rural areas, recognising digital technologies as central to tackling the economic, social, climate and environmental challenges facing the sector (European Commission, 2019). That commitment continues to shape funding programmes, including the Horizon Europe programme that funds the TALLHEDA project itself. Third, and perhaps most immediately relevant to you: pressure. Agricultural and agri-food businesses today are dealing with labour shortages, increasingly volatile climate conditions, tightening margins, and consumers and retailers who expect traceability and sustainability data they simply could not ask for a decade ago. Digital transformation is not optional background anymore; it is becoming a condition for staying competitive. The businesses that treat it as an opportunity, rather than a threat or a cost, are the ones positioning themselves to win..

[Audio] Before we move into the content, I want to leave you with one question, and I would like you to actually hold onto it for the rest of the seminar. The question is this: where in my own business could better data, or better digital tools, change what I sell, how I sell it, or who I sell it to? Notice this question is not about technology. It is not asking which app you should buy or which sensor you should install. It is about your business model: your products, your customers, your channels. That distinction, technology as a means and business transformation as the goal, is going to be the thread running through everything we cover today. Keep this question somewhere in the back of your mind. We will come back to it directly in Module 5, when we start building your roadmap..

[Audio] Thank you!. thank you!. TALLHEDA has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101136578. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them..