Synergy Days is designed to celebrate and showcase European research projects that are transforming the European agri-food sector. Who are they, and how are they using digital technology to innovate the sector? We spoke to Watson to learn more about the project, its goals and journey.

About Watson

Watson is a €11 million 3-year Horizon Europe project aiming to combat fraudulent practices in the food supply chain. Watson’s interdisciplinary consortium of 45 partners across 20 EU and non-EU countries are developing a holistic traceability framework that will integrate data-driven services, intelligence-based toolsets and risk-estimation approaches, enabling food safety authorities to identify and prevent fraudulent activities. Watson relies upon emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT) and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), which enable transparency within supply chains through the development of a rigorous, traceability regime, and novel tools for rapid, non-invasive, on-the-spot analysis of food products.

Learn more on their website.

What inspired the creation of your project? 

The rise in food fraud incidents in recent years highlights a critical vulnerability in the world’s food supply chain that puts consumer trust, public health and business ethics at risk. Food fraud in the supply chain is costly and can take place through various means – the most common being adulteration by substitution, omission, dilution, falsification, deception in the production method or its origin, intentional mislabelling, or masking a defect or contamination. The cost of fraudulent practices for the global food industry has been estimated at around €30 billion every year. To tackle food fraud, an overall framework is required along with anticounterfeit and intelligence-based technologies to assist food chain stakeholders in rapidly identifying and preventing the spread of fraudulent practices. The Watson project aims to do this by providing a methodological framework combined with a set of tools and systems that can detect and prevent fraudulent activities throughout the whole food chain thus accelerating the deployment of transparency solutions in the EU food system. The project takes a holistic approach to understanding the underlying reasons for and drivers of food fraud, and how to contribute to its identification, prediction and prevention.

Can you share some of the key milestones or successes your project has achieved to date? 

Watson took a holistic systems-based approach to addressing the phenomenon of food fraud across the agri-food sector. Kicked-off in March 2023, the 3-year Watson project has made solid progress towards establishing a framework to combat food fraud through a methodology that is underpinned by 4 distinct activity phases (i.e., the baseline, innovation, demonstration, consolidation). This framework will provide the food chain stakeholders, regulatory authorities and research organisations with accurate information, along with intelligence-based risk calculation approaches and the provision of tools to detect and counter food fraud. Work done within the first 18 months focused on the identification of operational challenges faced by food chain stakeholders in relation to data availability, traceability, and transparency designing and developing the framework. The project has also analysed digital technology (i.e., blockchain based platform, digital food product passport, early warning system, mobile applications, smart sensors, spectroscopy-based tools and scanning devices) that are currently used to detect food fraud and identified reliable indicators that can be used in fraud detection and prevention. Feedback from stakeholders along the supply chain has been collected, identifying the main gaps in food chains and processes, which was used in the development of the Watson reference architecture.

What innovative technologies or methods are you most excited about within your project? 

Watson, integrates various digital technologies as follows: Artificial intelligence (AI)-supported Early Warning System for food safety authorities; Resilient data driven and IoT-based services for improved tracing and tracking; Fast, inexpensive and flexible tools for authenticity control; Distributed Ledger Technology and Data Analytics, which enable transparency within supply chains through the development of a rigorous, traceability regime and novel tools for rapid, non-invasive, on the spot analysis of food products. The framework is tested in 6 pilots including the (1) prevention of counterfeit wine; (2) preservation of the authenticity of PGI honey; (3) on-site authenticity check and traceability of extra virgin olive oil; (4) identification of possible manipulations at all stages of the meat chain; (5) the improved traceability of high-value products in cereal and dairy chain and (6) combat of white fish counterfeiting. Watson aspires to improve sustainability of food chains by increasing food safety and reducing food fraud through systemic innovations that increase supply chain transparency by improved track-and-trace mechanisms, equip food safety authorities and policy makers with data, knowledge and tools, and raise consumers’ awareness on food safety.

What advice would you give to other innovators looking to make an impact in the agricultural / food sector through digital technologies? 

For innovators aiming to make an impact in the agricultural and food sector through digital technologies, collaboration and a strong foundation in scientific research are essential. First, collaboration is key. Engage with a broad range of stakeholders—farmers, agribusinesses, researchers, and policymakers—early in the process. Their insights will help tailor your innovations to real-world challenges, ensuring practical, user-friendly solutions that are widely adoptable. Projects like Watson thrive by building partnerships across Europe’s diverse agri-food ecosystem, facilitating knowledge sharing and integration of new technologies in different environments. Second, scientific research should guide innovation. Ground your digital tools in robust data and research to ensure they are effective and scalable. Watson’s focus on data-driven solutions like AI and IoT is a testament to the value of evidence-based innovation. Conduct field trials and experiments to validate the impact of your technologies, and adapt them based on feedback and outcomes, as is being done through the 6 use case studies in Watson. By collaborating with stakeholders and basing innovations on sound research, you can create digital tools that support the entire food value chain, driving meaningful change in the sector.

What is the added value of Synergy Days for your project? 

The Watson project brings substantial added value to the Smart Agri Hubs Synergy Days event by fostering innovation and collaboration in smart agriculture. Watson complements the mission of Smart Agri Hubs by contributing cutting-edge research and solutions to the ongoing digital transformation of agriculture. During Synergy Days, Watson can showcase its advancements in areas like artificial intelligence, IoT, and big data analytics, which aligns with many projects goals of enhancing agri-food system efficiency and sustainability. This creates opportunities for synergies between Watson and other projects also focused on building an interconnected ecosystem for agricultural innovation.

Furthermore, Watson can share its lessons learned and best practices in the first half of the project, benefiting other attendees and stakeholders. Through this, it can help strengthen collaborations with relevant organizations and projects, including technology providers, farmers, and policymakers, advancing shared goals like climate resilience and productivity. By participating in the event, the Watson project can also leverage Smart Agri Hubs' extensive network to build partnerships, access new collaborations opportunities, and ensure its solutions are widely known across Europe, thereby accelerating the digital transition of the agricultural sector.

Want to learn more about the rest of the Synergy Days projects? Sign up for Synergy Portal the to explore the rest of the interviews!