ALIANCE aims to optimise agricultural efficiency through the innovative use of big data, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence, focusing on precise farming practices. The project enhances weather forecasting by integrating local data with global forecasts and addresses the challenge of cloud cover obscuring satellite data. By leveraging AI models and integrating various data sources, ALIANCE provides accurate and area-specific weather predictions, improving decision-making in agriculture and promoting sustainable practices. Read more on their website.

 

Thank you for joining us for Synergy Days 2025. ALIANCE is already a valued memebr of the Synergy Days community, where do you see the most added value for your work? 

 

Thank you for having us at Synergy Days 2025. As returning participants, we greatly value the opportunity to connect with like-minded innovators across the digital agri-food sector. The most added value for our work comes from the exchange of ideas, direct engagement with potential users and partners, and discovering synergies that accelerate the practical adoption of technologies like ALIANCE. It's a space where collaboration truly drives impact.

 

What inspired the creation of your project? 

 

The ALIANCE project was inspired by the urgent need to support farmers facing increasingly unpredictable weather and climate conditions. Frequent cloud cover limits the usability of satellite data, which is crucial for monitoring crops. Our goal was to create a reliable solution that combines AI, satellite imagery, and local data to fill those gaps; empowering farmers with accurate, timely insights for more resilient and sustainable agriculture.

 

What are some of the biggest challenges your project is currently addressing in terms of scaling digital innovation within the agri-food sector? 

 

One of our biggest challenges is ensuring that advanced AI-based tools like ALIANCE are accessible and usable for farmers and advisors, not just researchers. This includes adapting the technology to diverse local conditions, integrating it into existing farm management systems, and building trust through transparent, validated results. Bridging the gap between innovation and day-to-day agricultural practice is essential for meaningful scale-up.

 

Can you share some key lessons you have learned so far? 

 

A key lesson we've learned is that technical excellence alone is not enough; successful adoption depends on usability, local relevance, and clear communication with end users. Collaborating early with farmers and advisors helped us shape a more practical, impactful tool. We also found that combining diverse data sources (e.g. radar, optical, soil, and climate) significantly improves reliability, especially under real-world conditions like frequent cloud cover.

 

How do you see emerging trends like AI, IoT, and blockchain shaping the future of the agri-food sector, and how is your project exploring or implementing these technologies? 

 

AI, IoT, and blockchain are redefining the agri-food sector by enabling smarter, more transparent, and more adaptive systems. In ALIANCE, we focus on AI to reconstruct missing satellite data and deliver localized, accurate insights to farmers. While IoT devices provide valuable ground-truth data, we see strong future potential in blockchain for verifying data integrity and enhancing trust in agri-environmental reporting and supply chains.

 

What are the key factors that will drive or hinder the widespread adoption of digital technologies in the agri-food sector in the coming years? 

 

Widespread adoption of digital technologies in agri-food will be driven by usability, cost-effectiveness, trust, and proven impact on farm performance. Key enablers include farmer training, data accessibility, and integration with existing practices. On the other hand, barriers such as digital literacy gaps, fragmented infrastructure, and unclear data governance can hinder progress. Building user-centric, transparent solutions, like ALIANCE, is essential to overcome these challenges.

 

How do you ensure that the solutions you develop are adaptable to the diverse needs and capabilities of farmers, food producers, and other stakeholders across Europe? 

 

We ensure adaptability by involving end users (farmers, advisors, and local experts) early in the development process. Their feedback shapes our tools to fit real-world workflows and regional conditions. ALIANCE is designed to be modular and scalable, integrating various data sources and working across different climates and farm sizes. We also prioritize open access, multilingual interfaces, and collaboration with local platforms to support broad adoption across Europe.

 

What opportunities do you foresee for further collaboration between research, policy and private sector actors to drive forward digital transformation in agri-food? 

 

We see strong opportunities in aligning research, policy, and the private sector to turn innovation into impact. Research provides the evidence base, policy sets the enabling environment, and industry scales solutions. Collaboration is key to harmonizing data standards, funding interoperable systems, and supporting pilots that link digital tools—like ALIANCE—with real-world farm outcomes. Joint action can accelerate sustainable transformation across the entire agri-food value chain.

 

And lastly, what is for you the potential of communities such as Synergy Days to contribute to that? If so, would you encourage others to join it?

 

For us, Synergy Days is more than just an event; it’s a space where real connections happen. It brings together people who care about the same challenges and want to find practical solutions. We've learned a lot, shared openly, and found partners who helped us move forward. If you're working in digital agri-food, we’d definitely encourage you to join. It’s where collaboration becomes meaningful.

 

Want to meet them and learn more about the project? Join ALIANCE at Synergy Days 2025! Register here.