PAMEA participated in The 7th China-Central and Eastern European Countries Local Leaders’ Meetingand the 2026 Shandong International Friendship Cities Cooperation and Exchange Week, held in Jinan, Shandong Province, China.
The event brought together representatives of local authorities, universities, research institutions, companies, and international organisations from China and Central and Eastern European countries. The programme included conferences, institutional meetings, networking sessions, and exchanges focused on cooperation, innovation, education, agriculture, sustainability, and regional development.
PAMEA was represented by Dr.Eng.Amariei Daniel-Dumitru, Secretary-General of the organisation. During the event, PAMEA contributed not only on behalf of the organisation itself, also as a representative of the AGRITECH project, promoting its objectives, cooperation potential, and relevance for innovation in agriculture, education, and digital transformation.
A major achievement of the visit was the election of PAMEA as a Council Member of the China-CEEC Modern Agricultural Science and Education Innovation Alliance. This recognition confirms PAMEA’s growing role in international cooperation and strengthens its position within a wider network of institutions active in agricultural innovation, education, sustainability, and knowledge exchange.
Through this participation, PAMEA expanded its international visibility, strengthened institutional links with Chinese and Central and Eastern European partners, and opened new opportunities for future cooperation connected to the AGRITECH project and broader areas of strategic interest.
PAMEA warmly thanks the organisers, hosts, and partner institutions for their excellent coordination, generous hospitality, and commitment to building practical cooperation between China and Central and Eastern Europe.
More information and photos from the event are available here: https://live.photoplus.cn/live/pc/38729274/#/live
From 5 to 8 May 2026, PAMEA contributed to the organisation and delivery of the MALTESE training programme in Malta, hosted at the National Viticulture & Oenology Centre in Ħad-Dingli.
The four-day training marked an important implementation step for MALTESE, moving the project from technical preparation into direct engagement with participants, practical demonstrations, and hands-on work around rural innovation.
The activity brought together participants interested in agriculture, rural entrepreneurship, digitalisation, sustainability, and local development. Through a mix of live demonstrations, workshops, group exercises and mentoring sessions, the training explored how digital tools can support rural communities and create stronger links between local producers, entrepreneurs and urban markets.
A central part of the programme was the presentation and testing of the MALTESE Digital Prototype. Participants were introduced to three core tools: the JackDaw GeoAI Chatbot, the Map Whiteboard, and the Rural-Urban E-Market platform.
The JackDaw GeoAI Chatbot was explored as a tool for advisory support, crop guidance, funding-related questions and location-based information. The Map Whiteboard supported collaborative mapping, visual planning and stakeholder engagement. The Rural-Urban E-Market platform introduced participants to producer profiles, product listing logic, market access and short supply chain opportunities.
Beyond the digital tool demonstrations, the training focused on practical rural development challenges. Participants worked on community mapping, identified local assets and bottlenecks, discussed circular economy practices, explored sustainable agri-business ideas, and reflected on how smarter resource use can support farming and rural entrepreneurship.
PAMEA led and supported key parts of the programme, including the prototype overview, circular agri-business logic, SMART irrigation and resource efficiency discussions, business model development, mentoring and final pitch preparation. These sessions helped participants move from general ideas to more structured concepts that could respond to real local needs.
The final day focused on coaching, business model refinement and presentation preparation. Participants developed and presented their ideas, received feedback, and took part in the closing session, which included certificates, participant recognition and final reflections.
The training confirmed one of the core ideas behind MALTESE: digital transformation in rural areas needs to be practical, accessible and connected to the people who are expected to use it. Tools alone are not enough. They need to be explained, tested, adapted and discussed with farmers, young people, entrepreneurs, educators and local stakeholders.
PAMEA thanks all participants for their active involvement, questions and contributions throughout the training. Their engagement helped turn the programme into a meaningful learning and testing environment for rural innovation in Malta.
PAMEA also acknowledges the strong collaboration with SEMABLU and SELFHOOD, as well as the valuable support of AcrossLimits, the PoliRuralPlus partner for Malta. This cooperation helped connect the MALTESE training with the wider PoliRuralPlus framework and with local priorities for digital and green transition.
Following the Malta training, MALTESE will continue working on prototype refinement, stakeholder engagement, dissemination and final demonstration activities. The results and feedback collected during the training will support the next steps of the project and contribute to broader lessons for rural and small-island regions across Europe.
MALTESE is implemented as a cascade project connected to the PoliRuralPlus Malta pilot. Through its activities, the project aims to support rural digital skills, entrepreneurship, circular economy thinking and stronger rural-urban connections in Malta.
The project PoliRuralPlus has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101136910.
DisclaimerViews 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.
PAMEA was pleased and honoured to take part in the launch of the HU-HUB, a key milestone within the AGRITECHErasmus+ project.
The event brought together besides the AGRITECH Consortium members, MATE, DDTG and GAZDA KONTROLL, a strong mix of stakeholders from education, industry, and policy, reflecting the growing interest in digital transformation in agriculture. Participation exceeded expectations, with active engagement and discussion throughout the session.
The high turnout and the quality of exchanges confirmed that there is real demand for spaces like the AGRITECH HUBs. These hubs are not just a project output, but a practical step toward connecting learning, innovation, and real sector needs. As defined in the project design, they aim to bring together education and enterprise to support hands-on, future-oriented training in AgriTech .
PAMEA’s involvement focused on supporting dissemination and stakeholder engagement, ensuring that the HUB concept reaches and resonates with the right audiences across Europe.
The HU-HUB launch sets a solid starting point. What matters now is keeping this momentum and turning interest into sustained participation and concrete learning activities, starting with 14.04.2026.
On 26 March 2026, PAMEA hosted the second AGRINOVA Good Practices Exchange online meeting (10:00–13:00, Europe/Vienna). The session brought together partners and stakeholders for a practical exchange focused on real implementation experience and transferable approaches.
In difference to the First Meeting, this second meeting featured 12 best practice presentations, each adding clear value through concrete examples, applied methods, and lessons learned. The topics covered a wide range of sustainable and smart farming solutions, including biostimulants, low-carbon approaches, intralogistics, precision seeding, soil conservation, differentiated nutrient application, drone-supported plant protection, digital technologies in livestock farming, social cooperation models, and AI applications in agriculture.
The session covered a strong mix of sustainable and smart farming applications, ranging from the benefits of bacterial biostimulants and a Czech low-label carbon initiative, to practical intralogistics and precision seeding, soil conservation and differentiated nutrient application, drone-supported plant protection, and digital technologies used in livestock farming; it also included social innovation through agricultural cooperatives, emerging AI applications in agriculture, and two recorded case studies focused on irrigation profitability and the shift from volume-based production to value-added products.
The good practices collected during this session will support AGRINOVA’s ongoing work on project outputs, including the development of guidance and training materials.
Thank you to all presenters and participants for the excellent preparation, active engagement, and meaningful contributions that made this meeting a success.
PAMEA took part in the AGRINOVA Kick-off Meeting in Bucharest, marking the official start of a new Erasmus+ cooperation project focused on sustainable farming solutions, vocational education and training, and the green and digital transition in agriculture.
On 23-24.03, PAMEA participated in the Kick-off Meeting of AGRINOVA in Bucharest, Romania, together with the project coordinator, USAMV Bucharest, and the project partners from Turkey, Albania, Greece, and Bulgaria. AGRINOVA, titled Developing Sustainable Farming Solutions, is an Erasmus+ KA220-VET project with a total budget of €250,000 and a duration of 24 months, running from November 2025 to October 2027.
For PAMEA, the meeting in Bucharest was an important opportunity to align with partners on the project’s objectives, work plan, and first implementation steps. Within AGRINOVA, PAMEA will play an active role in co-leading work related to the AGRINOVA Guide, including focus groups with farmers and VET teachers, and will also contribute to the pedagogical structure of the curriculum and Training of Trainers activities. In addition, PAMEA will support dissemination and communication activities, helping to strengthen the project’s visibility and impact across European networks.
The Bucharest meeting set the basis for the cooperation ahead and opened the project’s first phase of work, focused on research, stakeholder engagement, and the collection of good practices in sustainable and smart farming. Through this collaboration, AGRINOVA seeks to strengthen the capacity of VET providers, improve links between education and the agricultural sector, and support the uptake of greener and more innovative practices at local and European level.
PAMEA is pleased to contribute to this partnership and looks forward to working with the consortium to support more resilient, practical, and future-oriented agricultural training across Europe. Stay tuned for updates as AGRINOVA progresses with research activities, curriculum development, pilot actions, and dissemination events across partner countries.
On 18 March 2026, PAMEA hosted the first AGRINOVA GOOD PRACTICES EXCHANGE online meeting, bringing together partners and stakeholders for a focused session on practical solutions and real implementation experience.
The meeting featured 10 best practice presentations, each offering clear value through concrete examples, results where available, and honest lessons learned. Contributions covered a wide range of approaches, from sustainable farming practices and resource efficiency to digital tools, circular solutions, and adoption measures. Beyond showcasing what was done, presenters highlighted the conditions that make a practice transferable, including enabling factors, typical barriers, and risks to avoid.
The good practices collected during this session will feed directly into upcoming AGRINOVA outputs, including the AGRINOVA Guide and the project’s training and learning materials.
We warmly thank all presenters for their preparation, effort, and constructive cooperation, and we thank all participants for the strong engagement and discussion throughout the meeting.
PAMEA is pleased to announce the launch of the AGRINOVA project website, a new hub for project updates, resources, and results as they become available.
Alongside the website launch, we are inviting partners and external stakeholders to take part in two online Good Practices Exchange meetings, organised ahead of the AGRINOVA consortium meeting in Bucharest (23–24 March 2026). These sessions will collect practical, transferable examples that can support the AGRINOVA Guide and future training materials.
Online meetings (English)
Wednesday, 18 March 2026 | 3 hours (including transitions)
Friday, 20 March 2026 | 3 hours (including transitions)
Who can present We welcome contributions from project partners, associated partners, and external stakeholders. Each meeting includes 10 presenter slots. Presenters may share up to two good practices, delivered orally, supported by materials (slides, photos, short video, factsheets, or similar). Evidence can be quantitative when available; qualitative outcomes and lessons learned are also accepted.
Topics The sessions will cover sustainable farming practices and smart solutions, including soil and water management, integrated pest management, climate resilience, controlled environment production, digital tools, circular economy approaches, post-harvest sustainability, business models, and adoption measures. The topic split between the two dates is flexible and will be adjusted based on presenter availability.
If you cannot attend If you have a relevant good practice but cannot attend on one of the dates, you can still submit it and it will be scheduled for presentation in the other session.
How to apply To request a presenter slot, submit one page per good practice by Monday, 16 March 2026 using the submission form: [FORM LINK] / email to pamea.experts@gmail.com
The first AGRITECH Newsletterhas been officially released. Discover the progress made in defining the AgriTech Manager profile, developing innovative learning structures, and preparing Educational HUBs for pilot implementation. The project now moves confidently into its next phase.
PAMEA participated in the PoliRuralPlus JackDaw Code Camp 2026, held in Prague on 13–15 January 2026 and hosted by the Faculty of Information Technology at the Czech Technical University in Prague. The three-day event brought together developers, geospatial experts, and applied AI practitioners for an intensive development sprint focused on advancing the JackDaw platform and extending the GeoLLM concept to new regions and application domains.
During the Code Camp, PAMEA engaged with the technical community around geospatial AI and natural-language interaction with maps and spatial datasets, exploring how relevant components and working methods can inform MALTESE implementation planning. Key takeaways will feed into the next steps of MALTESE, including the Digital Hub roadmap, data and tool integration priorities, and the preparation of training content connected to practical use cases.
