12th Meeting of the Agri-Food Sector Group (SG) of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)
The AgriFood Conference, with its multiple international participants, concluded its three-day program within the FOODTECH-GLOBAL PACK exhibition on Friday, November 7, 2025, featuring two panels of discussions and presentations.
In the first panel of the day, participants included Katerina Papadouli, Head of InnovinAgri at the Agricultural University of Athens; Maria Gabriella Anagnostopoulou, COO of Envolve Entrepreneurship; and Dimitris Voloudakis, General Programs Director of New Agriculture for the New Generation. The discussion was moderated by Spyros Kellidis, Chair of the Agrifood Sector Group at Enterprise Europe Network Hellas.
Ms. Papadouli explained the role of InnovinAgri as a bridge between young scientists and the market, creating a network of SMEs and startups connected to funding bodies so that academic research can be transformed into commercial products. Ms. Anagnostopoulou described how Envolve Entrepreneurship helps startups expand into new markets by identifying which markets are ideal for each company, analyzing their background, and guiding their promotion strategies. She emphasized that networking is key and that this is the purpose of every development incubator. Mr. Voloudakis concluded the panel by discussing pan-European collaboration in the agrifood sector. He noted that European farmers have lost the technology race over the past 20 years compared to the US and Asia, although they have won in terms of quality. He called for the creation of international cooperation networks, stressing the importance of learning from best practices to improve further. All participants agreed on the importance of incubator networks to turn academic knowledge into business practice and provide employment opportunities for young scientists.
The second panel highlighted important practice cases from companies that have developed technological tools for primary production. Fotis Tekos, CEO of FoodOxys, presented the company’s services, explaining that their clients trust them for high-level food quality validation tools that ensure improved health, high nutritional value, and scientific adequacy. George Manasakis, representing WINGS, analyzed the company’s three products—wi-Scence, wi-Grow, and wi-Supply—explaining how they use data to provide end-to-end monitoring solutions for agriculture, water management, and supply chain operations. Blue Aronia presented two natural juice products made from apple and aronia fruit. Through research with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and ELGO-DIMITRA, they ensured that the production process retains all the nutritional elements of the original ingredients. The production line also incorporates innovation and best practices, making the final product state-of-the-art.
Sophia Drakopoulou from Track4Value presented their spin-off company, discussing the role of chemists in the process of food authentication and traceability from farm to shelf. She emphasized the importance of quality control and the information that must be included on labels to ensure the product’s “life story” is clear to consumers and regulatory authorities. Vlassis Tsezos from AgriTrack concluded the session by explaining how their traceability solutions focus on seafood, where due to insufficient checks, 5% of products are discarded before consumption. He described their use of technology across three pillars—temperature control, production process monitoring, and nutritional value assurance—to meet the high standards of both regulatory bodies and major retailers.
At the end of the event, the international audience visited the exhibition halls of FOODTECH – GLOBAL PACK.
