As part of the conference “Living Labs for Mitigating Climate Change in Agriculture”, we joined more than 115 key stakeholders from the European agri-food sector to collectively address the challenges posed by climate change.
This event, coordinated by Naked Innovations and actively supported by the Government of Catalonia, served as a privileged space for co-creating climate solutions rooted in local knowledge and on-the-ground experience. As a leading institution in agri-food research, we took part in the organisation through several of our own initiatives: the CONCAT Living Lab, the X_AgriTech network, and our technology watch office.
Throughout the two-day conference, we actively contributed to work sessions focused on four key thematic areas: regenerative agriculture, water management, nature-based solutions, and climate-smart food systems and circular bioeconomy. In this context, we had the privilege of leading the working group on water security and adaptive strategies, where we explored innovative solutions such as smart irrigation, water retention, and more equitable and efficient water governance—especially relevant in the face of increasingly frequent droughts.
One of the highlights of the event was the technology showcase, where we presented a proprietary tool for crop identification using artificial intelligence and satellite imagery, developed within the framework of X_AgriTech. This technological proposal exemplifies how research-driven knowledge can become a concrete resource for climate adaptation.
Beyond the results of the working groups—where barriers were identified, action lines were defined, and pilot projects began to take shape—the event left a meaningful impact: it fostered new alliances, strengthened ties between agri-food innovation labs, and helped build a community of practice focused on climate action.
Participating in spaces like this not only allows us to share our expertise, but also to learn, compare perspectives, and move forward toward more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive production models. Open innovation, collaborative work, and local adaptation of global solutions are, more than ever, essential pillars for the future of the sector.
The CONCAT Living Lab project is part of the ECO-READY initiative, which is indirectly funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 101084201).
