SmartAgriHubs

What SmartAgriHubs does

SmartAgriHubs is a non-profit Horizon 2020 EU research project launched in 2018 under grant agreement No. 818182 to drive digital transformation of the European agri-food sector. It operates a pan-European ecosystem built around an Innovation Portal, 300+ Digital Innovation Hubs, 106 Flagship Innovation Experiments, Competence Centers, 9 Regional Clusters, and 7 agricultural sectors (Arable, Aquaculture, Vegetables, Fruit, Dairy, Animal Production, Novel Foods). Stakeholders self-register on the free web portal to network, access training, share knowledge, and participate in matchmaking for digital agriculture solutions; the platform also hosts a library, calendar, forum, and the Challenge & Solution Canvas for collaborative problem-solving. The community also convenes through annual Synergy Days conferences and a quarterly newsletter series, with side initiatives like the Gender Equality Toolbox and the GAIA alliance (spun out in September 2022).

Name

SmartAgriHubs

Legal name

SmartAgriHubs

Website

https://www.smartagrihubs.eu/

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SmartAgriHubs is a non-profit EU Horizon 2020 project that operates a free Innovation Portal and network of 300+ Digital Innovation Hubs, 106 Innovation Experiments, and 9 Regional Clusters to accelerate digital transformation of the European agri-food sector for farmers, SMEs, DIHs, and researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Technology Platform

NAICS

Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Data Integration, Interoperability & APIs (ETL, Data Standards, Connectivity Hubs) (AFABAMAL)

Keywords

• Agricultural innovation networks
• Digital agriculture platforms
• Agri-food transformation
• Digital innovation hubs
• Farming technology ecosystem

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. EU Research Funding: SmartAgriHubs is a Horizon 2020 research and innovation project funded by the European Union under grant agreement No 818182. The project does not generate commercial revenue but operates through EU research funding to support digital transformation of European agriculture.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SmartAgriHubs operates the Innovation Portal, a web-based interactive platform serving as a one-stop-shop marketplace, networking hub, library, training platform, calendar, discussion forum, and matchmaking service connecting Digital Innovation Hubs, Competence Centers, farmers, SMEs, and technology providers across the European agri-food sector. The ecosystem is organized across 9 Regional Clusters and 7 agricultural sectors, supported by 106 Flagship Innovation Experiments that demonstrate digital technology deployment.

Product overview

SmartAgriHubs is a Horizon 2020 project that operates as a unified ecosystem centered on its Innovation Portal — a comprehensive web platform that serves as a search engine, one-stop-shop marketplace, library, training platform, calendar, network, discussion forum, and matchmaking service. The ecosystem is built around 300+ Digital Innovation Hubs, 106 Flagship Innovation Experiments, and Competence Centers that connect agri-food stakeholders across 9 Regional Clusters and 7 Sectors. Key supporting features include the Challenge & Solution Canvas, DIH Observatory, Forum, and Library. The project also organizes annual Synergy Days conferences and publishes regular newsletters to disseminate knowledge on digital transformation in agriculture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GAIA - Gender Alliance for Innovation in Agriculture: An alliance launched by former SmartAgriHubs consortium members and new stakeholders to address inequalities in agriculture and support inclusive and sustainable solutions in European agriculture.

Products and services

• SmartAgriHubs Innovation Portal A web-based interactive platform serving as a search engine, one-stop-shop marketplace, library, training platform, calendar, network, discussion forum, and matchmaking service for connecting AgriTech stakeholders across Europe. Free registration is available.
• Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) Network Network of 300+ Digital Innovation Hubs facilitating access to the latest knowledge and expertise in digital agriculture across Europe, with a directory for matchmaking between technology providers and adopters.
• Competence Centers Centers offering advanced technical expertise, access to the latest knowledge and information on digital technologies, as well as test facilities and other technological and scientific infrastructure for digital agriculture.
• Flagship Innovation Experiments 106 Innovation Experiments that put technology solutions into practice with the help of DIHs and technology support provided by Competence Centers across 7 agricultural sectors.
• Regional Clusters 9 Regional Clusters (Central Europe, France, Iberia, Ireland & UK, Italy & Malta, North-East Europe, North-West Europe, Scandinavia, South-East Europe) establishing bridges between the agri-food sector and technology providers.
• Synergy Days Conference Annual conference connecting digital innovators of the European agri-food sector, featuring workshops, project pitches, and networking opportunities. The 2024 event in Barcelona had 400+ participants and 40+ EU projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ Digital Innovation Hubs connected
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• GAIA - Gender Alliance for Innovation in AgriculturemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022SmartAgriHubs Gender Task Force evolved into GAIA after the project ended in September 2022. GAIA is a continuation of gender equality work, dedicated to supporting the 4th agricultural revolution in Europe through inclusive and sustainable solutions. Open to universities, DIHs, start-ups, trade unions, and European projects.
• DEMETER (H2020 Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Horizon2020 project promoting digital transformation of European agri-food sector. SmartAgriHubs collaborated on gender equality initiatives including joint webinars and the report 'The Changing Face of Agriculture' exploring gender, youth and technology.
• IoF2020 (H2020 Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon 2020 project on Internet of Food and Farm. Joint Gender Task Force was established between IoF2020 and SmartAgriHubs, with IoF2020 having only 14% women project coordinators and SAH having 25% women in research teams.
• Schuttelaar & PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunications and project management partner developing and maintaining the SmartAgriHubs Innovation Portal. Based in The Hague, Netherlands. Responsible for portal operations, content, and community management.
• 40+ EU Research Projects (Synergy Days 2024)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerProjects including 4Growth, AgrifoodTEF, ALIANCE, BBTWINS, BEATLES, COMMECT, Data4Food2030, EFRA, EU4Advice, Farmtopia, FUTURAL, GAIA, GRASS CEILING, IAA, INCITIS-FOOD, modernAKIS, QuantiFarm, RENOVATE, ROBS4CROPS, STELLA and others participating in Synergy Days 2024 for knowledge sharing and collaboration.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DEMETER: Horizon 2020 project promoting digital transformation of the European agri-food sector, directly collaborating with SmartAgriHubs on joint initiatives including gender equality webinars and reports. Operates an overlapping stakeholder ecosystem of farmers, technology providers, and DIHs.
• IoF2020 (Internet of Food & Farm 2020): Horizon 2020 project on Internet of Food and Farm with a shared Gender Task Force with SmartAgriHubs and a similar mission of accelerating digital agriculture adoption across Europe through pilots and ecosystem building.
• AgrifoodTEF: EU Testing and Experimentation Facility for agri-food technologies, participating in Synergy Days 2024. Provides testing infrastructure for AI and robotics in agriculture — a complementary but directly comparable capability serving overlapping DIH and SME customers.
• Farmtopia: EU-funded project building a digital farming community across Europe, participating in Synergy Days alongside SmartAgriHubs. Addresses similar pain points around small-farm digital adoption through a comparable consortium-of-DIHs model.
• QuantiFarm: EU project supporting digital transformation of agriculture through assessment and benchmarking tools, participating in Synergy Days 2024. Targets a similar stakeholder base of farmers, advisors, and DIHs across Europe.
• EU4Advice: Horizon-funded initiative strengthening farm advisory services for digital agriculture in Europe. Overlaps directly with SmartAgriHubs' Competence Centers and DIH mandate around capacity-building for digital adoption.
• STELLA (H2020 Project): EU project on digital agriculture innovation ecosystems, a Synergy Days 2024 participant. Shares SmartAgriHubs' DIH-centric, ecosystem-orchestration model for scaling agri-tech across European regions.

Emerging players

• GAIA - Gender Alliance for Innovation in Agriculture: Direct spinoff from SmartAgriHubs' Gender Task Force, continuing the gender equality work in European agriculture beyond the formal project end. Represents both a legacy continuation and a separate emerging entity with overlapping stakeholder community.

Broad incumbents

• Wageningen University & Research: Premier European agricultural research institution participating in the SmartAgriHubs ecosystem and broader European digital agriculture agenda. Operates at much larger scale as both a knowledge provider and Competence Center partner for SmartAgriHubs-aligned DIHs.

Others

• European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): EU agency providing scientific advice on food safety, participating in the broader European agri-food digital ecosystem. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but shapes the regulatory and data context in which SmartAgriHubs operates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SmartAgriHubs
• Facebookfacebook.com/SmartAgriHubs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smartagrihubs
• Instagraminstagram.com/smartagrihubs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SmartAgriHubs