On 20–21 October 2026, the DEFENSEFOOD Horizon Europe project participated in Synergy Days 2026, held in Kilkenny, Ireland. Represented by consortium partner reframe.food, the project joined researchers, innovators and agrifood stakeholders for two days of knowledge exchange, networking and discussions on the future of European food systems.
Organised by the SmartAgriHubs community, with the support of the European Partnership Agriculture of Data (AgData), the event provided a platform for EU-funded projects to share their work, explore potential synergies and strengthen connections across the agrifood innovation ecosystem.
Presenting DEFENSEFOOD’s Mission
A key highlight of DEFENSEFOOD’s participation was the project pitch delivered by Eleni Chatzidimitriou from reframe.food on 20 October, during the second round of project pitches.
The presentation introduced DEFENSEFOOD’s mission to strengthen the safety and resilience of European food systems against chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) threats.
By bringing together multidisciplinary expertise, advanced scientific methods and innovative technologies, DEFENSEFOOD aims to improve risk identification, preparedness, response and recovery across the food supply chain.
The project’s research includes AI-enabled tools, predictive analytics and training activities, with a focus on three case studies: cereals, shellfish and water supply.
The pitch offered an opportunity to introduce these objectives to the wider European agrifood community and highlight the importance of research-driven approaches to food safety and resilience.
Connecting with the Agrifood Community
Beyond the pitch, DEFENSEFOOD was present at Booth 15 in the Synergy Market, where reframe.food representatives shared information about the project and engaged with event participants.
These interactions created opportunities to exchange perspectives with fellow EU-funded projects, researchers and agrifood stakeholders, while exploring shared interests and potential areas for collaboration.
For DEFENSEFOOD, such exchanges are particularly valuable. Addressing complex threats to food systems requires cooperation across scientific disciplines, the food industry and public authorities.
Strengthening Resilience Through Collaboration
Synergy Days 2026 provided an opportunity for DEFENSEFOOD to raise awareness of its research objectives and connect with initiatives addressing challenges across Europe’s agrifood sector.
As the project progresses, knowledge sharing and stakeholder engagement will remain important in translating research and innovation into approaches that support safer, better-prepared and more resilient food systems.
DEFENSEFOOD thanks the SmartAgriHubs community for organising Synergy Days 2026, the European Partnership Agriculture of Data (AgData) for supporting the event, and everyone who connected with the project in Kilkenny.
Defending food systems through science and innovation.
