The Agri-Digital Growth Steering Committee meeting was held at the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) in April 2025. The event was hosted by the Institute of Viticulture and Oenology at MATE’s Buda Campus.
Over the course of the two-day session, project partners discussed the key tasks and priorities of the initiative. One of the main topics was the development of five transnational pilot courses aimed at talented graduates and SME employees. These courses will focus on precision farming (PF) topics, aiming to bridge the existing competency gaps.
On the second day, the participants visited the Research Station of the Institute of Viticulture and Oenology in Kecskemét. Róbert Oláh, head of the Research Station, introduced the station’s history and current activities.
The Institute – one of the first established and still functioning as a research station – is the successor to the Central Experimental Station for Viticulture and Institute for Ampelology founded in 1896. It has been operating as an R&D institution within the network of the National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre (NAIK) since 2014.
The fundamental task of the Institute is to provide research and advisory service to the vine industry parallel with higher education activites. The Institute focuses primarily on applied research topics.
As part of the project, five transnational living labs will be established to connect SMEs, graduates, R&D centers, and academic institutions. These living labs will serve as platforms for peer-to-peer knowledge exchange in an informal setting, with a strong emphasis on practical experience and fieldwork.
One of the living labs will be located at the Kecskemét Research Station and will focus on monitoring vineyard variability using proximal sensing methods, in close cooperation with the Hungarian team and the Austrian partner, the Linz Center of Mechatronics.
In the afternoon, the group visited the Frittmann Winery, where Tamás Frittmann presented the winery’s history and current activities. The visit included an introduction to innovative viticulture and oenology solutions, accompanied by a tasting of some exceptional wines from one of Hungary’s most renowned wineries.