Experts highlight the importance of technology and connectivity in supporting generational renewal and improving the competitiveness of the agricultural sector.

 

1st ASTEO CONECTA TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE The Deputy Minister of the Regional Government of Castilla y León, Luis Enrique Ortega Arnáiz, opened the conference with representatives from MITECO, Agrotech Campus, Asaja, Mas Orange, the Provincial Council of Segovia, Fibritel, the Segovia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Innoporc, Animal Data Analytics, Naturpellet, the Segovian Business Federation, and Toribio Innovación & Solutions in attendance. The CEO of Asteo Red Neutra, Pedro Abad, highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration to move forward efficiently with the sector’s digitalisation. The use of technology can generate cost savings of 30%, specialists have noted. Experts have advocated for training, guidance, and a cultural shift in the sector to embrace this technology. The event was closed by the President of the Provincial Council of Segovia, Miguel Ángel Vicente Martín. Opening of the meeting by the Deputy Minister for Digital Transformation of the Regional Government of Castilla y León, Luis Enrique Ortega Arnáiz Asteo Red Neutra held today in Segovia the first Technology Conference Asteo Conecta, where various experts from the public and private sectors agreed on the fundamental role of technology and connectivity for the future of the primary sector. These tools are necessary to improve the sector’s competitiveness and ensure generational renewal, but training, guidance, and a cultural shift within the sector are needed for this process to be successful.   Opening of the conference “Connectivity, Agrotech and IoT for generational renewal in the countryside” was led by the Deputy Minister for Digital Transformation of the Regional Government of Castilla y León, Luis Enrique Ortega Arnáiz, who highlighted the importance of connectivity for the development of rural areas.   The President of the Provincial Council of Segovia, Miguel Ángel Vicente Martín, was responsible for closing this event. The head of the Provincial Council thanked Asteo Red Neutra for its work in the province and noted that the agricultural sector is ready for the future through innovation. He also urged new generations to look to the countryside and rural areas as a point of reference.   The CEO of Asteo Red Neutra, Pedro Abad, highlighted the importance of strong coordination and synergies between institutions and the private sector to facilitate the deployment of connectivity infrastructure in rural areas. Abad stressed that only through alignment between companies, public administrations, academia, farmers and livestock breeders, organisations and associations will we be able to guarantee a better future for the sector and ensure that this digitalisation is truly effective.   Panel discussion “Agrotech, digitalisation and connectivity for the future of Segovia’s countryside” Technology as the foundation for generational renewal in the countryside The CEO of Asteo Red Neutra moderated the first panel discussion of the conference, with participation from Leticia Ortiz, from MITECO’s Subdirectorate for Coordination and Initiatives; María García Rodríguez from Agrotech Campus; Cesar Monjas from Asaja Segovia; José Antonio Galache from Mas Orange; and Jaime Pérez Esteban from the Provincial Council of Segovia. The experts highlighted the importance of joint work for the real implementation of technology in the sector. They stated that connectivity and technology will improve the economic performance of the primary sector and attract young people, ensuring generational renewal. The agricultural sector is still ageing, and the adoption of technologies will help young people settle in rural areas. The panellists stated that the future of the agricultural sector inevitably involves AI, truly sustainable robot-assisted agriculture, a hybrid human profile, and a 4.0 sector that will attract young people. They highlighted that automated management systems, drones to access crops in more complex locations, risk prevention through earlier information, and predictive data analytics will increase the efficiency of farms and improve competitiveness. The use of technology, they noted, can also lead to cost savings of close to 30% in this sector. All of this requires trained human resources, which means hybrid profiles with knowledge of the agricultural sector as well as technology.   Need for a cultural shift in the sector After this first panel, the CTO of Asteo Red Neutra, Manuel Garnelo, moderated a second panel featuring Maria Jose Tapia, CEO of Naturpellet; Carlos Piñeiro, CEO of Animal Data Analytics; Alberto Toribio, from Toribio Innovation; Maria Encinas from Innoporc’s R&D and HR; and David López from Fibritel Empresas.   The experts on this panel emphasised the need for a shift in the sector’s “culture” in order to take advantage of all the benefits of innovation and technology. They noted that data analysis is essential for the sector, so the adoption of new technologies must be understood by the sector itself as an opportunity rather than a threat.   Everyone agreed that bringing this technology into the day-to-day work of those in the agricultural sector is still complex. As they noted, not only are connectivity and technology needed, “but it is necessary to integrate them into the routines of our livestock breeders and farmers”.   The analysts stated that the primary sector has significant room for improvement and that there are many systems that will help livestock breeders and farmers, but they must embrace change and do so intelligently. Without connectivity, sustainability is not possible, nor is it possible to continue meeting quality standards as we have until now, but implementation plans for these technologies are needed, as well as training and guidance for these processes to be successful. Panel discussion “Technological transformation in rural businesses: innovation and talent attraction”