It was held on Wednesday 23rd the March Smart Talk that hosted Francesco Quagliozzi, General Manager of Irritec S.p.A. focusing on Innovation and Sustainability in Agri-Tech Sector.
After the introductory greetings by the President of the Italian-Cypriot Chamber of Commerce Giuseppe Marino, the discussion was moderated by Federico Franchina, Vice President of the Chamber.
The Smart Talk started with a video presentation of Irritec S.p.A., an Agritech company founded in Italy and now present in 150 countries around the world, where it has exported its model of “best practice” in the field of irrigation in agriculture. Irritect is a global company, present Europe, in South America, but mostly committed in the Mediterranean Area, including North Africa and Middle East, always committed to climate change and environment issue, as the goal of the company is to make the world a better place. During the Smart Talk it was pointed out that despite the fact that the group is at the end of the agricultural production chain, it is important to invest in innovation and new technology, as the awareness about the problem of water management is now felt worldwide.
The environment global changes can be seen as a threat or as an opportunity. Digital transformation and investments in the sector, applicable through the pillars of sustainability and training and educating people, will allow the transition to agriculture 4.0, which is identified with digital and technology transformation. For these reasons, Irritec is supported by specialized companies and research centers that study nutrients, the best energy and water management, they combine information from the satellite with data provided by sensors in the fields, and through the help of AI (Artificial Intelligence), they can find the best solution for each type of crop. Mr. Francesco Quagliozzi stressed how agriculture will be managed in a very short future not only by farmers’ knowledge, but also through the help of engineers and agronomists, in order to implement the best solution to save energy, water and nutrients, in a very sustainable way.
Moreover, the Smart Talk highlighted how the sustainability mission of Irritec has led the United Nations Global Compact to award last June Giulia Giuffrè, Board Member and Ambassador of Sustainability of the company, with the title of SDG Pioneer 2021 for Sustainable Water Management, a global recognition, which follows the Italian appointment as SDG Pioneer 2020, awarded last December. This important award for Irritec came from also recognizing the contribution of Irritec Academy, which through the involvement of agronomists, engineers, and specialized professionals, educates farmers. The company started this project in Europe and now it is spreading worldwide, also thanks to the cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Finally, Mr. Quagliozzi underlined the important activities carried on by the Italian-Cypriot Chamber of Commerce in order to promote awareness of investments and opportunities in the sector before implementing new business. In fact, investing in the promotion of the sector is a key factor, as opportunities can raise for Italian companies in Cyprus and vice versa, as well as the possibility to exploit Cyprus’s position as a hub to expand in the Eastern Mediterranean Area.
During the conclusions, President Giuseppe Marino renovated the Chamber’s commitment to continue promoting awareness in the field of innovation and digitalization in the agricultural sector and reaffirmed the availability of the Chamber for any further information and insights also related to specific projects.
For further insights on this article and the activities of the Italian-Cypriot Chamber of Commerce, please write to the following email address: segreteria@camcomitacipro.it
Last modified: April 14, 2022