The first Hungarian agro startup forum was a great success
Photo: Dobozi Tibor
Without any doubts, the agricultural sector will face grand challenges not only in Hungary, but world-wide. Therefore, it is of huge importance to gather and support innovative projects and startups that are trying to find revolutionary solutions for the agricultural problems of the future.
Thus it is no surprise that the first Pannon Breeding Agricultural Startup Forum was in the centre of attention, when held on the 1st of July at the Széchenyi Garden Restaurant. The event provided an opportunity for promising startup projects to introduce themselves to the Hungarian public and also proved to be a perfect platform for entrepreneurs and experts to exchange ideas.
The opening presentation was held by Dr. László Orlóci, the director of Eötvös Lorand University Botanical Garden and docent of Corvinus University of Budapest. He explained how their project, firstly with the intention of preserving the Hungarian plant species suitable for the continental climate, became a broader program, a platform that specializes in supporting agro-innovations. Indeed, the Pannon Breeding Program is planning to establish an agricultural incubator with the TM Ltd. agricultural company in the Hungarian plain. The aim of the program is to share knowledge among the participants and to promote and establish a research centre for the promising rural projects.
Many other startups debuted at the event, such as the internationally recognised SmartVineyard, also known as the winner of the 2014 Agricultural Innovation prize. The company specializes in forecasting grape infections, measurement and data collection. The Cubilog is a revolutionary platform for remote greenhouse management, developed by the same group that started a project called MOOW, which measures the cow’s rumen pH with a probe. The Growiee group presented a smart mini-garden which can be controlled by an application. The forum’s last presentation was a brief summary of the national and EU funding opportunities for startups. The event ended with an informal discussion among the attendants.
The organizers of the Pannon Breeding event series are looking forward to a prosperous future, since the event attracted a wide range of members who are committed to agriculture: from university students to agricultural experts and investors.