The Misión Agrotech Center, part of the Digital Agency of Andalucía (ADA) in El Ejido, hosted the first edition of ‘Misión Agrotalks’. This event gathered more than 250 professionals from the agribusiness sector and the innovation ecosystem, aiming to strengthen the link between agriculture and innovation by focusing on the sector's real needs.
The initiative is part of the digital entrepreneurship project Misión Andalucía, led by the ADA. The Misión Agrotech center is one of four hubs established by the ADA, under the Consejería de Industria, Energía y Minas, to support startup growth in the region. Throughout 2025, in collaboration with the Ayuntamiento de El Ejido, 29 startups have participated in acceleration programs with proposals in Artificial Intelligence, sensorization, drones, and robotics, promoting more sustainable and efficient agriculture.
The event facilitated the exchange of experiences between farmers and startups, addressing key topics such as technological adoption, generational succession, and agricultural profitability. The need for innovation to respond to the territory's real challenges was emphasized.
Francisco Góngora, the mayor of El Ejido, and Fidel Serradilla, provincial coordinator for the ADA in Almería, opened the event. Góngora highlighted El Ejido's position as a leader in agricultural innovation, hosting a meeting that provides tools for the present and future, connecting knowledge, technology, and entrepreneurship with farmers' needs.
The ADA stressed its commitment to digital entrepreneurship, aiming for projects to not only emerge and grow but also reach the market, generating economic and social value in Andalucía. The Agrotech Center leads open innovation initiatives to collaboratively solve complex problems.
“"Technological adoption is a continuous support process with the user to improve your product because the goal is to make their work more manageable and efficient."
“"In Almería, agricultural companies have pioneered the adoption of technology, but we must continue working to make it more affordable for everyone, reduce field problems, and improve the farmer's work stability and quality of life."
Discussions covered the profitability of farms, operational complexity, and the suitability of technological solutions for the sector's needs. Representatives like Natalia Gálvez (Grodi) and Lidia Silvero (Soplast) shared their perspectives on technological adoption and its accessibility.
A session on generational succession in agriculture explored how to make farming a more attractive life project for younger generations, emphasizing the role of technology, sustainability, and innovation. José Luis Escobar (Berdea) and Andrea López (EAV) offered insights on crop control, work-life balance, and promoting agricultural professionals on social media.
The event concluded with a networking session designed to foster new connections, collaborations, and opportunities for shared innovation among farmers, startups, and industry professionals.
Eleven startups presented their projects in a 'Speed Pitch' format, focusing on efficiency, sustainability, digitalization, and improving agricultural processes. Highlights included real-time monitoring technologies for crops and greenhouses, AI-based smart irrigation systems, agribusiness management and traceability platforms, autonomous crop supervision robots, advanced fertigation tools, and sustainable bio-inputs for soil regeneration.
Projects also addressed optimizing water use, pest and disease prevention, automation of agribusiness processes, and developing renewable energy for intensive agriculture, such as solar panels integrated into greenhouses without impacting production. Participating startups included xAGRO, IDRA (Albor), Grodi, Pangea IoT, Inbiota, iAgro Smart Factory, Orizon Software, Solaris Vita, AIGRO, VitaNTech, and Cultitecno Asesores/NutriGrow.app.
Misión Andalucía is part of the RETECH program within the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, with a total investment of 12 million euros, partly funded by European Next Generation funds. A new call for the Misión Acceleration Program is open for technology-based startups, supported by the Junta de Andalucía's own funding.
The project operates through four centers: El Ejido (Agrotech), Jaén (Video games and digital content creation), Algeciras (port logistics), and Alhaurín de la Torre (Smart Mobility and intelligent vehicles).
