The Challenge is a pitching event -preopening to the AgriBusiness Forum- for the food & agtech scaleups being participants to the Masterclass. The Challenge focuses on bringing those SMEs into the radar of agrifood industry representatives also promoting NextGen innovative products and business value propositions to the public, the delegates and the media.

Α) What is the procedure?

• Each scaleup presenting its business value proposition for max. 5minutes
• Presentations are held in Greek language with simultaneous translation to English or vice-versa
• On completion of each presentation another 5minutes for dialogue & QAs may follow with the Jury
• Jury setting is from AgriBusiness Forum partners that representing hosting-city, business, financial and academia sectors
• Pitching is conducted by a Moderator
• On completion of pitches, the jury reports the results and announces the top-3 scorers
• Challenge is concluded by a networking cocktail reception

Β) What the prizes for the top-3 scorers?

• Prizes are for supporting winners to enhancing commercialization, business value propositions, growth potentials, pitching to corporate sponsors and exploring on investment opportunities
• Prizes are provided by AgriBusiness Forum Scientific Partners
• Prize winners are announced online AgriBusiness Forum website in due course

C) What the evaluating criteria of the jury?
Criteria’s will be disclosed to the participants during the Masterclass acceleration program

The Masterclass is a complimentary immersive training to support entrepreneurship in the agrifood value chain. The program is taking place prior the commencement of the AgriBusiness Forum. Applicants are selected based on company’s profile, team’s composition, the viability of the idea and the level of innovation.

A) Who is it for?

• For early stage agrifood innovative scaleups (founded less than 6 years ago) with passion to lift-off, disrupt the market, grow globally and create positive impact on agricultural systems.
• For scaleups offering innovative solutions across the agrifood value chain, dealing with consumer food products, soil & crop tech, irrigation & water tech, smart equipment, novel ingredients, food e-commerce, sustainable packaging, food safety & traceability, food waste technology or other related innovative fields.
• For scaleups forming a repeatable and scalable business model around a product, service, process or a platform, in order to meet a marketable need.

B) What are the criteria?

• Being active in the agrifood value chain for less than 6 years
• Participating to the Challenge event
• Applying for participation prior to the expiration of the deadline as it appears to AgriBusiness Forum website
• Submitting complete application online and accepting, (the Privacy Policy and General Terms of participation inclusive)
• Participating with max. 2 company representatives (optional)
• Having good command in English (optional)

C) How are scaleups selected?

• Having timely submitted the application for participation through AgriBusiness Forum official website
• Meeting the criteria as explicitly stated above (paragraphs A and B)
• Under Selection Committee’s positive assessment

D) When will I know if I’m selected?

We’ll get in touch with you by mid-October 2019

E) What happens if I am selected?

You participate to the Masterclass for free and you will be provided following services:

1.  Three (3) days training program
2. Participation to the Challenge event
3. Participation to the AgriBusiness Forum annual conference
4. Participation to the Field Visit program
5. Five (5) meals throughout your stay
6. Networking meetings opportunities
   
7. Media interviews
8. Public-bus transportation (Serres KTEL) from Athens or Thessaloniki to Serres and vice-versa

Masterclass Venue: Serres Chamber of Commerce

• Charalampos Kasimis, Agricultural University of Athens – The new challenges for agriculture and the European policy for digitization
• Philip Papadopoulos, Director, Strategic Project Management Office, American Farm School – The contribution of digital network infrastructure to the development of the agrifood sector: LoRa networks created with the support of the Transadriatic Gas Pipeline and the Regional Authority of Central Macedonia
• George Zalidis, Director of the Laboratory of Remote Sensing, Spectroscopy and G.I.S., AUTh, Faculty of Agriculture – Earth Observation Data & Services to Achieve Food Security
• Vasilis Vasiliou, Chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health – Artificial Intelligence for a Better Planet: Computing for a Sustainable Future
• Peter Oudemans, Professor, Plant Biology & Pathology, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA – Communicating with Data: Pipelines and Pitfalls
• Nikos Tsotsolas, Ass. Professor University of West Attica, KalaΘos platform Co-founder – commentator

• Geert Wilms, Director, Agricultural Innovation Brabant LIB/ZLTO, South Holland Farmers Organization – Smart Livestock farming; enhancing sustainable development
• Georgios Rigas, Director, Directorate Animal Genetic Resources and Livestock Facilities, Ministry of Agriculture & Food – Challenges, Trends and Prospects in the New Era for Greek Livestock Breeding
• Lefteris Gitsas, President, Hellenic National Interbranch Meat Organization (EDOK) -Opportunities and potential of the meat sector. The prospects of growth in the new socio-economic environment – free speech
• Evdokia Krystallidou, Project Leader, Strategic Project Management Office, American Farm School – Traceability as a tool to promote the local identity of meat from indigenous breeds
• Dimitris Tasioulas, Executive Chef Thria restaurant, Chef Ambassador for Thessaloniki in 2008 – Greek Premium raw materials in hotels and restaurants, myths and possibilities – free speech

• HE Konstantinos Skrekas – Deputy Minister of Rural Development & Food – Sustainable agriculture is a conditionality for achieving long term high growth in Greece – free speech
• Grigoris Tasios, President, Hellenic Hotelier’s Federation – OCAL & BRANDED: The Project TEToP by Hellenic Hoteliers Federation as a tool of cooperation and co-marketing of Destinations, Hotels & Products
• Giannis Balakakis, President, Geo Routes Cultural Institute & Chair, Organizing Committee AgriBusiness Forum – free speech

• Konstantinos Baginetas – Secretary General of Agricultural Policy and Management of European Funds, Ministry of Rural Development & Food – Financial Tools RDP 2014-2020 – free speech
• Alexandros Dimitrakopoulos – Regional Mandate Manager, European Investment Fund (EIF) – EIF Financial instruments
• Tassos Mantagaris, Sector Expert, Eurobank Small Business Segment General Division – Business Banking Agro sector: Integrated solutions to support the agri-food sector
• Effie Kokoreli, Head of Agricultural and Bank Assurance, INTERAMERICAN SA – Insurance: Protective shield for the agricultural chain – free speech

• Georgios Stratakos, Secretary General, Ministry of Rural Development & Food – The transformation of the food chain
• Eleni Maloupa, Director Institute of Plant Breeding & Genetic Resources, HAO-DEMETER – Holistic utilization of plant biodiversity, through protection and conservation in Genes banks
• Anagnostis Argiriou, Deputy Director, Institute of Applied Biosciences – CERTH – Exploiting and tracing the biodiversity in a digital era
• Yiannis Glavakis, Agronomist, former EP MEP, Glavakis Nurseries – free speech
• George Kostelenos, Αgronomist-Author, Kostelenos Nurseries – free speech
• Panagiotis Sainatoudis, Founder, Peliti NPO – free speech
• Konstantinos Bakasietas, General Manager, Vine Nurseries Bakasieta – presentation
• Anastasios Kalantzis, Vice-President, Hellenic Plant Importers & Exporters Association – free speech

• Siwarde J. SAP, V.C. Steering Committee, Balkans & Black Sea Cooperation Forum, Sr. Economic Policy Advisor, Embassy of the Netherlands – presentation

• HE Makis Voridis, Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development & Food – key note speech
• HE Kostas Karamanlis, Minister of Infrastructure & Transport – key note speech
• HE Fotini Αrampatzi, Deputy Minister of Rural Development & Food – key note speech
• HE Yanko Ivanov, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Bulgaria – presentation
• HE Ambassador Michael B. Christides, Secretary General, Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation – free speech

• Gregory W. Pfleger, Consul General of the United States of America to Thessaloniki, Greece – free speech
• Nikos Thymakis, President, Institute of Agronomic Sciences – Hellenic Garden as a tool of sustainability in urban landscape
• Geert Wilms, Director, Agricultural Innovation Brabant LIB/ZLTO, South Holland Farmers Organization – Agro Innovation System: Collaboration between Academia, Farmers and Government
• Kostas Karantininis, Professor, University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden (SLU) – From lab to farm: The missing medium
• Dimitrios Vlachos, Director, Laboratory of Statistics & Quantitative Analysis Methods, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, AUTh – Academia and Business Collaboration: Success Stories

• Christos Meglas, President, Serres Chamber of Commerce – Effective & Applicable Competitive Rural Entrepreneurship
• Christos Yiannakakis, Board Member of Sasoee, Executive Consultant at Venus Growers Cooperative – Precision farming sustainability factor for the cultivation of the stone fruits
• Effie Lazaridou, Managing Director, New Agriculture for a New Generation – New Agriculture for a New Generation: Supporting the agrifood ecosystem in Greece
• Constantinos Michailides, Director, Directorate Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Region of Central Macedonia – The Contribution of the Research and Innovation Smart Specialization Strategy to the enhancement of the Competitiveness of the Agri-Food Sector of the Region of Central Macedonia

• Dimitrios Roustemis, Ministry Agriculture & Food, Center for Animal Genetic Resources in Thessaloniki – presentation

if not a hyperlink to a speaker meaning that a free speech has been delivered

1st Announcement – AgriBusiness Forum 2019

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