From September 23–25, 2025, CODECS project partners met in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The gathering brought together project partners from across Europe to reflect on the current progress and align future efforts for sustainable digitalisation in agriculture.
CODECS, short for Maximising the CO-benefits of agricultural Digitalisation through conducive digital ECoSystems, is a Horizon Europe-funded initiative supporting the sustainable digitalisation of farming. It aims to promote digital sustainability by assessing its economic, environmental, and social aspects.
In the first two days, the annual General Assembly meeting was held at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering. During the meeting, participants reviewed the progress of CODECS, aligning the work of CODECS Living Labs, discussed digital readiness among farmers, and explored the challenges of scaling technologies in rural contexts. The event confirmed the importance of peer-to-peer learning and strong networks in driving digital transformation in agriculture.
Smart Villages Network – The Slovenian Living Lab
CODECS implements its innovative approach through 20 Living Labs across Europe, addressing issues like farmer inclusion in remote areas, water efficiency, reduced pesticide use, knowledge exchange, and animal welfare.
The Slovenian Living Lab Smart Villages Network connects farmers, researchers, tech providers, and policymakers. It aims to enhance environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainability, by applying digital technologies like IoT sensors and remote monitoring in the fields of viticulture and beekeeping. Key goals include reducing resource use and emissions, improving farm profitability, and supporting sustainable practices in both viticulture and beekeeping.
IoT in Action: CODECS Cross-visit 2025
On 25 September, the CODECS International Cross-visit Demo Event took participants beyond the meeting rooms to two Slovenian demo farms – Beekeeping Cesar and Doppler Winery. The cross-visit focused on Internet of Things (IoT) applications in beekeeping and viticulture, sectors where smart technologies are making a real impact whiting this Living Lab. The visit also supports one of the project goals – using Living Labs to test and demonstrate digital technologies in real-life conditions.
Demo Farm Beekeeping Cesar
At Beekeeping Cesar, participants explored how small-scale beekeepers can benefit from digital tools. The demo featured a guided tour of the bee-friendly garden, insights into apitherapy, as well as a presentation of IoT-connected hive scales. These devices send daily updates via SMS to the beekeeper’s phone, tracking key metrics like hive weight, temperature, humidity, and rainfall. The system helps beekeepers make informed decisions without constant travel, saving time and fuel.
Demo Farm Doppler Winery
At Doppler Winery, the focus shifted to digital solutions for vineyards. The team demonstrated a LoRaWAN-based sensor network designed to overcome the challenges of rugged terrain and microclimate. The vineyard monitoring system collects weather and soil conditions data, transmitting it to a dedicated platform from where farmers can track the collected data, set alerts, and use the information to plan interventions, especially important for organic production. The Doppler visit also featured the winery’s digitally controlled wine cellar and an overview of a new digital distillery.
From Demonstration to Dialogue
Throughout the day, participants engaged in discussions which allowed for collecting structured feedback on the costs, benefits, and sustainability of demonstrated technologies.
The event offered an opportunity not just to show technology, but to listen and learn. Farmers, researchers, and advisers exchanged ideas on barriers for adoption of digital technology in agriculture, infrastructure needs, and potential improvements. Differences in context between the Slovenian hosts and visiting partners sparked fruitful comparisons and highlighted the need for flexible, adaptable solutions.
Key Takeaways
By combining collaboration, strategic planning, policy discussions and field demonstrations, the General Assembly and the International cross-visit illustrated how CODECS brings together technology, practice, and people.
Discussions focused on the achievements of the CODECS project and its Living Labs, the progress of the digital technologies being piloted, and preparations for the next phases of the project.
The event supported CODECS’s commitment to fostering innovation through data-driven solutions and cross-border knowledge sharing.
