July 8, 2025
AKIS in action: Cultivating Innovation – AKIS as a Catalyst for Educational Excellence
Networking event on July 2, 2025 – Online
As part of ongoing efforts in modernAKIS to interconnect AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems) actors across Europe, this event demonstrated with three initiatives – GEEK4Food’s AI-powered programmes, AGRIFOOD4Future project and regional knowledge hubs in Rhineland-Palatinate – how targeted, innovative education can accelerate the transition towards a more sustainable, digitally literate, and resilient food system.
Cecilia Tonnelli, Programme Manager at EIT Food and Chair of the Geek4Food consortium, presented the project’s approach to making skills in the agri-food sector more visible and systematically developed. She highlighted the importance of skill transparency to enable targeted learning and address challenges driven by climate change and technological transformation. The Geek4Food platform connects workers, educators, and employers, using AI-based analysis to identify individual learning needs and support skill development across the system.
Irene Diti, Projectmanager of AGRIFOOD4Future, introduced the projectcoordinated by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, which brings together 23 partners from seven European countries to promote lifelong learning in the agri-food sector. The project focuses on closing skill gaps in the agri-food sector – digital, green and soft skills. Key initiatives include the creation of Centres of Vocational Excellence (COVEs), development of micro-credentials, and building a strong international network. The goal is to prepare farmers, technicians, advisors and SMEs through tailored lifelong learning programs, including micro-credentials, blended courses, mentorship for a more resilient, innovative, and sustainable food system. To ensure long-term impact, the project also fosters transnational collaboration, field-based
training, and policy contributions, aiming to build a resilient and future-ready agri-food workforce across Europe.
Volker Wenghoefer, Chief Officer for AKIS and digitalization in agriculture at the Ministry of Agriculture in Rhineland-Palatinate, outlined the region’s role in Germany’s decentralized agricultural knowledge and innovation system (AKIS), emphasizing the importance of rural development centres in research, vocational training, and advisory services. Rhineland Palatinate supports a dual vocational training system. Rural development centres serve as central knowledge hubs, combining research, vocational training, and farm advisory services under one roof, with strong state funding and practical, farm-level focus. These centres also lead on-farm research, consumer education, and cross-border collaboration, while the region
promotes a “trinity” model of education, research, and advisory. Despite strengths like continuity and practical relevance, the system faces challenges due to its reliance on public funding, prompting efforts to diversify advisory services and strengthen networking across actors.
During the Q&A, there was strong interest in Integration of soft skills in Agricultural Training and Advisory Services. There is a shared recognition of the importance of soft skills (e.g., communication, problem solving) in vocational training and advisory services. The discussion explored how these are embedded in different systems, such as through on-farm learning in Austria and Germany, and how online platforms can support but not replace practical experience.
Another question discussed related to the Integration of Innovation Support Services. While some regions like Rhineland-Palatinate have established connections between rural development centres and innovation support services, others (e.g., Irene’s project) are still exploring potential synergies to better support farmers in adopting innovative practices and business models.
The discussion on micro-credentials highlighted their growing importance in agricultural education and advisory systems, though definitions and implementation remain in early stages. Irene presented a pilot approach linking skills to project-based certification, while Volker emphasized their long-standing role in Germany’s AKIS, particularly in regulated areas like animal handling and plant protection. The speakers agreed that aligning micro-credentials with real world farming practice and achieving broader European recognition requires further development and coordination.
Missed the event? Watch the presentations below:
