With significant participation and a high level of discussion, the two-day event took place 30 September – 1 October 2025 at the Municipal Art Gallery of Larissa «Thessaly AgriBusiness Forum 2025», focusing on the future of Thessaly's agrifood sector in the digital and green era. The event was co-organised by the Region of Thessaly, the Municipality of Larissa, the Larissa Chamber of Commerce and key productive bodies of the region, under the auspices of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.
The forum included 8 sessions with more than 40 speakers, who came from the academic, research, business and public sectors. At the heart of the discussions was the transformation of Thessaly's agri-food system through innovation, collaboration and the utilisation of digital and green technologies.
During the work, two main directions of development emerged: a “bottom-up” approach at the local level and a “mission-oriented” policy strategy, which require consensus and long-term support.
Particular emphasis was placed:
- On the need for a systemic approach to regional innovation policy
- On the importance of partnerships between businesses, research bodies and public administration
- On the strengthening of cooperative structures as drivers of innovation
- By utilising local resources and social innovation
In the session entitled «Innovation-Transformation: The new developmental trajectory for the agri-food sector in Thessaly», which was coordinated by Yiannis Tolias (Project Manager), the discussion focused on the need for a more systemic approach to regional innovation policy for smart specialisation (RIS3) regarding the agri-food system of Thessaly, which the policy tools implemented through the Thessaly 2021-27 Programme (research infrastructures and business-university partnerships) can hardly cover effectively.
The forum served as a meeting point and knowledge-exchange hub for everyone involved in the agri-food sector. The event highlighted the need to redefine policy tools and strengthen cooperation for the sustainable development of the regional economy.