The European VENUS project has reached a major milestone as IDENER.AI took center stage in advancing sustainable agricultural innovation across the Mediterranean. The company’s technical team participated in a series of high-level activities across Italy, combining strategic stakeholder sessions with technical site visits alongside international researchers from Greece, Spain, Tunisia, Egypt, and Italy, including representatives from the Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” and the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (CNR-IGG).The itinerary included key stakeholder meetings in Padua and Ancona, bringing together researchers, local agricultural experts, and regional decision-makers to align on project objectives and regional implementation strategies.

Alongside these collaborative sessions, the team inspected the pilot facilities of partner organizations RINCI and CONSAE to evaluate cutting-edge water-saving technologies and cultivation methods for Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) such as sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum), prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica), and Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus).A core element driving the overall project is IDENER.AI’s major technical contribution, which is the ongoing development of the VENUS Platform.

Engineered to function as an interactive forum and digital knowledge hub, the platform aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and practical farming. Its goal is to accelerate the adoption of drought-resistant NUS crops on marginal lands by enabling researchers, farmers, and agronomists across eight Mediterranean countries to exchange cultivation techniques, discuss field practices, and access datasets on soil health, crop yield, and water management from regional Living Laboratories. 

To join this growing network and participate in the forum, stakeholders can create an account directly on the official project website by accessing the VENUS Platform section and selecting Register to set up their user profile.