Maria Mendonça

I work as a project manager for multiple international projects in a Finnish advisory organisation. The main topics cover sustainable agriculture from the perspectives of climate, biodiversity and innovations.

I am a senior researcher in the research group on learning and interactive innovation at EV ILVO in Belgium. I finished a PhD in 2018 on the participation and learning in sustainable farming initiatives, focussing on social learning processes. Currently, I am involved as WP leader in different Horizon projects focussing on networking, learning, education, and compentency development of farmers and advisors.

I work as a senior research fellow at Széchenyi István University (SZE). I am national coordinator, task leader, CSC and project manager of the CSA project in Hungary. My main activities at the university are the coordination of international projects in the field of extension, sustainable agriculture, innovation transfer and climate-smart agriculture, and I am also involved in university teaching. I manage the Demonstration Farm Network of the SZE Albert Kazmer Faculty of Mosonmagyaróvár.

I currently lead the Signpost Programme for Teagasc. The objective of this programme is to support Irish farmers as they transition to more sustainable farming systems, with a particular focus on reducing agricultural GHG emissions. My background is in knowledge transfer and over my almost 30-years career with Teagasc, I have held a number of previous roles, including Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer, Regional Manager, Dairy Specialist and REPS Adviser. I am an experienced facilitator and trainer, and am much interested in developing the capacity of both advisors and farmers.

Innovation Broker in Agriculture, with broad experience working with farmers and advisors (providing advisory services, initiating Soil Living Lab, development of EIP Operational Groups), national policy makers (evaluations of Rural Development Programmes, CAP Strategic Plan) and the EU services (SCAR AKIS, CAP Network EIP Support Facility, EIP Subgroup for Innovation). I am involved in several EU funded HE projects.

Tatiana Bullová is a Project Officer at the Bioeconomy Cluster in Slovakia, where she coordinates and contributes to several Horizon Europe projects focused on soil health, carbon farming, and the circular bioeconomy. With a background in agricultural economics and experience in teaching and project management, Tatiana works to bridge research, practice, and policy, promoting regenerative agriculture and sustainable rural development in Central Europe.

Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Almería (UAL). Trained as an agronomist, she holds a PhD in Agrobiotechnology and has more than ten years’ experience in plant science and agriculture. Isabel combines her research background with training in digital transformation and communication to promote innovation and sustainability in farming systems.

Director of the Cátedra (Chair) of Agriculture, Cooperative Studies and Sustainable Development UAL-Coexphal, and professor in the Faculty of Economics and Business Management, University of Almería, Spain. Her work focuses on transitions to sustainability in food and agricultural systems and value chains: the intersection of organisational, technical, social, economic and institutional innovation, particularly business models. A related research area involves sustainable digitalisation in agriculture.

Phd in sustainability; Senior Lecturer in Environment and Systems, Kevin researches and teaches on a wide range of environmental topics and governance agendas, especially water resources, including drought. His action research is using systems thinking and practice and social learning processes to address complex socio-ecological situations. He has wide experience in EU and international research projects on environment and farming systems.

Researcher at Wagningen Plant Research, as part of the Agriculture & Society team. Background in transition and innovation studies, with a MSc from Wageningen University & Research. Involved in a number of EU (CFD, CSA, CSR) and national projects. Focus on multi-stakeholder approaches, co-creation, Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) and learning.

I am a computer engineer, holding a Bachelor Degree in Informatics, a second Bachelor Degree in Wine, Vine and Beverage Sciences and a Master Degree in GeoInformatics and Spatial Analysis from Agricultural University of Athens. I have been working as a software developer and a project manager leading the software development for digital tools and platforms in the topics of agricultural knowledge exchange and smart farming in the context of EU funded projects.

I am an Agricultural Engineer, with a background of Precision Agriculture, Computer Vision and Spaying Modeling. I have worked in multiple EU Funded research programmes (mainly Horizon EUROPE and Horizon 2020 projects) as project manager, and I have also participated in several EU funded education-related programmes (mainly Erasmus+ projects), alongside several national Greek training programmes as an instructor in Precision Agriculture and Remote Sensing.

Master in agricultural ingineering, and currently senior program manager at the French Livestock Institute. After several years as project manager in the Carcass and Meat Quality department, joined the department of Social Approaches. Involved in different multi-stakeholder projects which aims to supports changes in production models at national and European levels. Also provide specific support or training on the design and implementation of qualitative surveys, participative leadership and change management.

Master in agricultural development and PhD in agroecology, I have previously worked during many years as a teacher in a farming school, teaching both practical farming and environmental sustainability. I am now working as a project manager at the French Livestock Institute in the department of Social Approaches. I am involved in several local and European projects dealing with multi-actor approaches, qualitative enquiries and capacity development of advisers, farmers and teachers.

Master of Engineering in Energy. I work at farmers’ organisation Boerenbond, advising farmers on sustainable energy management and supporting those with innovative ideas. In projects, I often serve as an intermediary between research and the farming community addressing their specific needs. I am involved in several European projects (ATTRACTISS, modernAKIS, Climate Farm Demo, ClimateSmartAdvisors) focusing on networking and enhancing skills and competencies of advisors and other AKIS actors.

Elena-Teodora Miron is the responsible contact point for innovation, research and application projects in the Austrian Chambers of Agriculture. She coordinates the organization-wide capacity and project management development activities. In parallel she is involved in several EU-funded projects (ATTRACTISS, EU-FarmBook, ClimateSmartAdvisors, AdvisoryNetPest and OrganicAdviceNetwork) while coordinating the modernAKIS project (www.modernakis.eu, www.akisconnect.eu). She studied applied Computer Science at the University of Vienna and has worked for 20 years in research and industry in business informatics. Her expertise lies in process and project management, digital platform ecosystems and platform business models, as well as systems innovation.

Project manager at reframe.food and an agronomist with a PhD in agronomic practices and food quality. Working with EU projects covering agri-food systems and sustainable agriculture.

Andreia Carvalho is a Sustainability Consultant at CONSULAI with an international background in research, innovation, and production systems. She holds a Master’s degree in Materials Engineering from NOVA School of Science and Technology and has experience managing European R&D projects focused on climate adaptation, digital transformation, and sustainable agriculture.

Strong experience in the implementation of International projects in fields of Innovation boost, Business Development, Agriculture, Water management, Rural economics, Rural development, and others. Deep passion for women’s business clothing, specializing in office dresses.

Master degree in Agriculture science, Bachelors degree in Agriculture business. Working as a project manager in EUFRAS and also as field crom advisor in Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre (LLKC). Interest on support sustainable and innovative farming practices in Latvia and across Europe, small-farm systems, organic farming and social farming.

Pursuing an LLM in Human Rights, Isidora is a junior expert associate at BioSense, contributing to European projects. With a background in non-profit industry and working on social development projects, she is experienced in crafting project proposals, coordinating outreach, and leading impactful social media campaigns. Committed to diverse causes, she is dedicated to advancing human rights and sustainable development.

A senior expert associate, Dajana excels in developing and coordinating dissemination, communication, and marketing strategies. With a robust background, she enhances brand/project visibility. She is a project manager on various European projects, and possesses expertise in generating effective organizational exposure. A social media expert with 9 years of experience, she adeptly develops and manages social media strategies for impactful outcomes.

Project manager of projects financed by EU funds at national and European level. Master’s degree in Public Management

MSc in Agriculture, project manager at LLKC.
Specialises in organic agrifood production and agroecosystem management, use of botanicals as biocontrol products in plant protection. Also interested in medicinal and aromatic plants production, small-farm systems, and social farming.

After 27 years in the Flemish government, I decided it was time for a fresh start. Three years ago, I joined ILVO — and I haven’t looked back since. With a background in languages and management, and years of experience in education and training, I now manage three European research projects on agriculture and food. I enjoy bringing people and ideas together, turning great concepts into real impact (and learning something new every day along the way).

As the Head of the Center for Innovation and Business Development, Milica is a certified PMI Project Manager Professional (PMP) specializing in EU-funded projects, focusing on Digital Agriculture and ICTs for the AgriFood value chain. She actively forges partnerships, manages consortia, and guides the institute through the entire project lifecycle. Milica is connecting scientific endeavors with AgTech market trends, navigating the intersection of research and industry trends.

Vladislava holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Business in Services, and a master’s degree from the Faculty of Tourism, where she specialized in Eco Villages. With a rich professional background, she has several years of experience working with international corporations. She has actively participated in the planning, application, and execution of national and international projects, taken charge of event organization and support.

Luís Mira da Silva is a Partner at CONSULAI and an Associate Professor at the University of Lisbon. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Systems from the University of Reading and an Executive MBA from London Business School. He is also an expert in the World Bank’s African Centers of Excellence program. He has represented Portugal in European Commission groups and coordinates international projects on innovation, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship.

Researcher at Wagningen Plant Research, as part of the Agriculture & Society team. Background in transition and innovation studies, with a MSc from Wageningen University & Research. Involved in a number of EU (CFD, CSA, CSR) and national projects. Focus on multi-stakeholder approaches, co-creation, Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) and learning.

Researcher at the University of Almería, Spain, with a background in biotechnology and a Master’s in Bioeconomy, bridging biological and business perspectives. Her work focuses on digitalisation, sustainability, and climate-smart farming. She contributes to European multi-actor projects and Living Labs, analysing farming systems, value chains, and digital ecosystems to drive more resilient and sustainable agricultural transitions.

Master in agricultural engineering, PhD in microbiology, and currently senior researcher in the research group on learning and interactive innovation at EV ILVO in Belgium. Involved in different European projects (AgriDemo-F2F, DESIRA, Fairshare, i2connect, ClimateFarmDemo, FarmLIFE) focusing on networking, learning, and competency development of advisors, farmers and other AKIS actors.