A three-day forum dedicated to the ecological and digital transition of the Mediterranean horticultural sector. Following the success of last April’s workshop, Sicily’s agritech hub is preparing to host the Sicily Camp. The initiative is part of the INETRREG NEXT project PROTECHMED (Promoting innovative solutions for the Technological Transition of the Mediterranean horticultural sector) and is coordinated by SVI.MED in collaboration with the University of Catania (Degree Programme in Management of Enterprises for a Sustainable Economy, DEI, and Di3A). The event is an international forum on the sustainable and smart management of protected crops, involving institutional partners, research centres, companies, stakeholders and organisations from Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Turkey, Lebanon and Malta, all working to make Mediterranean horticulture more sustainable and smarter.
The programme: Hi‑tech and field visits
Through this major event, project partners will share best practices, technologies and methodologies currently implemented in the agritech horticultural district of south‑eastern Sicily. The first two days are dedicated to technical visits to companies that are already shaping the future of agriculture. The programme begins on the afternoon of 3 June with a visit to the INTESA aeroponic greenhouse at Moncada OP (Ispica), followed by a visit to the Causarano farm in Donnalucata to learn about their innovative sensor- and Internet of Things (IoT)-based approach.
Field visits continue on 4 June with stops in Comiso to see the Archimede REGRAN greenhouse, in Vittoria to visit Isolagrande srl (specialised in organic cultivation), and finally in Donnalucata at Alba Bio. Partners will observe different cultivation methods firsthand — from organic farming to soilless systems — including technological sensors, hydroponics and integrated agrivoltaic systems. This will enable direct know‑how exchange and an assessment of the best technological practices developed in the Ragusa area.
June 5:Co‑design workshop
The final day will take place in the Aula Magna of the University Consortium of Ragusa Ibla. During the workshop, “Co‑design of technological solutions for sustainable horticulture in the Mediterranean region,” delegations from Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Turkey, Lebanon and Malta — together with B2B meetings — will turn field observations into operational plans. Using the Living Lab methodology, participants will work in technical groups on pilot actions to define recommendations and concrete projects that will guide the sector’s transformation in the coming years. Knowledge gained during the visits will be translated into collaborative outcomes.
Here the three-day program