From project plan to joint action at the AFarEDGE kick-off
AFarEDGE partners mapped connections between 14 innovations, defined work package priorities and clarified key deliverable dependencies during the kick-off in Pietarsaari. Farm and factory visits added practical perspectives to the planning. The consortium will now move forward with coordinated development and piloting activities.
The official kick-off event of the AFarEDGE Chips JU project brought together more than 60 participants in Pietarsaari on 8–10 September. The three-day event provided a practical and collaborative start for the project. It enabled partners to begin planning their joint work, become familiar with the project structure and get to know their new project colleagues.
The project is coordinated by Centria University of Applied Sciences, and the consortium includes 36 partners from eight countries. Over the three-year project period, the partners aim to advance edge computing technologies, cutting-edge perception and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) by developing and piloting 14 innovations across three Use Case.
Day 1 – Building a shared vision
The main task of the first day was to build a shared understanding of how the individual innovations contribute to the project’s three Use Cases: Future Crops, Smart Farmwork and Animal Well-being. The partners began by reviewing the objectives of each Use Case and presenting the innovations within them. They then explored how the innovations will work together to form coherent Use Cases. The groups discussed their shared targets, the actions needed to reach them and the initial goals for each year of the project.
Day 2 – Planning tasks and exploring real-world environments
The second day was divided into work package planning in the morning and site visits in the municipality of Pedersöre in the afternoon. During the morning workshops, participants discussed work package practices, reviewed the tasks of individual partners and mapped the key deliverables and their dependencies. This helped clarify the overall workflow and the initial priorities for each work package. The discussions answered many practical questions while also identifying new topics for further work on the third day.
In the afternoon, the participants visited Lindqvist dairy farm and the ELHO factories. The farm tour covered daily operations, the harvesting cycle, grass collection and fodder production, including the Finnish specialty of AIV fodder. Participants were also able to observe some of the farm’s cows from a safe distance. Despite the rainy weather, the visit offered valuable practical insights.
The visit to ELHO factories provided an overview of how agricultural machinery is assembled and prepared for distribution. Participants explored the operation of the factory’s production line and discussed the practical functions of ELHO machinery.
After the visits, a presentation on the municipality of Pedersöre explained how its history has shaped its growth and development. The day concluded with dinner at Pavis restaurant by the Gulf of Bothnia. The Finnish partners of the AFarEDGE project hosted the dinner, while a beautiful sunset and insightful conversations provided a memorable end to the day.
Day 3 – Refining the path forward
On the final day, the partners returned to the questions raised during the Use Case and work package sessions. Working in dedicated groups, the dependencies and practical issues involving partners were discussed and clarified. Joint sessions then focused on the planned implementations of the AFarEDGE context-oriented secure framework, milestone targets, deliverables and results of the Day 2 work package sessions. The kick-off concluded with an overview of administrative responsibilities, deadlines, upcoming events and the immediate next steps for the consortium.
Final thoughts
By combining detailed planning, practical workshops, site visits and open discussion, the kick-off helped to turn the project plan into a shared programme of work. The partners left Pietarsaari with clearer responsibilities, stronger connections and a common understanding of the work ahead. This collaboration will support the development and piloting artificial intelligence solution as well as edge computing technologies throughout the project.
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