Biotechnology, one of the priority sectors for smart economic specialization of the South Central Region, has multiple applications in at least four major areas, including health (medicine), agriculture, non-food (industrial) uses of grains and other products (such as biodegradable plastics, biofuels, etc.), and the environment, beyond other niche areas of development.
To support the digital transition in the biotechnology sector with a focus on local entrepreneurs, public and academic sectors in the region, the Thrace Hub has initiated a number of partnerships through which it is expanding its ecosystem towards delivering and promoting cyber-secure innovations in agriculture.
On 16 February, the China-Central and Eastern Europe Centre for the Promotion of Agricultural Cooperation (CCHECA) and the Digital Innovation Hub Thrace (DIH Thrace) signed an Agreement on Cooperation in Supporting SMEs and Public Organisations in their Digitisation Transition Processes.
During the official signing of the Memorandum, Dr. Momchil Stanishev, Director of CNSSCCIE, and Dr. Hristian Daskalov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of DIH Trakia, discussed their future joint partnership, expressing hope for fruitful cooperation between the two parties. The meeting was also attended by Mr. Yassen Tanev, Head of the Thrace Hub ecosystem and one of the leading cyber security experts in the country.
DIH Trakia consists of a team of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and IT experts. The main activities of DIH Trakia include supporting SMEs and public administrations to achieve their digital transformation goals through sharing knowledge and experience in innovation, including providing training, consulting and workshops on cyber maturity, cyber security, and risk management.
The scope of the Agreement is to build a partnership ecosystem, following the guidelines set out in the CYBERsecurity 4 All STAKeholdeRs project, which is part of the European Network of Digital Innovation Hubs, funded through the Digital Europe Programme and with the mission to support SMEs and public organisations in their digital transition. The common goal of both parties will be to provide and use cyber security services for the benefit of their partners, in particular: public and business organisations, innovative start-up SMEs offering revolutionary solutions for digital transformation, and also in the field of cyber security and e-government.
The CSCSCCCE together with the DIH Trakia will carry out their cooperation through exchange of information, promotion of services, mutual holding of events, as well as assistance for participation of experts and other representatives in meetings, lectures, expertise, consultations, statistical and other studies.
During the meeting, the representatives of the CSSSCCE and the DIH Trakia discussed their points of contact, including in the field of cyber security and artificial intelligence and their applications in the agricultural sector. EDIH Trakia is a partner of CICCCE in the implementation of the Academy of Entrepreneurship in Agriculture, as well as in the future edition of the Accelerator Program for Startups in Agriculture.
In parallel, the project for the European Digital Innovation Hub “Trakia” was presented to the attention of the Student Council of Agricultural University – Plovdiv. Students from the university had the opportunity to attend a specialized seminar to learn about modern cyber threats and their consequences in an academic environment, as well as to learn more about the opportunities that the Hub provides locally.
Students from the Agrarian University were invited to participate in the upcoming edition of the CSSCCCE Academy of Entrepreneurship in Agriculture, where the topics of cyber security and artificial intelligence are strongly covered. The first edition of the Academy will be held in the city of. The first edition of the Academy will be held in Ruse on 26-29 March 2024. All individuals and legal entities interested in the event can apply for participation via the organizers’ website – https://china2ceec.org/academy2024/, where the general rules and regulations for the Academy are published, as well as the application form.
