On Thursday, 12 June, INCiTiS-FOOD partners held an insightful webinar titled Unlocking the Potential of the SmartAgriHub Synergy Portal: Tools, Practices, and Community Dialogues. The session aimed to familiarise INCiTiS-FOOD consortium members and innovation actors onboarded within the Living Labs with the Synergy Portal’s features and opportunities for engagement.
Three speakers – Mark Hage, Abiola Adegoke, and Inder Kumar – shared their expertise and experiences, highlighting how the portal can be used to strengthen collaboration, improve digital presence, and engage in knowledge-sharing across the food system community.
Exploring the Synergy Portal
Mark Hage from Schuttelaar & Partners opened the session by walking participants through the Synergy Portal. He introduced several new features, including the recently added French-language version and a dedicated INCiTiS-FOOD library section. He also spoke about the self-assessment tool – a key feature that enables users to evaluate their strengths and identify areas for development.
Mark also highlighted the Discourse-based discussion forum now integrated into the portal. This space, which includes a dedicated INCiTiS-FOOD section, allows users to raise questions, start conversations, and contribute to thematic discussions — all while remaining logged in via their portal credentials.
Putting Tools into Practice
Abiola Adegoke from Aglobe Development Centre (ADC) followed up with a practical reflection on using the self-assessment tool. Sharing ADC’s experience, he explained how the tool helped his organisation quickly assess its strengths and capabilities on the platform. According to Abiola, the process was straightforward and offered valuable guidance on how to enhance ADC’s visibility and participation within the digital ecosystem.
He encouraged other Living Labs and innovation actors to give the tool a try, pointing out that it can offer useful insights and practical suggestions for improvement.
Launching E-Discussions for Shared Learning
Inder Kumar from Wageningen University & Research concluded the session with a presentation on the upcoming e-discussions on the Synergy Forum via the Discourse app. These discussions, set to launch on 26 June, will cover a wide range of topics. Inder underscored the importance of active engagement in these dialogues, which are open not only to consortium members but also to broader food system actors onboarded through the digital ecosystem. Although participants can register as individual users, he encouraged them to register as organisations to contribute effectively and make their perspectives visible.
The first e-discussion will be launched on June 26 and will focus on Indigenous plants in the soilless system. Participants are invited to share their experiences and examples — what indigenous African plants they’ve worked with, which ones have shown promise, and which digital tools or platforms have supported their efforts.
Three additional e-discussions are planned in the coming months. These will focus on:
- Growing spider plants in hydroponic systems
- Digital solutions for monitoring water quality in aquaponics and hydroponics
- Improving access to high-quality, affordable fish feed through digital channels
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