Category: roadshow

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Roadshow 4: Precision horticulture and plant biotechnology on show

On 2–3 October 2026, the Bulduri Biotechnology Centre (BBC) at Bulduri Technical School in Jūrmala, Latvia, hosted the fourth event of the Nordic Testbed Network Roadshow 2026 – the “Bulduri Field Day”.

Roadshow 4 was the first NTN Field Day held in Latvia. 57 registered participants from Latvia, Sweden and Estonia, including researchers, testbed staff, start-ups, growers, advisors, VET teachers and students, and representatives of the Latvian Ministry of Agriculture, explored the operational pilot systems of the Latvian Digi-Garden testbed.

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Hands-on demonstrations
After an introduction to the Nordic Testbed Network, BBC and its current projects, participants rotated in small groups between four demonstration blocks: precision irrigation and fertigation with automatic irrigation and lighting control and soil analyses; field and lab phenotyping with the robot “Robis Floksis”, which participants could operate themselves; controlled-environment agriculture systems, including aeroponics, hydroponics/NFT and lighting-regime trials; and plant biotechnology, featuring micropropagation and Temporary Immersion Bioreactors, including moss propagation in liquid media.

A start-up corner featured pitches from Umeå University (Sweden) and Moshub, a start-up developing moss-based green infrastructure against urban air and noise pollution in cooperation with BBC. Field visits covered the trial plots of the EIP-AGRI project “DigiDārzs” and a demonstration project on regular soil and plant analyses in vegetable production. The day closed with a discussion on next steps and joint call opportunities, followed by a networking dinner.

Reaching growers and the public
Day 2 coincided with the Bulduri plant and crafts fair, which attracts several thousands of visitors. In a programme held mainly in Latvian, growers, nurseries, and the general public learned about artificial lighting for plants, the growing racks being developed at BBC, soil fertility, composting and enzyme activity in soil, and took part in a guided field tour of crops grown under different fertilisation regimes. Posters and information about NTN were on display throughout the day.

Nordic–Baltic value
The Field Day presented, for the first time within NTN, a Latvian testbed combining controlled-environment agriculture, precision horticulture and plant biotechnology. The discussions opened concrete cooperation topics, such as AI-based processing of phenotyping data, joint testing in CEA and field conditions, and scalable in vitro propagation, and laid a basis for future joint applications and multi-site test campaigns within the network.

The event was funded by the Nordic Testbed Network, coordinated by Nordic Forest Research (SNS) and Nordic Agri Research (NKJ).

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From smart bioeconomy to on-farm innovation: NTN Roadshow visits Finland

The third event in the Nordic Testbed Network (NTN) 2026 Roadshow took place in Saarijärvi, Finland, on 15–16 September, bringing together testbed representatives, researchers, technology developers and agricultural stakeholders to explore how innovation can be tested and developed in real-world environments.

 

Hosted as part of the BioBoosters Demo Days, the two-day event offered participants a hands-on look at the Tarvaala Bioeconomy Campus and its Smart Bioeconomy Testbed, followed by a visit to HRV Farm. The programme combined presentations and networking with live demonstrations and discussions about the practical needs of farmers and the role of technology in the future of agriculture.

Exploring innovation at the Tarvaala Bioeconomy Campus

The first day focused on innovation, insights and live demonstrations at the Tarvaala Bioeconomy Campus – a centre for smart bioeconomy and energy technology in Central Finland.

Following an opening keynote on the need to accelerate agricultural innovation, participants explored a series of technology and field demonstrations. One of the demonstrations, presented by Valtra and Delta Cygni Labs, showed how remote diagnostics can support agricultural machinery operating in challenging and low-connectivity environments. The solution combines tractor connectivity with remote service capabilities, while also opening up possibilities for telematics, fuel optimisation, automation and the integration of machinery data into testbed environments.

Bringing innovation closer to the farm

On the second day, the focus shifted from the testbed environment to the farm, with a visit to HRV Farm, a modern dairy farm and collaboration partner of Jamk.

With around 600 cows and a 50-stall milking carousel, HRV Farm provides opportunities for testing and demonstrating agricultural technologies in a real farming environment. Participants were given a guided tour of the farm and explored concrete examples of collaboration between farmers, technology providers and researchers.

The programme also included a farmer perspective on data-driven agriculture. Tero Lahti from the Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) shared experiences of how data and digital tools are already being used in agricultural decision-making, including applications in livestock breeding. The discussion highlighted the importance of understanding farmers’ needs, building trust in technology and demonstrating practical value on the farm.

Connecting Nordic and Baltic testbeds

The BioBoosters Demo Days provided a valuable setting for the NTN Roadshow to connect different parts of the innovation ecosystem – from research and technology development to testbeds and farmers.

For the Nordic Testbed Network, the visit to Finland was another opportunity to strengthen connections between testbeds across the Nordic and Baltic region and to exchange experiences of how real-world testing can support the development and adoption of new solutions in agriculture and the bioeconomy.

The NTN Roadshow continues to highlight the diversity of testbed environments across the region – and the value of bringing people together to share experiences, demonstrate solutions and explore opportunities for future collaboration.

The third Roadshow event was organised as part of BioBoosters Demo Days by Jamk’s BioBoosters Business Accelerator and Finnish Future Farm project, with the event also forming part of the Nordic Testbed Network 2026 Roadshow. Jamk’s Smart Bioeconomy Testbed has been a member of NTN since 2022.

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Roadshow 4: Bulduri Field Day

Precision Horticulture, Automation & CEA Demonstrations at the Latvian Digi-Garden Testbed

Time: 2-3 Oct, 2026
Place: Bulduri Technical School, Viestura iela 6, Jūrmala, LV-2010, Latvia

Sign up
Deadline is prolonged until Sept 20

The event is free of charge!

Bulduri Biotechnology Center invites you to a Field Day at Latvia’s Digi-Garden testbed, hosted at Bulduri Technical School in Jūrmala. The purpose is to showcase how precision agriculture and controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) are integrated with horticulture, nursery production, education and R&I, and to connect Nordic-Baltic testbed members, startups, end-users and advisors for joint testing and matchmaking. This is the first Nordic Testbed Network Field Day hosted in the Baltic region.

What to expect: hands-on demonstrations of sensing, automation, robotics and data-driven crop management; a startup corner with short pitches; a co-creation lab for joint test campaigns; and direct networking with growers and producers. An optional second day offers the Bulduri plant and crafts fair in the school park, with time to explore the seaside resort city of Jūrmala.

Target group: agri-/food-tech and bioeconomy startups (automation, sensors, robotics, lighting, decision support); end-users such as horticulture farms, nurseries, greenhouse and CEA operators; researchers and testbed managers (Nordic Testbed Network members); advisors and public-sector innovation intermediaries; and VET teachers, trainers and students in digital horticulture and STEM.

Practical information
Nordic Testbed Network members can apply for travel grants.
How to get there: about 15 minutes from Riga International Airport (RIX), ~30 minutes from central Riga, and a 20-minute walk from the Baltic Sea. MAP
Accommodation: we recommend the on-campus Hotel Ozols (favourable rates; indicate your needs when registering) or Semarah Hotel Lielupe.

Program

2 October, 2026

9:00 Welcome and coffee
9:30 Opening keynote, Testbeds introduction and networking coffee
10:30 Demo 1: Precision irrigation and fertigation: automatic irrigation and lighting control, subsurface capillary fertigation, monitoring and data logging
11:30 Demo 2: Field/lab phenotyping: phenotyping robot (navigation, imaging, trait extraction); data quality and interoperability
12:30 Lunch, startup corner (5-minute pitches / posters)
13:30 Project’s presentations, startup corner (5-minute pitches / posters)
14:00 Demo 3: CEA systems: aeroponics and hydroponics/NFT, environmental control and crop monitoring
15:00 Demo 4: Plant biotech: micropropagation and Temporary Immersion Bioreactors (TIB) for scalable propagation; quality control
16:00 Demo 5: Agrochemistry in Action: soil and plant-tissue analysis and ion chromatography to guide precision fertilization.
16:45 Wrap-up: next steps, joint call opportunities and evaluation
18:00-21.30 Transfer to Networking dinner at restaurant “Kūriņš”, Kauguri, Jurmala

3 October, 2026

Plant and crafts fair in the Bulduri Technical School park, networking with local growers and producers, and time to explore Jūrmala on the Baltic coast and Kemeri Mire


Contact
Anta Sparinska, Bulduri Biotechnology Center
anta.sparinska@bulduri.lv

 

The Nordic Testbed Network Roadshow
The Roadshow is a series of events held at various testbeds, aimed at engaging a target audience through presentations, demonstrations, and networking opportunities. The purpose is to connect the testbed members with relevant startups, end-users, other testbeds and other important stakeholders focusing on digitalisation in the bioeconomy sectors throughout the Nordic and Baltic region.