D5.1 - Dissemination & Communication Plan and Reports, including Network Development - Version 3

DISSEMINATION & COMMUNICATION PLAN AND REPORTS, INCLUDING NETWORK DEVELOPMENT – VERSION 3 12/2024 Ref. Ares(2024)9286219 - 31/12/2024 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 2 Project cofunded by the European Commission within the Digital Europe Programme Dissemination Level PU Public x CO Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Services) □ CL Classified, as referred to in Commission decision 2001/844/EC □ Deliverable number: Deliverable name: D5.1 Work package: 5 Lead WP: WR Lead Task: Trust-IT Document Revision History Date Issue Author/Editor/Contributor Summary of main change 08/11/2024 V0.1 Rita Giuffrida – Trust-IT Services Table of Content 22/11/2024 V0.2 Rita Giuffrida – Trust-IT Services Inputs in Sections 2 and 3 25/11/2024 V0.3 Sarina Magham – Trust-IT Services Inputs in Sections 4 and 7 03/12/2024 V0.4 Rita Giuffrida – Trust-IT Services Inputs in Section 5, 6 and 7 09/12/2024 V0.5 Teresa Ridolfi – Trust-IT Services Inputs in Section 6 10/12/2024 V0.6 Valeriya Fetisova – Trust-IT Services Inputs in Section 6 12/12/2024 V0.7 Ana Ivaschiv – TrustIT Services Inputs in Section 6 17/12/2024 V0.8 Rita Giuffrida – Trust-IT Services Executive Summary, Conclusions and revision of the entire deliverable 19/12/2024 V0.9 Alea Louise Scovill – Teknologisk Gohar Isakhanyan - WUR Internal review 20/12/2024 V1.0 Rita Giuffrida – Trust-IT Raffaele Giaffreda – FBK Edoardo Corona - FBK Final revision of the deliverable and Submission 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 3 Table of Contents 1. Executive summary ................................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 2.1 Structure of the document ............................................................................................................................... 6 3. Main objectives ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 4. Dissemination and Communication Strategy ........................................................................................................... 7 4.1 Diversification across Stakeholder Groups ....................................................................................................... 8 5. Campaigns ............................................................................................................................................................... 10 6. Communication and Dissemination Plan ................................................................................................................ 13 6.1 Channels and elements ................................................................................................................................... 13 6.1.1 agrifoodTEF website ................................................................................................................................ 14 6.1.2 Social media channels ............................................................................................................................. 22 6.1.3 Newsletter ............................................................................................................................................... 33 6.1.4 Event management ................................................................................................................................. 35 6.1.5 Communication elements ....................................................................................................................... 44 6.2 Synergies ......................................................................................................................................................... 51 6.2.1 Role of agrifoodTEF with other TEF projects .......................................................................................... 53 7. Monitoring .............................................................................................................................................................. 53 7.1 KPI dashboard ....................................................................................................................................................... 54 7.2 Google analytics .................................................................................................................................................... 55 8. Conclusions and next steps ..................................................................................................................................... 56 Table of Figures Figure 1 – agrifoodTEF’s Stakeholder Groups ................................................................................................................. 10 Figure 2 – Main navigation menu of the previous agrifoodTEF website ........................................................................ 15 Figure 3 – One of the exercises conducted during the UX/UI workshop to identify areas for website improvement .. 16 Figure 4 – Brainstorming session on services visualization during the UX/UI workshop ............................................... 17 Figure 5 – Proposed sitemap for the new agrifoodTEF website ..................................................................................... 18 Figure 6 – Wireframes of the new agrifoodTEF website ................................................................................................ 19 Figure 7 – Colour and typography system ...................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 8 – High-fidelity mock-ups of the new agrifoodTEF website ............................................................................... 20 Figure 9 – New Catalogue of Services available on the agrifoodTEF website ................................................................ 21 Figure 10 – Services suggestion on the website Homepage ........................................................................................... 22 Figure 11 – agrifoodTEF social media banner ................................................................................................................. 22 Figure 12 – some printscreens of LinkedIn posts ........................................................................................................... 23 Figure 13 – some examples of X posts ............................................................................................................................ 25 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 4 Figure 14 – Number of X impressions in the period June – December 2024 ................................................................. 25 Figure 15 – Number of new followers on X in the period June – December 2024 ......................................................... 26 Figure 16 – Engagement rate on X in the period June – December 2024 ...................................................................... 26 Figure 17Facebook statistics in the period June – December 2024 ............................................................................. 27 Figure 18 – Overview of the Instagram feed .................................................................................................................. 28 Figure 19 – Instagram statistics in the period June – December 2024 ........................................................................... 29 Figure 20 – Videos uploaded to the agrifoodTEF’s YouTube channel ............................................................................ 30 Figure 21 – agrifoodTEF community on Zenodo ............................................................................................................. 31 Figure 22 – newsletter subscription on the agrifoodTEF website .................................................................................. 34 Figure 23 – some printscreens from the 1st agrifoodTEF newsletter ............................................................................. 35 Figure 24 – some printscreens of the agrifoodTEF recap video at Synergy Days ........................................................... 37 Figure 25 – banners to promote the 1st webinar ............................................................................................................ 38 Figure 26 – Cards developed to promote the 1st webinar on social media channels ..................................................... 38 Figure 27 – examples of promotional posts in different languages ............................................................................... 39 Figure 28 – countries of the experts who registered for the webinar ............................................................................ 39 Figure 29area of expertise of people attracted by the webinar ................................................................................... 40 Figure 30 – Newspiece section on the agrifoodTEF website .......................................................................................... 45 Figure 31 – Press Release shared with the Press Agencies ............................................................................................. 46 Figure 32 – some printscreens from the recording of the Success Stories .................................................................... 47 Figure 33 – agrifoodTEF’s Zoom Background ................................................................................................................. 48 Figure 34 – Example of a general flier............................................................................................................................. 49 Figure 35 – Example of social media header .................................................................................................................. 50 Figure 36 – Examples of social media banners in square and rectangular versions ...................................................... 51 Figure 37 – Social media KPI dashboard on PowerBI ...................................................................................................... 54 Figure 38 – Top countries visiting the website ............................................................................................................... 55 Figure 39 – Most viewed pages ...................................................................................................................................... 56 Figure 40 – Website visits aquisition .............................................................................................................................. 56 Table of Tables Table 1 – Campaign #1 Awareness ................................................................................................................................. 11 Table 2 – Campaign #2 Interest ...................................................................................................................................... 11 Table 3 – Campaign #3 Consideration ............................................................................................................................ 12 Table 4 – Campaign #4 Conversion ................................................................................................................................. 12 Table 5 – agrifoodTEF’s channels and elements ............................................................................................................. 14 Table 6 – LinkedIn KPIs from January to December 2024............................................................................................... 24 Table 7 – 3rd-party events attended by the agrifoodTEF members ................................................................................ 44 Table 8 – Communication and Dissemination KPIs ......................................................................................................... 54 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 5 1. Executive summary The third version of the “Dissemination & Communication plan and reports including network” deliverable sets out the strategy and main activities performed by the agrifood team in 2024 in terms of communicating its goals, outputs and impacts. It also describes how it is sharing its results and building a community. In terms of planning, it defines specific actions and measures for all activities related to community building and practical assets key to ensuring the proper visibility of agrifoodTEF as one of the Testing and Experimentation Facilities projects. The report also outlines agrifoodTEF stakeholder groups and targeted engagement activities with dedicated campaigns to increase the impact of communication and dissemination activities. The document lays the foundations for future actions in three further documents (D5.1 V4 in 2025, D5.1 V5 in 2026 and D5.1 V6 in 2027), which will report on impacts and achievements and update plans with an increasing focus on how dissemination and communication activities can support the sustainability plan of agrifoodTEF. The deliverable shows also how activities will be monitored through pre-defined KPIs coupled with qualitative assessments. It also provides a concise report on current achievements, upcoming synergies and knowledge sharing, as well as engagement roadmaps for the targeted stakeholders. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 6 2. Introduction This deliverable represents the third iteration of the plan for dissemination and communication activities. Its primary goal is to articulate the strategy and foreseen initiatives for the communication and dissemination efforts. The agrifoodTEF team aims to employ dedicated multichannel actions and campaigns to facilitate meaningful engagement with various stakeholder groups. Following this deliverable, three subsequent updates of the report are scheduled for production in M36, M48 and M60. 2.1 Structure of the document The document is structured into seven main sections that aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the communication and dissemination strategies and plans employed by the project: • Sections 2 and 3: describe the general objectives of the deliverable. • Section 4: presents the dissemination and communication strategy tailored for specific Stakeholder Groups (SGs). • Section 5: details various campaigns designed to achieve communication and dissemination goals. • Section 6: showcases the Communication and Dissemination plan, emphasising the channels and elements employed. It also explores the role of synergies in meeting communication and dissemination objectives. • Section 7: discusses the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) implemented to monitor the quantitative impact of communication and dissemination strategies. • Section 8: draws the conclusions and summarises the next steps. 3. Main objectives As part of WP5, T5.3 leads the development, update and implementation of the dissemination and communication (D&C) strategy for agrifoodTEF. The main objectives of the D&C activities are as follows: • Transfer the agrifoodTEF knowledge and results to relevant stakeholder groups; • Raise awareness and openly demonstrate clear environmental, social, economic and technological benefits of adopting AI and robotics in the agritech sector; • Maximise the impact of research and enable the value of results to go beyond agrifoodTEF and its immediate end users. Through the activities described in this deliverable, the D&C team will stimulate outreach towards different types of stakeholders and enhance the impact of project results beyond the consortium boundaries to promote uptake and innovation, in support of the overall objectives: • To build an agile and sustainable network that provides world class expertise and state of the art infrastructure for the design and the implementation of AI testing and experimenting methodologies in real-world environments and to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the network; • To provide services to technology providers in testing, experimenting, certifying and validating AI, data and robotics solutions; 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 7 • To foster trust and acceptance in the user community and to boost the roll-out of European AI, data, and robotics solutions from the lab to the market, guaranteeing maturity of the solutions through high quality validation processes; • To ensure the trust of technology providers when using agrifoodTEF services; • To strengthen and expand the agrifoodTEF network to cover the European market; • To offer and further develop end-user driven use cases and methodologies to guarantee the involvement of smaller farms and businesses, with specific focus on affordability of AI solutions. 4. Dissemination and Communication Strategy The agrifoodTEF project’s communication and dissemination strategy, part of WP5’s focus on “Ecosystem and Market Development and Visibility,” is designed to deliver a coordinated and effective 60-month plan, guided by the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely) approach. Communication Activities • Developing a consistent visual identity. • Maintaining an informative project website. • Designing and distributing event materials. • Leveraging social media for updates. • Creating engaging videos. • Sharing press releases for key milestones. Dissemination Activities • Publishing research findings. • Participating in conferences. • Participating or attending relevant tradeshows. • Organising practical demonstrations and workshops for users and adopters. Engagement Activities • Attending industry events. • Hosting workshops for in-depth discussions. • Providing webinars and training materials to share knowledge. • Face to face meetings with companies with a focus on AI and/or robots Success is measured through website traffic, social media engagement, stakeholder feedback, publications, presentations, collaborations, and network growth. Communication Team In order to share the most relevant outcomes and evaluate the performance of the D&C activities, from September 2024, a communication team was established, with members from each agrifoodTEF node (national bodies supporting local companies and developers during testing and validation). The team aims to: 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 8 • Improve local communication strategies. • Share best practices. • Monitor communication KPIs and enhance performance where needed. • Ensure quality standards for dissemination materials in both content and layout. As of December 2024, the team has implemented procedures for managing social media channels, publishing website content, organising events, and developing flyers. The team meets monthly to ensure alignment, strategy refinement, and updates on progress. 4.1 Diversification across Stakeholder Groups agrifoodTEF is dedicated to establishing a robust and dynamic ecosystem that fosters collaboration and connectivity among a wide network of stakeholders, contributing to the overall success of the project. By leveraging multiple sector-specific TEF networks, agrifoodTEF aims to create opportunities for meaningful connections, exchange of best practices, and enhanced collaborative efforts. To achieve the goal of promoting effective and fruitful engagement among diverse stakeholder groups, it is essential to involve end-users, regulatory bodies, supply chains, and civil society organisations in both the innovation and testing processes. Each node within the network will serve as a "living laboratory," actively learning and evolving in its function. This approach will ensure that stakeholder participation is seamlessly integrated into the TEF development process, thereby enriching the testing environments with controlled and realistic scenarios. agrifoodTEF will implement a tailored engagement strategy for each of its six target audience groups to maximise their contributions and benefits. 1. Farmers and Advisors As one of the primary stakeholder groups of agrifoodTEF, farmers and their advisors are regarded as the principal clients of the services provided. This group will benefit from continuously updated and developed use cases, supported by annual workshops on technology and use cases. agrifoodTEF thrives on the insights provided by farmers, which directly inform the project's outcomes and are subsequently applied in real-world situations. The active involvement of farmers ensures that the project remains grounded in practical relevance, aligning its innovations with the needs of its end users. 2. Farmers Associations Farmers’ associations represent an influential stakeholder group with a vested interest in the latest advancements and technological applications offered by agrifoodTEF. Serving as amplifiers, these associations can broaden outreach and integrate additional farmers into the project ecosystem. Through their involvement, agrifoodTEF can extend the reach of its workshops, training sessions, and services, ensuring a wider adoption of innovative solutions across the agricultural community. 3. Public Administration and Governmental Bodies Public administration entities and governmental bodies are pivotal to the agrifoodTEF initiative. The TEF provides an ideal platform for establishing streamlined clearance processes for cutting-edge robotics and AI solutions, particularly long-term autonomous machinery. Moreover, agrifoodTEF seeks to enhance awareness of the transformative impact the TEF can have on the agricultural sector. The co-funding and active participation of local governments associated with the project nodes and satellites underscore its significance as a public-private collaboration driving innovation. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 9 4. Research Institutes agrifoodTEF actively targets research institutions to engage in the project, recognising their vital role in the development, testing, monitoring, and refinement of technologies and services. By bridging the gap between academic research and practical applications, these institutes can help enhance the quality and scope of services provided to stakeholders. Their involvement ensures the incorporation of cutting-edge advancements, contributing to the continuous evolution of the TEF's offerings. Furthermore, their participation enables the integration of the TEF into broader research and development initiatives, fostering a cycle of innovation and application. 5. Machinery Suppliers For machinery suppliers, the TEF offers a specialised infrastructure to test, evaluate, and integrate technological solutions into their products. This collaboration between suppliers and research institutions facilitates the development of technologically advanced machinery tailored to meet end-user needs. The expertise and resources of machinery suppliers play a crucial role in the design, implementation, and refinement processes, ensuring that products align with customer demands and contribute effectively to the project’s goals. agrifoodTEF’s multifaceted engagement strategy ensures that each stakeholder group plays an active and complementary role in advancing the project’s mission, thereby fostering a vibrant, innovative, and sustainable agrifood ecosystem. 6. Technology Providers and AI, robotics and Data intermediaries To foster trust in the agri-food sector and support technology providers, especially SMEs and start-ups, the agrifoodTEF project offers facilities to test and experiment with advanced AI-based solutions. A supervised regulatory sandbox framework is provided to assist nodes and satellites in establishing AI regulatory burdens for SMEs and start-ups. Intellectual property (IP) support is key to helping SMEs, the primary agrifoodTEF clients, valorise intangible assets, ensuring a sustainable business model that accelerates digital transition. agrifoodTEF helps European SMEs protect and capitalise on their IP, while offering services at reduced internal cost prices. Each service is treated as a project, boosting competitiveness for technology providers and agri-food sector players, while delivering societal benefits. By enabling AI and robotics start-ups, as well as agriculture machine manufacturers, to bring precise, effective solutions to market, agrifoodTEF lays the foundation for a new generation of data-driven decision support systems and agrifood robots. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 16 Figure 3 – One of the exercises conducted during the UX/UI workshop to identify areas for website improvement For the services section, participants emphasised the importance of displaying relevant details for external users, including the contact person, costs, timing, key benefits, and areas of expertise. Additionally, when asked about the Catalogue’s functionality, agrifoodTEF partners highlighted the need for filtering options, technical specifications, links to the responsible contact person, service descriptions, added value, and related success stories. Finally, the workshop participants offered insights on categorization and filtering to improve navigation within the Catalogue. Suggestions included focusing on the scope of service (e.g., testing, validation) as filters, and categorizing services by agrifood industry sectors to better meet customer needs. The categorization defined in the D2.1 document was cited as the primary reference, as it had been analyzed and agreed upon by all agrifoodTEF partners but had not been implemented due to time constraints. The insights and results of the UX/UI workshop provided the foundation for the website's subsequent redesign. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 17 Figure 4 – Brainstorming session on services visualization during the UX/UI workshop 6.1.1.2 Development of the new agrifoodTEF website with improved user experience The design of the new website was based on the insights obtained from the UX/UI workshop and the overall assessment of the previous website's functionalities and the project’s objectives. By analysing the potential users’ needs, significant shortcomings in the website's usability were identified, which was also confirmed by the internal stakeholders. To propose a new website design that would address the existing pain points and ease the customer journey, a multistep design process was followed. To start with, the results of the UX/UI workshop were analysed and divided into categories of issues to be addressed. These included the navigation menu, access to the Catalogue of Services, consistency in the services categorization and description, presentation of the project’s mission, display of the opportunities for engagement and events promoted by the project, the overall information architecture, and development of a website with dedicated sections instead of a single landing page. This first stage was necessary to ensure no issue was overlooked and there was a clear focus on user needs. Next, the work proceeded toward the definition of the sitemap and information architecture. The primary focus has been to provide easy navigation to the Catalogue and help users identify the right service based on their needs. To achieve this, it was envisaged to include a redirection to the Catalogue from the Homepage and suggest relevant services throughout the user journey. Furthermore, the insights provided in D1.2 served as the basis for the services 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 18 categorization in the Catalogue. To provide a clear overview of the project’s objectives and the parties involved, it was proposed to remove the nodes list from the Homepage and include a more structured description in a dedicated section, “About Us.” Based also on the partners’ insights, it was envisaged to include several points with contact information and a redirection to the contact form. Figure 5 – Proposed sitemap for the new agrifoodTEF website Following the sitemap development, the design process transitioned to the ideation phase. This included the creation of low-fidelity wireframes aimed at conveying the webpage structure and information hierarchy. The main goal was to validate the basic elements of the different website areas, such as the navigation, content blocks, and layout, and iterate on them in case of usability issues. The iterated wireframes played an important role in bridging the conceptualization phase to the development stage and suggesting a refined interaction flow compared to the previous website. From the set of developed wireframes, the work continued toward the production of high-fidelity mock-ups and prototypes. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 19 Figure 6 – Wireframes of the new agrifoodTEF website Prior to the transition from wireframes to mock-ups, a design system was developed to ensure that the new website is aligned with the project branding and that there is consistency across all areas. For this, the following elements were developed: colour and typography systems, components library, grid guidelines, and icon set. Figure 7 – Colour and typography system Based on the design system, a high-fidelity mock-up has been designed to provide a visual representation of the new website prior to the development. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 20 Figure 8 – High-fidelity mock-ups of the new agrifoodTEF website As a result, the first version of the website included the Homepage, Catalogue of Services with dedicated service pages, a section "About Us" covering the project’s mission and objectives with a redirection to the Nodes pages, an area for news and events, and a "Contact Us" form. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 21 Figure 9 – New Catalogue of Services available on the agrifoodTEF website The Catalogue of Services, which represents a central point of interest for users given the project’s value proposition, has been designed with particular attention to the user flow. With several entry points from the Homepage, as well as from the “About Us” section and service pages, the Catalogue showcases the service listing and a set of filters, which are displayed in a hierarchical manner. To facilitate navigation and search, the primary set of filters covers the targeted sectors, which include arable farming, food processing, greenhouse horticulture, livestock farming, tree crops, and viticulture. Next, the user is offered three additional sets of filters based on the type of product to validate, test, or evaluate, the type of service needed, and the location where the service is provided. All the filters have been based on the information provided in D1.2. The Catalogue also offers a search by keywords and information on the services’ customisation. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 22 Figure 10 – Services suggestion on the website Homepage In the upcoming months, it is envisaged that the improvement of the agrifoodTEF website will continue based on the users’ needs and the project’s objectives. The next steps will include the release of a dedicated area for training materials and an infrastructure catalogue to provide additional value to the website visitors. 6.1.2 Social media channels Social media accounts play a pivotal role in agrifoodTEF dissemination and communication strategy, reaching out well beyond professionals in the agritech industries. The AI, robotics and agritech solutions represent a trending topic of conversation also in terms of social interest. While the adoption of digital solutions is increasingly attracting the interest and attention not only of sectoral players but also of the wider public, the adoption of digital solutions for farmers spans 21% (McKinsey) 1 . This determines both main opportunities and challenges for the communication activities. The social media channels are an instant form of communication with community members and potentially interested people or organisations. To help ensure continual visibility of the project’s efforts to targeted stakeholders like webinars, workshops or general events and announcements, agrifoodTEF uses the following social media channels: Twitter / X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, all characterised by the coordinated branding. Figure 11 – agrifoodTEF social media banner 1 https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/agriculture/our-insights/agtech-breaking-down-the-farmer-adoption-dilemma 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 23 To give more visibility to the work agrifoodTEF is carrying out, starting from July 2024, the team has implemented a widespread and detailed social media strategy, with different social media accounts for each agrifoodTEF nodes. Each node country has its own social media channels where specific contents in local languages are communicated and national events are promoted. In order to keep track of the social media activity - both the general one and the nodes’ one - agrifoodTEF has implemented an Editorial Plan with weekly updates on social media posting. Section 6.1.2.7 will present in more detail the way of working implemented to disseminate the agrifoodTEF main achievements. In general, the social media strategy adopted so far consists of weekly posts on each social media account - generally discussing and promoting the same topic. 6.1.2.1 LinkedIn LinkedIn is the most recognised social media channel for building professional networking. The agrifoodTEF LinkedIn account (https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrifoodtef) is particularly useful to reach out to researchers, professionals and TEF customers in the field and share with them the project advancements. The possibility to tag, among others, partners, industry leaders, researchers and guest speakers with their professional profile increases the chances of visibility within their respective networks, allowing agrifoodTEF to reach related audiences and potentially new users and/or customers. This channel is usually updated with 1 to 2 posts per week, depending on the needs of the project. The communication on LinkedIn profile is run in English, even though nodes’ LinkedIn profiles have been created to share updates in local languages as well. Figure 12 – some printscreens of LinkedIn posts As of today, the agrifoodTEF LinkedIn page counts 1261 followers - a continuously growing number, nourished by regular posting schedule and content-rich posts. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 24 The table below presents the main LinkedIn KPIs related to the period January – December 2024. Month Followers’ growth Impressions Clicks Reactions Reposts Engagement rate Jan-24 52 385 34 4 0 0.6 Feb-24 58 2835 70 68 1 0.03 Mar-24 54 1412 39 22 1 0.03 Apr-24 31 115 16 0 0 0.04 May-24 25 159 0 0 0 0 Jun-24 89 6081 427 181 2 0.09 Jul-24 136 10800 269 244 3 0.05 Aug-24 43 4594 196 142 5 0.06 Sep-24 76 4576 202 145 2 0.06 Oct-24 83 6885 579 266 1 0.1 Nov-24 44 4251 369 146 5 0.09 Dec-24 49 3200 155 133 4 0.08 Table 6 – LinkedIn KPIs from January to December 2024 The KPIs demonstrate a steady growth in followers, as highlighted in the table, with significant improvements in impressions, clicks, reactions, reposts, and engagement rates since the summer. This growth coincides with the implementation of a new, node-level social media strategy by the communication team. By increasing posting frequency and sharing more content-rich and relevant materials, agrifoodTEF has successfully attracted a more engaged audience, genuinely interested in its activities. Consequently, the number of followers continues to rise steadily. 6.1.2.2 X / Twitter X/Twitter account @AgrifoodTEF (https://x.com/AgrifoodTEF) is the channel mainly used for quick and general communication about the project as well as the most frequently updated (with 1 to 2 tweets per week), through captivating visuals and to-the-point messaging. The project will especially exploit popular hashtags such as #digital, #ai, #robotics and the ones related to the project like #agrifoodtef, #farming, #agritech. Live tweeting at webinars, workshops, or other physical events is another important pillar of agrifoodTEF presence on this channel, as it helps make the feed more dynamic and allows different users to find out about the project. The account was opened in June 2024, following the new multi-social media strategy implemented by the team to increase the reach and impact generated by the project. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 25 Figure 13 – some examples of X posts The main statistics of X are summarised below: Figure 14 – Number of X impressions in the period June – December 2024 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 32 to main events France Ankur Mahtani (LNE) LinkedIn France https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrifoodtef-france/ France Promotion of the France services and participation to main events Italy Pietro Barbieri (FBK) Teresa Ridolfi (Trust-IT) LinkedIn Italy https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrifoodtef-italia/ Italian Promotion of the Italian services and participation to main events Poland Joanna Czarnecka– Musiał (Lukasiewicz) LinkedIn Poland Facebook Poland https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrifoodtef-polska/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559633212170 Polish Promotion of the Polish services and participation to main events Spain Paula Tosar (Gradiant) Pablo Godon Danza (Gradiant) LinkedIn Spain https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrifoodtefes/ Spanish Promotion of the Spanish services and participation to main events Sweden Anna Hankers (RISE) Lina Katarina Heldmark (RISE) Sofia Pettersson (RISE) LinkedIn Sweden https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrifoodtef-sverige/ Swedish Promotion of the Swedish services and participation to main events The Netherlands Mashiat Hossain (WUR) LinkedIn the Netherlands https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrifoodtef-nederland/ Dutch English Promotion of the Dutch services and participation to main events 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 33 European account Teresa Ridolfi (Trust-IT) Rita Giuffrida (Trust-IT) Linkedin general account X general account Instagram general account Facebook general account https://www.linkedin.com/company/agrifoodtef https://x.com/AgrifoodTEF https://www.instagram.com/agrifood_tef/ https://www.facebook.com/people/Agrifoodtef/61561389445661/ English Promotion of the overall agrifoodTEF services and participation to main events Each social media account promotes its node’s services, national events, and initiatives in the local language. This approach ensures that audiences in each country receive targeted, tailored content from the national channels while also benefiting from broader, European-level updates on the project’s goals and activities via the central social media accounts. To ensure consistency and coordination across the nine nodes, agrifoodTEF has implemented a joint Editorial Plan. This plan tracks all updates and ensures a steady flow of promotional content across the nodes. Currently, Denmark is the only country without a dedicated social media account, as it joined the network at the end of 2024. Plans are in place to establish a dedicated channel for Denmark in 2025, enabling it to fully participate in the coordinated communication strategy. As part of the social media management strategy for the nodes, the team decided to prioritize LinkedIn in 2024, based on its performance on the general agrifoodTEF channels. However, depending on the performance of other platforms on the main agrifoodTEF social media accounts, the team will evaluate the possibility of launching local Facebook, Instagram, or X channels in 2025. 6.1.3 Newsletter Newsletters are another important tool for creating engagement and advising stakeholders on the project’s updates. Newsletters and email marketing can serve a number of purposes. They can create or increase awareness, provide basic information such as details of upcoming events and insights from the past ones, or create a sense of stability and commitment to the project by sharing its achievements and relevant messages to the stakeholder’s community. With insights and news, this tool can increase the visibility of agrifoodTEF and its services. agrifoodTEF developed a branded newsletter on Mailchimp, with a submission form in the website homepage, in order to ease the affiliation. The newsletter is planned to be sent and published on the website quarterly, unless there are special needs from the project. The periodic newsletters will mainly outline the updates - such as recent participation in events or upcoming ones - together with an update on the new services and infrastructures available on the agrifoodTEF catalogue. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 34 The 1st Newsletter has been focused on the introduction of the new Catalogue of Service and the new webpage of agrifoodTEF Nodes, together with a dedicated section on news and updates - with some outcomes from the Synergy Days in Barcelona and an update on the next upcoming webinar. The project newsletters will be available on the website, with a dedicated webpage collecting all the editions. Figure 22 – newsletter subscription on the agrifoodTEF website 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 35 Figure 23 – some printscreens from the 1st agrifoodTEF newsletter 6.1.4 Event management To build a consolidated network of relevant stakeholders and promote agrifoodTEF’s objectives, the project organises and participates in events and engagement activities, including agrifoodTEF workshops, webinars, and third-party events. The format of these events included virtual, in-person, and hybrid activies. The paragraphs below detail all these engagement activities. 6.1.4.1 agrifoodTEF workshops Workshops within the agrifoodTEF project serve as technical forums where experts convene to explore ideas and propose solutions to technical challenges. These workshops take various forms, including face-to-face (F2F), hybrid, or online formats. Workshops can vary widely in format, ranging from small group discussions to large-scale events, and can cover diverse topics, from skill development to strategy planning. Within the agrifoodTEF project, workshops play a crucial role for several reasons: • Collaboration and Networking: Workshops bring together stakeholders, partners, and experts involved in a project. They provide a platform for collaboration and networking, fostering stronger ties among participants. • Knowledge Transfer: Workshops facilitate the exchange of knowledge, ideas, and best practices. They create an environment where participants can share their expertise and learn from each other. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 36 • Stakeholder Engagement: Involving stakeholders in workshops ensures their active participation and engagement in project activities. This can lead to a more inclusive and comprehensive project implementation. • Project Visibility: Workshops can contribute to the visibility of a project by showcasing its achievements, innovations, and impact. This is essential for dissemination and outreach efforts. • Feedback and Evaluation: Workshops offer an opportunity to gather feedback from participants, which can be valuable for project evaluation and improvement. They provide a structured space for reflection on project progress. Among the workshops organised and attended by the agrifoodTEF team, one crucial one is represented by the Synergy Days, that took place from 13 to 15 October 2024 in Barcelona. The agrifoodTEF team hosted three workshops at the Synergy Days event, highlighting advancements in AI and robotics for the agrifood sector. Across two days, agrifoodTEF provided innovative insights into its pioneering work supporting SMEs, fostering digital skill development, and prioritising ethical data use. • Workshop nr.1: Validation Services for SMEs leveraging AI and Robotics in the agrifood sector The first workshop showcased practical examples of agrifoodTEF’s validation services for SMEs, where partners demonstrated the innovative digital solutions they have developed. A highlight was given by the CEO of Microfy.AI, who shared how her company is integrating agrifoodTEF’s services into their software and the positive impact it is having. Her presentation inspired other SMEs to consider leveraging agrifoodTEF’s offerings to enhance their solutions. • Workshop nr.2: How can agrifoodTEF help EDIHs support SMEs? In the second workshop, co-organised with the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH), agrifoodTEF explored ways to create accessible training materials for industries and farmers interested in adopting digital agritech solutions. The session identified specific topics and content formats needed for new training materials, set to be available soon on the agrifoodTEF Training Platform. • Workshop nr.3: Assessing Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects (ELSA) of digital technologies The final workshop, held in collaboration with Data4Food2030, addressed the Ethical, Legal, and Social Aspects (ELSA) of using data. As agrifoodTEF’s services involve extensive data handling, this session focused on ensuring that all data practices respect user privacy and adhere to essential ethical and legal standards. The main outcomes from the Synergy Days’ participations have been summarised in a dedicated news piece, accessible on the agrifoodTEF website and a recap video, published on YouTube. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 37 Figure 24 – some printscreens of the agrifoodTEF recap video at Synergy Days 6.1.4.2 agrifoodTEF webinars Webinars are central to enable a smooth transition from physical events to virtual events and offer the chance of presenting cutting-edge results of agrifoodTEF. The main strategic goals of the webinars are linked to the promotion of the agrifoodTEF objectives, its digital solutions, its business model and the cooperation established with EDIHs. The first agrifoodTEF webinar, scheduled for 18 December 2024, aims to foster knowledge-sharing and provide valuable resources to agrifood stakeholders. This session offers an in-depth introduction to agrifoodTEF's objectives, services, and support systems. This introductory webinar, the first of a series, features presentations from the project coordinator and project officer, and it will also include detailed guidance on how to apply to agrifoodTEF and access financial support through three of its nodes: Austria, Belgium, and Italy. The one-hour webinar, hosted on Zoom, is recorded for future access and published on the project’s website and YouTube channel. The webinar agenda and contributions were developed in collaboration with communications representatives from each node. In order to give relevance to the work presented during the webinars, the communication team is going to take care of preand post-webinar promotional, outreach, and dissemination activities, that include: • Creation of branded graphics; • Development of a dedicated registration page on the agrifoodTEF website; • Tailored email campaigns targeting relevant stakeholders; • Regular social media promotion; 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 38 • Live tweeting during the event; • Upload and release of the recorded webinar on the agrifoodTEF website and YouTube channel; • Post-webinar news articles published on the website; • Repurposing webinar content for ongoing social media campaigns in the following weeks. The figures below present some of the activities performed to promote the 1st webinar. Figure 25 – banners to promote the 1st webinar Figure 26 – Cards developed to promote the 1st webinar on social media channels 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 39 Figure 27 – examples of promotional posts in different languages The 1st webinar attracted 87 people from 24 countries. Their area of expertise spans from research to technology provision, as shared in the Figures below. Figure 28 – countries of the experts who registered for the webinar 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 40 Figure 29area of expertise of people attracted by the webinar 6.1.4.3 agrifoodTEF at 3rd-party events Participation in third-party events is crucial for agrifoodTEF to achieve its goals and expand its impact. Since 2023, the agrifoodTEF consortium has attended over 15 events across Europe, actively engaging with stakeholders and promoting the project. These engagement activities serve multiple purposes, including: • Networking opportunities: Building connections with industry leaders, stakeholders, and potential collaborators in the agritech and AI fields. • Staying updated: Gaining insights into the latest advancements, challenges, and trends in the agritech sector, ensuring the project remains aligned with current developments. • Promoting agrifoodTEF: Showcasing the project through booths, stands, and promotional materials, highlighting its mission, services, and innovations. • Knowledge sharing: Presenting agrifoodTEF's objectives, progress, and contributions during panel discussions, presentations, and technical sessions. • Identifying synergies: Exploring collaboration opportunities with other projects, organisations, companies, and stakeholders to amplify impact and foster innovation. By participating in these events, agrifoodTEF enhances its visibility, strengthens its position as a key player in the agritech sector, and ensures meaningful engagement with the community. Below is an overview of the 3rd-party events attended by agrifoodTEF partners in 2024. Nr. Date and Location Name Partners involved Impact 1 21 February 2024, Belgium OESO summit ILVO Presenting the agrifoodTEF project to potential new customers 2 27 February 2024, Finland EUFRAS Annual Assembly 2024 RISE Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 41 3 8 – 10 March 2024, Poland AGROTECH Lukasiewicz Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 4 12 – 14 March 2024, Norway Marketing agrifoodTEF and the Swe-sat in Norway RISE Presenting the agrifoodTEF project to potential new customers 5 19 – 20 March 2024, Poland Europejskie Forum Rolnicze 2024 WOSRP Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 6 3 April 2024, Germany TEF open for business Josephinum Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 7 22 – 24 April 2024, Prague (Czech Republic) Machine Learning Prague Poland Presenting the agrifoodTEF project to potential new customers 8 10 May 2024, Belgium Research to Reality ILVO Presenting the agrifoodTEF project to potential new customers 9 11 May 2024, Poland Szczyt EPI Lukasiewicz, PSNC Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 10 15 May 2024, Sweden Framtidens Jordbruk RISE Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 11 18 – 19 May 2024, Poland ZIELONE AGRO SHOW Ułęż Lukasiewicz, PSNC, WOSRP Presenting the agrifoodTEF project to potential new customers 12 23 May 2024, Spain EDIH Network - Agrifood Thematic Working Group: kick-off meeting DIH Discussions on possible cooperation opportunities between EDIH agrifoodTEF 13 22 – 23 May 2024, Poland Infoshare Lukasiewicz, PSNC, WOSRP Presenting the agrifoodTEF project to potential new customers 14 24 May 2024, the Netherlands The impact of artificial intelligence on farm animals workshop WUR Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 15 30 May 2024, the Netherlands Future Farming Food Experience WUR Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 16 18 June 2024, Belgium Agritechdag 2024 ILVO Presenting the agrifoodTEF project to potential new customers 17 4 – 5 June 2024, Poland ITM Lukasiewicz, PSNC, WOSRP Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 18 11 – 14 June 2024, Poland 56th International Symposium on Forestry Mechanization (FORMEC) Lukasiewicz, PSNC, WOSRP Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 19 26 June 2024, Sweden Borgeby Fältdagar RISE Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 20 3 – 4 July 2024, Sweden Brunnby Lantbrukardagar RISE Networking opportunities to scout new potential customers 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 48 The partners chose a green-themed colour palette to reflect the project's connection to the agricultural sector. Green, universally associated with nature and sustainability, creates a direct visual link to the agricultural theme and underscores agrifoodTEF's commitment to fostering innovation within this domain. The colour choice reinforces the project's focus on sustainable practices and solutions, aligning its visual identity with its core mission and values. Zoom Background To maintain a consistent and professional appearance during virtual meetings, a Zoom background was designed in accordance with the agrifoodTEF theme. This universal and homogeneous background is available for use by consortium members and partners, providing a clear and recognisable affiliation with agrifoodTEF. By leveraging this branded visual, the project ensures that its identity remains prominent and cohesive across all virtual interactions. The integration of carefully chosen branding elements highlights agrifoodTEF’s dedication to professionalism, coherence, and its roots in the agricultural and technological innovation sectors. Figure 33 – agrifoodTEF’s Zoom Background Fliers Given the complexity and technical nature of the content within the agrifoodTEF initiative, it was crucial to develop visually appealing yet straightforward and comprehensible materials. To achieve this, the project team created fliers featuring clear visuals and infographics designed to capture attention and effectively communicate the key objectives of agrifoodTEF and its nodes. These elements ensure that viewers can quickly grasp the most important points at a glance. • Design Approach The fliers were crafted to balance industry-specific information with accessibility, presenting the project's goals and activities in a way that resonates with diverse audiences. The design incorporates clean layouts, vibrant yet professional graphics, and concise messaging, all aimed at maximising engagement and comprehension. To ensure the content is accurate, the team has implemented an internal validation process. The communication team develops the structure and texts, which are then reviewed and approved by members of the communication team at node level. Initially, the texts are provided in English, but node leaders have the option to translate them into local languages, making the fliers more appealing to non-native speakers. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 49 The fliers are created in two formats: a printable version for distribution at physical events and a web version available for download. As of December 2024, 10 fliers have been developed to present the agrifoodTEF and its nodes main objectives. They are all accessible through Zenodo: • General flier: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13950933 • Austrian node: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13950380 • Belgian node: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13950756 • Dutch node: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13950782 • French node: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13950809 • Italian node: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13951014 • Polish node: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13951035 • Spanish node: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13951057 • Swedish node: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13951072 Figure 34 – Example of a general flier Social Media Graphics and Banners The project team developed a suite of graphics for use on social media channels, ensuring alignment with agrifoodTEF's visual identity. These graphics prominently feature the signature colours of agrifoodTEF, the project logo, and the cofunded logo of the European Commission. This consistent visual approach reflects the project's unity, adherence to its objectives, and commitment to transparency. • Design Principles for Social Media Posts 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 50 The social media graphics were designed to harmonise with the project's overall branding. The choice of images was particularly significant, with visuals carefully selected to be relevant and directly connected to agrifoodTEF’s objectives and services. For instance, images included in posts often matched those used in related events, news articles, or website announcements. This created a cohesive and harmonious experience for viewers, reinforcing the connection between the content and its source. • Banners and Backgrounds The materials developed for banners and backgrounds across social media channels were crafted to maintain consistency with agrifoodTEF’s thematic style. These visuals incorporated the signature shapes, icons, and colours of the brand. The project logo, provided in two colour variations, ensured adaptability and optimal visibility across various platforms and backgrounds. The following example shows the material that has been used as banners or backgrounds on the different social media channels. Figure 35 – Example of social media header 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 51 Figure 36 – Examples of social media banners in square and rectangular versions 6.1.5.4 Videos Videos are an important way to engage with the stakeholders as they generate more than 1200% shares than text and images combined on social media channels 2 . Videos are composed of images and audio and the union of these two aspects makes the video content more accessible and easier to understand. Thanks to this, videos represent an extremely useful instrument to engage with relevant stakeholders. A series of videos have been produced and are going to be produced to promote agrifoodTEF, including: • 3 general videos about the agrifoodTEF’s objectives. • 4 videos to present the nodes. In addition to this, the team has additional video in the pipeline: • 10 videos to present the nodes leaders and the digital solutions developed by each country • Success Stories videos to present in a compelling way the work developed by the nodes in cooperation with some of its customers. The videos released, including webinar recordings, are going to be published on the agrifoodTEF YouTube channel and promoted on the project’s social media channels. In order to increase the number of their visualisations, Ads Campaigns might be launched. Ads Campaigns are an excellent paid tool that works on keywords and offers the possibility to show the videos to potential stakeholders who search online for the keywords selected for the campaign. In addition, the Ads campaigns are from time to time called also Pay Per Click because the company pays only when a user clicks on the announcement. The benefits offered by PPC campaigns are linked to the opportunity to sponsor the advertisements only to selected target customers and, as a consequence, the costs can be reduced. The targeting can be optimised by including relevant keywords, the topic of the video, demographic and interests of the audience. 6.2 Synergies The agrifoodTEF project aims to foster collaboration and innovation across several critical areas of digital transformation in agriculture. By synergising with other European initiatives, the project team aims to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, improve data integration, and enhance sustainable practices in the agritech sector. Below are the key areas where synergies are being developed: 2 https://vidico.com/news/video-marketing-statistics/ 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 52 1. Cloud-to-Edge Infrastructure and Services AI applications in the agri-food sector depend on edge technology due to the challenges of uncertain communication in the field and the need for energy efficiency in agricultural machinery, robots, and drones. agrifoodTEF's nodes and satellites already provide robust testing and evaluation services for efficient cloud-to-edge AI solutions. These services will continue to expand, facilitating the deployment of advanced cloud-to-edge infrastructures and related services across the sector. 2. EU Common Data Space Strategy The development of AI relies on access to high-quality training and benchmarking datasets, which can only be achieved through interconnected, sovereign data spaces. agrifoodTEF partners actively contribute to the development of the Common European Agricultural Data Space and lead the agriculture domains of several GAIA-X hubs in Europe. The project's datasets are interoperable with these initiatives, ensuring alignment with the Big Data Value Association (BDVA) and the International Data Spaces Association (IDSA). These collaborations maximise the impact of agrifoodTEF’s data contributions. 3. AI-on-Demand Platform In line with the Digital Europe Programme’s vision for an AI-on-Demand platform, agrifoodTEF acts as a broker for high-quality AI and robotics solutions in the agri-food sector. Beyond testing and validating AI systems, the project provides access to pre-trained models and datasets as key sustainability assets. agrifoodTEF ensures compatibility with metadata standards and marketplaces defined by initiatives like GAIA-X to ensure interoperability. 4. European Excellence in Artificial Intelligence agrifoodTEF supports Europe’s commitment to AI excellence by creating conditions for AI development and adoption in the agri-food sector. Through testing and experimentation facilities, the project addresses societal challenges, such as sustainability and food security, highlighted in European strategic documents like the ELISE Research Agenda and national AI strategies. 5. Trustworthy AI Solutions for Society The project aligns with the European Commission’s focus on trustworthy AI with societal and economic benefits. agrifoodTEF provides facilities that ensure AI solutions in the agri-food sector are safe, transparent, and effective. By applying principles outlined also in global frameworks, like the Montreal Declaration and the Toronto Declaration, agrifoodTEF demonstrates how responsible AI development can address risks while securing food systems. Third-party conformity assessments developed within the project ensure alignment with European regulations for AI systems. 6. European Partnership for Agriculture of Data agrifoodTEF actively supports the European Partnership for Agriculture of Data by contributing reference datasets to enhance policy monitoring and evaluation. These datasets combine Earth observation, environmental, and agricultural data to strengthen digital and data technologies for sustainable agriculture. By integrating with this partnership, agrifoodTEF amplifies its impact on sustainable agricultural practices across Europe. 7. Collaboration with European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) agrifoodTEF fosters synergies with the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) to accelerate the deployment of tested innovations in the agri-food sector. The project will connect common aspects, share best practices, and provide relevant training through its nodes. This collaboration enables EDIHs to distribute innovations successfully tested within agrifoodTEF to the market more effectively. On the other side, by supporting EDIHs with targeted training and distribution channels, agrifoodTEF contributes to bridging the knowledge gap and fast-tracking innovation adoption in agriculture. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 53 6.2.1 Role of agrifoodTEF with other TEF projects agrifoodTEF aims to establish robust partnerships with other Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) projects, each addressing distinct aspects of AI and robotics innovation. These collaborations aim to share best practices, align methodologies, and collectively support Europe’s digital transformation. Key TEFs include: • TEF-Health: focused on Health AI and robotics, TEF-Health provides technical and scientific support to Health AI providers and notified bodies, fostering innovation in healthcare solutions. • AI-MATTERS: this initiative aims to enhance the resilience and flexibility of Europe’s manufacturing sector by integrating cutting-edge AI, robotics, and intelligent autonomous systems for adaptable production processes. • Citcom.AI: aimed at testing AI in smart cities and communities, Citcom.AI bridges the gap between technology, infrastructure, and the citizens who interact with these systems, fostering urban innovation. To ensure alignment among the TEF projects, the newly funded CoordinaTEF project supports coordination between these TEFs. CoordinaTEF focuses on measuring and harmonising key performance indicators (KPIs) across TEFs, linking them to client satisfaction and tangible outcomes. This unified effort will foster the regular exchange of best practices and co-organisation of workshops and help align service offerings with the goals of Europe’s Digital Transformation Acceleration initiative, ensuring cutting-edge solutions meet industry and societal needs. 7. Monitoring The impact of all strategically important communication and dissemination activities performed is measured through a core set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), whenever quantifiable. A continuous activity of monitoring is carried out by the project members on a monthly basis. Qualitative metrics come into play whenever there is a need for a deeper analysis of the relevance of outcomes achieved. The table below shows the end of KPI targets and their status at M24. KPI Value at M24 Target M48 Participation in workshops with projects funded under the same call 21 40+ Total number of international events at a TEF node or satellite 40 40+ Total number of printed publications 8 50+ Distributed printed promotional materials 900 2000 number of stakeholders involved in agrifoodTEF activities 79 100+ Number of joint activities with other TEFs and EDIHs 2 20 Total number of posts published via social media (Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube) 217 2000 number of European Countries from which agrifoodTEF will be accepting applications from and which will be included in the marketing, communication and dissemination strategy 9 30 Number of agrifoodTEF portal unique visitors per year 793 1000+ 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 54 number of provided trainings in the catalogue 0 (the catalogue will be launched in 2025) 60+ Number of workshops on services update and optimization including smaller farms and businesses 37 40+ Table 8 – Communication and Dissemination KPIs 7.1 KPI dashboard To monitor progress and assess performance, the team has developed a KPI dashboard using PowerBI. This dashboard consolidates all key performance indicators, including those related to communication and dissemination activities. It provides detailed insights into the performance of social media channels across the network of nodes, capturing data such as the number of posts, followers, countries, and specific social media platforms. The evaluation of the KPI dashboard enables the team to track the performance of each country effectively and implement corrective actions where necessary to optimise results. Future enhancements to the dashboard are planned, including the integration of total follower counts across all agrifoodTEF social media channels. Additionally, the website performance dashboard, currently managed through Google Analytics, will also be incorporated into the PowerBI platform for a more unified and efficient monitoring system. Figure 37 – Social media KPI dashboard on PowerBI 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 55 7.2 Google analytics While the integration of Google Analytics into PowerBI is underway, website analytics are currently monitored through a dedicated Google Analytics dashboard. This dashboard, developed in October 2024 following the website revamp, provides valuable insights into website performance. However, as it was built in October 2024, it should be noted that the data tracked does not cover the entire project lifecycle. Tracking and analysing website activity and online interactions is essential for assessing the effectiveness of web marketing initiatives and optimizing the project’s outreach efforts. Tools like Google Analytics play a pivotal role in collecting and organizing this data into actionable metrics. Key indicators for agrifoodTEF’s online outreach strategy include: • Number of visits or sessions: A visit is considered complete if a user remains inactive for more than 30 minutes. • Number of users or visitors: Unique users are counted regardless of how often they return. • Pageviews: Tracks the total number of pages viewed. • Views per page: Highlights the frequency of visits to individual pages. • Bounce rate: The percentage of visits where users only view one page before leaving. • Pages per visit: Indicates the average number of pages viewed during a single visit. • Average visit duration: Reflects the average time spent on the site across all visits during a given period. • Events: Measures user interactions that align with project objectives, such as clicks, downloads, or form submissions. These indicators are critical for assessing the success of online dissemination efforts. They provide actionable insights that enable the project to identify areas for continuous improvement across three key dimensions: • Graphics and Design: Enhancing visual appeal and alignment with project branding. • Site Usability: Ensuring intuitive navigation and accessibility for users. • Content and Communication: Optimizing messaging and information delivery to engage the audience effectively. Some printscreens of the main KPIs monitored through Google Analytics are summarised below. Figure 38 – Top countries visiting the website 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 56 Figure 39 – Most viewed pages Figure 40 – Website visits aquisition 8. Conclusions and next steps The 3rd version of agrifoodTEF Dissemination and Communication Plan and reports including network represents the cornerstone of every communication and dissemination activity to be carried out over the project’s lifetime and the foundations for exploiting and sustaining the results. As such, it has been developed and agreed-upon by all Partners involved in WP6. It defines the strategy for communication, dissemination and stakeholder engagement and sets out plans for each core activity and helps evaluate the activities to be performed for reaching the goals and assessing impacts. The main conclusions are: • The current version of the plan is tightly linked to the project results. It is therefore is to be considered as a living document, enabling partners to update it on a yearly basis and whenever necessary. • The document defines all strategic goals, including branding and defines its communication channels and levers. 101100622/agrifoodTEF agrifoodTEF - Dissemination & communication plan and reports, including network development December, 2024 57 • Dissemination and communication activities in the second year of the project’s lifetime have included some improvements and changes in the way of working, compared to Y1, to achieve better results. • The dissemination and communication activities are updated on a monthly basis though the KPI dashboard. The monitoring activity will help the team better track the activities performed and propose corrective actions, when needed. In 2025, the team will continue implementing the communication and dissemination strategy outlined in the campaigns presented in Chapter 5. This includes strengthening the social media strategy at the node level and organising events aimed at attracting more SMEs, start-ups, and industrial players as potential customers of TEF services. Additionally, in collaboration with the consortium team, the goal is to develop and launch two new catalogues on the website: one featuring the training platform and another dedicated to infrastructure. The release of the first set of success stories and videos will provide a comprehensive overview of TEF services, further promoting the project's primary objectives and attracting new potential customers.