Future Fields: Bringing AGRO-WELL Research Closer to Society

Scientific research can only create meaningful impact when its results, methods and purpose are understood beyond the research community. This is the idea behind Future Fields, AGRO-WELL’s interview series designed to communicate the project’s research in a clear, accessible and engaging way.

AGRO-WELL brings together expertise from agriculture, occupational safety and health, artificial intelligence, robotics, engineering and the social sciences. While this multidisciplinary approach is essential for developing innovative solutions, it can also make the project’s research complex to communicate to non-specialist audiences.

Future Fields helps bridge this gap.

Through short conversations with AGRO-WELL researchers, technology developers and project partners, the series explains the challenges addressed by the project, the solutions being developed and their potential value for farmers and agricultural workers. Each interview connects scientific and technological developments with real agricultural needs and working conditions.

The role of the series is not simply to present project activities. It is to support science communication by making technical knowledge more understandable, visible and relevant to different audiences. Farmers, workers, researchers, technology providers, policymakers and members of the wider public can hear directly from the experts involved and better understand how AGRO-WELL aims to contribute to safer, smarter and more sustainable agriculture.

The first two episodes demonstrate the range of topics that Future Fields will explore. In Episode #1, Professor Claus Grøn Sørensen from Aarhus University discusses the evolution of smart farming and the importance of developing technologies that respond to farmers’ real needs. In Episode #2, Marina Papachristopoulou from IKH explains how artificial intelligence and robotics can support pest and disease detection, targeted spraying, physically demanding greenhouse tasks and safer human–robot collaboration.

Together, these conversations highlight a central principle of AGRO-WELL: agricultural innovation should not focus on technology alone. It must also consider usability, safety, trust, working conditions and the experience of the people who will use these solutions.

Future episodes will continue to introduce the people, organisations and scientific disciplines behind AGRO-WELL. By opening up the research process and encouraging accessible discussions, Future Fields aims to bring the project closer to its stakeholders and strengthen the connection between science, innovation and society.

🎥 Watch Future Fields Episode #1: https://youtu.be/720OxDxS1n0?si=TpijXsUxraqhfId1

🎥 Watch Future Fields Episode #2 with IKH:https://youtu.be/0nzwh7O95y0

Stay connected with AGRO-WELL to discover the next episode and learn more about the research shaping the future of agricultural work.

AGRO-WELL is funded by the European Union.