The Digital Success Programme (DJP), the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE), Széchenyi István University (SZE) and the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest (UVMB) signed an agreement on the consortium management of Digital Agricultural Academy’s strategic development in Gödöllő on Wednesday.

Launched by Government Directive No. 1470/2019 (1st July) in the DJP framework, the Digital Agricultural Academy aims to increase digital competencies in agriculture, facilitate the widest possible promotion of precision machines and educate the public on applying digital solutions in agriculture in Hungary and abroad. The programme will allow us to reduce the sector’s labour shortage as well as to improve productive and operational efficiency through the use of digital technologies.

UVMB’s Rector Dr Péter Sótonyi noted they were among the first to recognize the opportunities offered by digitalization, so the University established the Digital Food Chain Education, Research, Development and Innovation Institute (DEOKFII) over a year ago. Focused on veterinary public health, the Institute provides practical support for agricultural and food industry stakeholders, helps them to improve their digitalization options and develops complex, food-chain based digital educational materials, primarily in the areas of veterinary health, nutrition studies, bee health and food chain monitoring. In addition to the people directly involved in agriculture, these materials will provide relevant information to veterinarians in the animal husbandry module as well. The founders want the Digital Agricultural Academy to become a key channel for knowledge transfer and cooperation, which allows them to more accurately assess the needs of agricultural professionals and businessmen since internationally acclaimed success and long-term competitiveness cannot be achieved without the joint efforts of all stakeholders.