CARDET participated at the PERSONA Final Conference in Brussels

On May 20-21, 2026, CARDET proudly participated in the final conference of the PERSONA project, “Farming the Future: Skills, Innovation and AI-Driven Learning for European Agriculture”, held at the Permanent Representation of Portugal to the European Union in Brussels. The event brought together policymakers, vocational education and training (VET) experts, agricultural stakeholders, and project partners to explore the future of skills development and innovation in European agriculture.

As a key consortium partner, CARDET contributed to the conference programme through a featured presentation by Dr. Marinos Papaioakeim, who introduced the PERSONA Hybrid-AI System, an innovative personalised learning solution developed to support agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The system combines human-centred pedagogical approaches with artificial intelligence to create tailored learning pathways, enabling learners to develop relevant competences at their own pace and according to their individual professional needs.

The conference highlighted the urgent need for innovation in agricultural education across Europe. Despite agriculture remaining a cornerstone of the European economy, the sector continues to face significant structural challenges, including an ageing workforce, gender imbalances, and critical skills shortages. As digital transformation, AI, automation, and sustainability increasingly shape agricultural practices, strengthening the responsiveness and accessibility of VET systems has become essential.

The conference also featured insights from European policymakers and sector experts, including representatives from DG AGRI, EVTA, UCD, and other leading organisations, who discussed the evolving skills landscape and future innovation needs within agriculture.

Learn more about: https://personaproject.eu/