Updated: Jul 6
On October 22, we had the opportunity to present our research project AGRITHES at the 14th Panhellenic Conference of EGME (Hellenic Society of Agricultural Engineers), titled “Agricultural Engineering in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Drones.” The conference was held on October 21–22, 2025, at the Valis Hotel in Agria, Volos, under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, Plant Production, and Agricultural Environment of the University of Thessaly.
Our panel, “Buildings for Agriculture – Greenhouses,” chaired by Professor Konstantinos Kittas, a member of the AGRITHES research team, focused on innovation in greenhouse construction and management. Greenhouse development is increasing in Southern Europe, where climatic conditions have traditionally been favourable for agricultural activities. However, recent climate change–related phenomena are increasingly putting seasonal production at risk, with significant economic consequences for cultivation. The expansion of greenhouses in southern regions also raises technological challenges related to life-cycle performance, temperature management, and the use of solar energy. In this evolving context, existing agricultural buildings can be repurposed for supporting activities or alternative uses.
We presented our project AGRITHES questioning the future life of existing agricultural buildings within a continuously evolving agrarian landscape. While the panel was focused primarly on the design of tehcnologically advanced greenhouses to face climate change, production costs, and to secure food, we contributed by proposing community driven adaptive reuse to support productive activities and local communities.
The conference was a fruitful occasion to confront the objectives of the AGRITHES project and its main core of studying buildings for agricultural production with experts in this field and on the agrarian landscape of Greece and Thessaly.
See the conference's proceedings (in Greek) here:
Χ. Καβαλάρης & Σ. Κούκου (Επιμ.), Η Γεωργική Μηχανική στην εποχή της τεχνητής νοημοσύνης και των drone: Πρακτικά του 14ου Πανελλήνιου Συνεδρίου. Εταιρεία Γεωργικών Μηχανικών Ελλάδος – ΕΓΜΕ.
