On 26th March 2025, the SISTERS project participated in the AI in AgriFood Design Thinking Workshop, hosted at the RDI Hub, Killorglin Co Kerry Ireland. The event was jointly organised by MTU Research & Innovation, AgriTech Ireland Cluster, and TU-RISE to foster collaboration between AI specialists, researchers, and industry stakeholders in the agri-food sector.

The workshop brought together agribusiness leaders, engineers, researchers, innovation hubs, and AI practitioners for a day of structured ideation and knowledge exchange. The agenda included networking sessions, interactive design thinking activities, and presentations of real-world applications of AI in AgriFood, including a case study from the SISTERS project.

The SISTERS presentation was delivered by Andrew Shields of MTU, who also serves as Work Package 2 leader on the project. His talk focused on the development of IoT-enabled smart containers (BulkBox and StoreBox) and the supporting cloud infrastructure used to monitor fresh produce and reduce food loss across the supply chain. He also outlined how AI-based anomaly detection could be incorporated to enhance the system’s responsiveness by identifying early-stage risks related to temperature, humidity, and gas conditions.

Attendees engaged in collaborative exercises aimed at identifying key challenges in the sector and developing AI-based solution concepts. The workshop also created valuable networking opportunities, particularly for exploring cross-sector collaborations in research and innovation. The SISTERS case study helped contextualise how EU-funded initiatives can deliver scalable, impactful AI solutions in real-world AgriFood environments.