WIELKOPOLSKI OSRODEK DORADZTWA ROLNICZEGO W POZNANIU

Their core work

Wielkopolski Agricultural Advisory Centre (WODR) in Poznań is a Polish public agricultural advisory body that supports farmers in adopting modern technologies and digital tools. They serve as a bridge between EU-funded innovation projects and on-the-ground farming practice in the Wielkopolska region — one of Poland's most important agricultural areas. Their H2020 involvement focuses on testing and deploying precision agriculture, IoT-based smart farming solutions, and digital innovation hubs that help farmers access new technologies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

WODR entered H2020 in 2018 with a focus on precision agriculture and digital social innovation through farm advisory tools (FAIRshare). By 2019, their involvement shifted toward large-scale data-driven platforms — IoT, sensors, interoperability standards, and smart farming ecosystems (DEMETER, SmartAgriHubs). The trajectory shows a clear move from advisory digitalization toward hands-on deployment of IoT and data-driven agriculture at scale.

WODR is moving from digital literacy support toward becoming a regional testbed for IoT and data-interoperable farming — expect future involvement in agri-data spaces and AI-assisted advisory services.

How they like to work

WODR operates exclusively as a participant, never as a coordinator — consistent with their role as a regional advisory body that contributes practical farming context rather than leading research. With 201 unique partners across 29 countries, they sit inside very large consortia (SmartAgriHubs and DEMETER are both flagship-scale projects with 50+ partners each). This makes them well-connected but primarily as a deployment and validation partner, not a project driver.

Despite only three projects, WODR has touched 201 unique partners across 29 countries — a result of participating in two of the largest agri-digital consortia in H2020 (SmartAgriHubs and DEMETER). Their network spans nearly all EU member states with particular density in Western and Central European agricultural regions.

What sets them apart

WODR brings something most technology-focused partners cannot: direct, daily contact with thousands of working farmers in one of Poland's most productive agricultural regions. They are not a research lab or a tech company — they are the people who actually sit with farmers and help them adopt new methods. For any consortium needing a real-world testing ground and farmer engagement in Central-Eastern Europe, WODR is an ideal deployment partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DEMETER
  Largest project by funding (EUR 188,750) and scope — a major EU flagship building interoperable IoT infrastructure for the entire European agri-food sector.
• SmartAgriHubs
  One of Europe's largest digital agriculture networks connecting innovation hubs, competence centers, and farming communities across the continent.