On 21–22 October 2025, the OptiFish team participated in Synergy Days 2025, one of Europe’s most important events for digital innovators in the agri-food sector.
Organised by SmartAgriHubs and held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, this year’s edition brought together hundreds of experts, researchers, and policymakers shaping the future of smart, sustainable, and connected food systems.
Showcasing Digital Transformation in Fisheries
At the OptiFish booth, our team showcased how the project is transforming European fisheries through digital catch monitoring and reporting technologies, paving the way for more transparent, efficient, and sustainable fisheries management.
OptiFish was represented by:
- Jade Maes from ILVO, the Project Coordinator
- Angelo Mencarelli and Nabeel Kamal from Wageningen University & Research
- Eleni Bolieraki and Lia Kesopoulou from reframe.food
Through live discussions, presentations, and demonstrations, the team illustrated how digitalisation, data-driven tools, and AI are redefining fisheries monitoring and control practices across Europe.
Pitching Digital Innovation in Catch Monitoring
During the event, Jade Maes delivered a dynamic pitch presentation on how digitalisation can optimise catch monitoring and reporting in European fisheries.
Her presentation highlighted OptiFish’s core ambition: to enable accurate, real-time, and transparent fisheries data collection while supporting regulatory compliance and sustainability goals.
AI and Synthetic Data for Smarter Fisheries
Angelo Mencarelli showcased OptiFish’s pioneering work on synthetic data generation and AI model training, highlighting how the project is transforming fisheries monitoring with cutting-edge technology.
During his presentation at our booth, Angelo demonstrated how three-dimensional synthetic data is created: individual fish are scanned to generate a volumetric data asset, capturing the fish’s shape and features, including hooks. These assets are then combined into scenarios, allowing AI networks to be trained on complex datasets simulating large fish populations without the need for costly, large-scale data collection at sea.
This approach enables the project to train AI models efficiently, making inferences and predictions about fisheries data that would otherwise be difficult or expensive to obtain. By combining physical properties, model dynamics, and volumetric data, OptiFish is developing tools that can scale digitally, supporting smarter, data-driven decision-making across European fisheries.
Engaging with the Community
OptiFish’s Communication Manager, Eleni Bolieraki, actively engaged with participants, sharing insights about the project’s ongoing activities, collaborations, and early results.
These interactions strengthened visibility across the SmartAgriHubs network and opened new opportunities for cooperation with other EU-funded initiatives working at the intersection of data, sustainability, and digital innovation.
Co-Organising Workshops for Cross-Sector Collaboration
Synergy Days was also a unique opportunity to build bridges between projects and exchange experiences.
OptiFish joined forces with FoodDataQuest and DigiAgriFood to co-organise two interactive workshops addressing some of the most pressing challenges in data governance and consumer empowerment.
Workshop 1: Trust & Trace – Data Governance for Transparent Food Chains
This session focused on co-designing a data governance and monitoring framework for the agri-food and fisheries sectors.
The goal was to foster trust, transparency, and regulatory compliance, including alignment with the Digital Product Passport.
Participants tackled cross-sector data challenges, shared experiences, and defined governance structures to strengthen trust and transparency across food chains.
Workshop 2: From Farm2Fork to Sea2Fork – Empowering Consumers through Data
This interactive workshop explored how AI, data visualisation, and digital storytelling can bridge the gap between complex food chain data and everyday consumer choices.
Participants learned how to leverage AI-powered tools to communicate effectively with consumers and promote informed and responsible food decisions, making sustainability and traceability tangible and relatable.
A Step Forward for Digital Fisheries Innovation
Participation in Synergy Days 2025 was a milestone for OptiFish. It allowed the project to connect with leading digital innovators, showcase its technological advancements, and strengthen its position within the wider agri-food digital ecosystem. By engaging with experts from across sectors, OptiFish continues to expand its impact and ensure that fisheries are part of Europe’s broader digital and data-driven transition.
Stay Tuned
Our Synergy Days experience was full of inspiring discussions, new connections, and valuable insights for the future of digital fisheries.
Stay tuned! More audiovisual material from Rotterdam is coming soon!
Words and images by the reframe.food team.