CERIDES and EUC Research Center are proud to announce the inauguration of the Competence Center for Precision Viticulture by the Honorable Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mr Petros Xenophontos, as part of the activities foreseen through the implementation of the OenoWatch Project. The OenoWatch project is an Integrated Project which is funded under the Restart 2016-2020 Program of the Research & Innovation Foundation (ΙδΕΚ).
The inauguration event, which was jointly organised by Eurosuccess Consulting and the Development Agency of Limassol, took place on Saturday the 2nd of December 2023 at Vouni, Limassol. The event was strongly supported by the President of the Vouni Council Mr Mattheos Protopapas and by all members of the Council. It was also attended by Mr Andreas Gregoriou, General Director of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Ministry, by Cyprus MP Dr Kyriakos Hadjiyiannis, and by a significant number of key stakeholders from the Cyprus Viticulture sector.
The OenoWatch Competence Centre for Precision Viticulture will make precision viticulture technologies developed in the project accessible to Cypriot vineyard farmers interested in testing them, and will also provide then with the appropriate training and support.
Vineyard experts will be available through the Centre to provide consultancy services to small and big viticulture companies. In addition, the Centre aims to strengthen the leadership and personal skills of the next generation of the Cypriot viticulture leaders so that they can adopt to the challenges of the industry through the exploitation of innovative technologies and practices.
The event was hosted by Mr. Giorgos Giorgakis, Managing Director of Eurosuccess Consulting and by Mr. Rakis Pieridis, Managing Director of the Development Agency of Limassol. The event was introduced by the Project Coordinator Dr. Christos Dimopoulos, Associate Professor of Computer Science & Engineering, and co-Director of CERIDES. The vineyard technologies which have been developed by the OenoWatch project were demonstrated by the Project Technical Manager Mr. Christos Skliros, Director of Dronint Ltd.
The aim of the OenoWatch project is to study, develop, implement and pilot a holistic phytosanitary and plant protection system based on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and a series of cutting-edge technologies, as well as the establishment of a Competence Center for Precision Viticulture.
The Consortium of the OenoWatch project includes the Technical University of Cyprus (CUT), the consulting, services & training organization ‘DRONINT’’, the consulting, & training organization EUROSUCCESS Consulting, the Development Agency of Lemesos, as well as the Cypriot Winery Ekfraseis.
Dr. Christos Dimopoulos, co-Director of CERIDES, acts as the Project Coordinator of OenoWatch.
The OenoWatch Technical Team of CERIDES consists of:
Professor George Boustras (Research fellow – Senior Advisor)
Dr. Konstantinos Katzis (Research Fellow)
Dr. Pericles Cheng (Research Fellow)
Mr. Christoforos Kyriacou (Research Fellow)
Mr. Michalis Yerolemou (Research Fellow)