EIMA 2024: the program of the great event

The agricultural mechanics exhibition this year also includes a full schedule of meetings on important topics. Innovative technologies for the great challenges of agriculture, development of markets and cooperation, applications of robotics and artificial intelligence are the main topics being considered

The 2024 EIMA event is offering a wide-ranging and highly topical program of conferences and events as part of the agricultural machinery trade fair being held at the Bologna exhibition center from 6 to 10 November. The five days of the exhibition will include over 150 meetings - in the form of conferences, talk shows, workshops and appointments outside the show - dedicated to important topics related to agriculture and agro-mechanics.

The calendar of numerous events sponsored by institutional bodies, specialist publications, professional organizations, and associations active in the agricultural and agro-industrial supply chains, offers opportunities to stay up to date and in the know on issues such as the common agricultural policy, the market of machinery and services for agriculture and green care, international cooperation, safety at work, employment prospects in the sector and new technological frontiers. The program developed by the 11 Universities present in the EIMA Campus area is also extremely extensive, and together with the Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering will include lessons and training activities for students as part of the exposition.

This year's trade fair is taking place precisely at the moment when the political discussion on eco-sustainable agriculture models is in full swing – explains FederUnacoma, the Italian federation of manufacturers that is the organizer of the event - on the new geography of markets, on the development of the African continent, on the system of incentives and on the needs for professional training or agriculture and agro-mechanics, and this makes the political and economic themed meetings to be held as part of the event particularly interesting. The first discussion scheduled as part of the program is of a purely political nature and will be held immediately after the inauguration ceremony. It is entitled: “Technologies for the agromechanical industry, professional skills and markets: new challenges for agricultural businesses”. In the afternoon of the same day, there will be a conference on "African Continental Free Trade Area, agriculture and mechanization: a window on the future", promoted by Africa e Affari and FederUnacoma, that will focus on the development prospects of the continent in light of the establishment of the free trade area. The meetings that will take place during the visits planned by delegations of MEPs and Italian parliamentarians from the agriculture and environment committees are dedicated to political strategies, while an in-depth analysis of the role of Made in Italy products in the sector will be offered during the meeting on "Innovation and mechanization: the future of agricultural machines", organized by the Quotidiano Nazionale newspaper with the participation of the representatives of the sector associations that make up FederUnacoma.

Great space will be given to digital and robotic technologies, and to Artificial intelligence applications to agricultural processes and management of primary companies, thanks to a well-structured program sponsored by FederUnacoma in collaboration with the international association of agricultural digital experts AEF. Among these meetings, the following are especially noteworthy: "Agricultural Robotics: The Future is Now", "AEF, ISOBUS and the Importance of certification", "The new AEF trends: Autonomous machines, high speed AgIN and Isobus", and that on "Data, Cybersecurity, AI and more in the new European legislative program", which will also include participation by the European manufacturers' committee CEMA. Conferences dedicated to advanced electronic technologies include will one on "Artificial Intelligence: an industry perspective", also organized in partnership with CEMA, and one on "Transition 5.0" in agriculture"", while there will also be a space for official presentations of European research and training projects such as the one entitled "Agri Digital Growth" promoted by a partnership that also involves CREA as well as entities from 9 European countries.  Sustainable health defense, agrivoltaics, traditional and electric motors, safety in agricultural work, financing and procedures for purchasing agricultural machinery are just some of the topics that will be covered by specialized publishing houses, as well as by institutions such as INAIL. The program of seminars and workshops on bioenergy and the circular economy promoted by ITABIA as part of the EIMA Green Showcase is also very sizeable. The EIMA 2024 event will also dedicate special attention to young farmers and students, with a structured program, sponsored by AGIA-CIA, which will include events such as the conference entitled "Agrimage: the creativity of young people at the service of agromechanics", during which the prizes for the "Agrimage" contest will be awarded. The multiple events to be held as part of Mech@grijobs, a program that advertises employment opportunities in the agromechanical supply chain promoted by Federacma in collaboration with FederUnacoma, are specifically dedicated to the youth audience. Other prestigious events that have become a regular part of the EIMA event program include the Tractor of the Year awards, sponsored by Trattori magazine, and the Contractor of the Year, sponsored by the Edagricole publishing group, to which is added the awards ceremony of the new EIMA Social Awards competition. Discussions on trends in agricultural mechanics will be held at all levels during the five-day event, which is also hosting the assembly of the Club of Bologna and the Agrievolution meeting.