The fifth and final TrophyΤροφή Meet-Up of 2026, organised by New Agriculture New Generation, concluded with two panel discussions on the role of biodiversity in agricultural production and a workshop on developing business ideas. Despite the rain, students turned out in large numbers for the event, which took place on Thursday, 5 November 2026, at the Amphitheatre of the School of Agricultural Sciences at the University of Western Macedonia in Florina. The theme was “Biodiversity: The Key to Resilient Agricultural Ecosystems in a Changing Environment”.
The Meet-Up was co-organised with the University of Western Macedonia and its Department of Agriculture, with support from the Citi Foundation through the BE FUTURE READY programme and from the EIT Food GROW Project.
From farming practices to local crop varieties and livestock breeds
Eleni Kasapidou, Professor in the Department of Agriculture at the University of Western Macedonia, delivered the opening remarks.
The first panel explored how choices made in agricultural production can help conserve biodiversity. Vasileios Ampas, Assistant Professor at the University of Western Macedonia, moderated the discussion. The panellists were:
- Vasilis Mylonas, Agronomist, Kir-Yianni Estate
- Savvas Karagiorgos, CluBE – Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia
- Filippos Bantis, Assistant Professor, University of Western Macedonia
The second panel focused on Western Macedonia’s local crop varieties and livestock breeds and their role in agricultural production today. Stergiani Dalamitra, Assistant Professor at the University of Western Macedonia, moderated the discussion. The panellists were:
- Iosif Systanis, PhD Candidate, Department of Agriculture, University of Western Macedonia
- Nikos Itskos, Founder, Varecon Products
- Eleni Sakouleva, Agronomist, Florina Sheep Breed Association
Turning biodiversity insights into business ideas
In the second part of the event, a business idea development workshop put the panel discussions into practice. Participants were invited to draw on the topics explored by the panels to develop and present their own agrifood proposals. Four teams developed and pitched their ideas, and one advanced to the next stage.
Photo from the TrophyΤροφή workshop in Florina
The road to the final
The Florina Meet-Up marked the end of the 2026 Meet-Up series. The qualifying teams are now entering the final stage of preparation, with mentoring from Deloitte and Envolve. The winning team of TrophyΤροφή 2026 will be announced on 11 December at TrophyΤροφή – The Event in Thessaloniki.
The programme is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and the Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence.
About TrophyΤροφή
New Agriculture New Generation has organised TrophyΤροφή since 2019, with a founding grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). To date, the programme has supported more than 150 startups and business ideas by providing access to mentoring, specialist advice and an extensive network of contacts in Greece and abroad.
One winning team is selected at each TrophyΤροφή 2026 Meet-Up. Each team receives advisory support from the Hellenic Centre of Volunteer Managers (KEMEL) to refine and further develop its business proposal. The winning teams from the Meet-Ups will compete for the overall TrophyΤροφή award, which will be announced at TrophyΤροφή – The Event in Thessaloniki.
TrophyΤροφή 2026 is supported by the EIT Food GROW Project and the Citi Foundation through the BE FUTURE READY programme. The programme supports three Meet-Ups and the final event and provides the cash prize for the overall winning team.
Envolve Entrepreneurship offers the overall winning team a place in the EnvolveXL bootcamps, an accelerator programme for early-stage startups. The Hellenic Centre of Volunteer Managers (KEMEL) and Deloitte also provide advisory support.
Find out more about the TrophyΤροφή 2026 programme.
