SPECIAL SESSION #22

Francesco Bonavolontà

University of Naples Federico II, DIETI, Italy

• francesco.bonavolonta@unina.it

Maria Teresa Verde

University of Naples Federico II, DMVPA, Italy

• mariateresa.verde@unina.it

Claudia Zoani

Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA) - Dept. for Sustainability - Sustainable AgriFood Systems Division (SSPT-AGROS), Rome, Italy

• claudia.zoani@enea.it

The transition of the agrifood sector toward intelligent, automated, and sustainable systems requires technological solutions based on sensors, IoT architectures, and Artificial Intelligence capable of ensuring data quality, traceability, metrological traceability, reliability, and security. In particular, the evolution of infrastructures for data management, processing, and communication plays a central role in supporting such transformations, in line with the development pathways outlined at European level for the digitalization of the agrifood domain and the application of IoT and AI technologies. In this context, Italy is investing in strategic initiatives through five national research and innovation platforms funded by the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) — AGRITECH, METROFOOD-IT, MIRRI-IT, ONFOODS, and PRIMA — which contribute to a growing integration and alignment with European priorities. Within this landscape, the ReRITT network (Research, Innovation and Technology Transfer Network), promoted by the National Agrifood Cluster CL.A.N., represents a reference framework for interactions among these initiatives. Collectively, these efforts support a shared vision in which metrology, sensing technologies, IoT systems, and AI-driven solutions are key pillars for innovation across the entire agrifood value chain. This Special Session aims to bring together researchers, professionals, and stakeholders working at the intersection of precision agriculture, livestock production, food quality and safety, traceability, automation, and IoT- and AI-enabled technologies, supporting the transition toward an efficient, sustainable, intelligent, and innovation-oriented agrifood ecosystem. The objective is to present advancements, challenges, and innovative solutions to enhance the reliability, interoperability, and sustainability of processes across the entire supply chain — from field to farm, from processing to distribution — with a special focus on electronic systems, IoT architectures, AI-based methods for analysis, diagnosis and prevention, and digital platforms enabling data acquisition, validation, and transmission in complex scenarios. The session will provide an interdisciplinary forum for sharing scientific advances, hardware/software developments, methodologies for data validation, information integration, decision support, and innovative tools for intelligent digitalization, automation, and AI-driven solutions in agrifood. The perspective aligns with European strategies on digital transformation and with the strategic priorities of national and international research programs.

The session welcomes theoretical, experimental, and application-oriented contributions on (but not limited to) the following topics:

1. Foundational Technologies: Sensors, IoT & Measurement
• Advanced sensing technologies for agrifood and livestock (environmental, physical, chemical, biological, physiological parameters);
• IoT systems for monitoring, control, and automation of agrifood processes;
• Distributed sensor networks, edge computing, and embedded architectures;
• Digital Twins and cyber-physical systems for supply-chain management;
• Reliability, validation, and metrological traceability in Sensor–IoT–AI systems;
• Instrumentation and Measurement for Agriculture, Food Production, and Food Safety;
• Standards, interoperability, and best practices for Sensor–IoT–AI systems;
• Energy-efficient and sustainable Sensor–IoT–AI architectures (low-power design, energy harvesting, long-term deployments).
2. Sustainability, Environmental Monitoring & Smart Resource Management
• Intelligent monitoring of environmental emissions in agriculture and livestock farming;
• Monitoring and mitigation of thermal stress in animals and crops, with a focus on sustainability and climate adaptation;
• Smart irrigation and water management systems based on Sensor–IoT–AI technologies;
• Hydroponic and aeroponic production systems with intelligent control and optimization.
3. Field Operations, Robotics & Remote Sensing
• Drones, autonomous rovers, and UxV systems for field operations and precision agriculture/livestock management;
• Thermal, multispectral, and hyperspectral remote sensing for soil analysis, early crop diagnostics, and sustainable resource management.
4. Data Intelligence: AI, ML & Decision Support
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for data analysis, prediction, diagnosis, and decision support;
• Data integration across the supply chain and AI-driven platforms for complex agrifood scenarios.
5. Quality, Safety, Sustainability & Traceability
• Quality control, smart packaging, and advanced inspection and machine vision systems;
• Sustainable packaging, eco-design, and innovative recyclable/biodegradable materials for food quality and safety;
• Smart and sustainable logistics systems for the agrifood supply chain;
• Circular economy strategies: waste reduction, material recycling, and resource-efficient processes;
• Food safety, shelf-life prediction, and food waste reduction through digital and AI-enabled technologies;
• Digital traceability, blockchain, and interoperable data infrastructures.
6. Agrifood Industry 4.0 & 5.0 Ecosystems
• Industry 4.0 and 5.0 systems for agrifood: robotics, automation, intelligent plants, and digital platforms.

Francesco Bonavolontà is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Electronic Measurements at the University of Naples Federico II. After completing his PhD in Electrical Engineering, he developed an extensive research activity on advanced measurement systems, IoT sensor networks, and solutions for Industry 4.0, Precision Livestock Farming, and agri-food sustainability. He is the author of more than 100 international publications and serves as Associate Editor for journals such as Scientific Reports (Nature) and Measurement: Sensors (Elsevier). He has coordinated major projects within PNRR, PRIN, and industrial frameworks, collaborating with national and international research institutions and industrial partners. He is also co-inventor of the patent System and Method for Capturing Wild Boars (2023).

Maria Teresa Verde holds a PhD in Information Technology and Electrical Engineering from the University of Naples Federico II, with a research focus on innovative technologies for Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) and buffalo farming. She is a veterinarian specialized in infectious diseases, prophylaxis, and veterinary public health, with extensive experience in smart farming systems, animal welfare assessment, and the application of IoT and AI-based solutions in livestock production. She is the author of several international publications and has received recognition for her research contributions at international conferences. She is also co-inventor of the patent System and Method for Capturing Wild Boars (2023).

Claudia Zoani researcher at the ENEA Sustainable AgriFood Systems Division, graduated in Chemistry with a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, she concluded the research activities of a second PhD in Agriculture, Food and Environment. Specialist on atomic spectroscopic and mass spectrometry techniques and Metrology, she conducts R&D activities on Reference Materials and Methods; measurement uncertainty; food quality, safety and traceability; sustainability of agrifood systems; chemical risk assessment. Scientific Secretary of the IMEKO TC23 Metrology in Food and Nutrition and member of the Eurachem WG on Reference Materials UNI Committee General Metrology. She is one of the 10 Italian experts on Circular Economy selected by the Italian Ministry for the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) for the participation to the Comité des Dix-Italie - Sommet des Deux Rives initiative. Awarded with the Premio Leonardo UGIS for “research and its communication” on 2014. She is the Coordinator of the Research Infrastructure METROFOOD-RI – Infrastructure for Promoting Metrology in Food and Nutrition, included in the ESFRI Roadmap for the Domain Health and Food (www.metrofood.eu). She is engaged as PI for ENEA in several national and European ongoing projects, such as the HEu AgroServ, DGR4Food, FHERITALE and EOSC-Beyond, and previously in the H2020 FNS-Cloud, iNEXT-Discovery and FoodSafety4EU and the ERANET SUSFOOD CORE ORGANIC “PROVIDE”. In the frame of the Italian National Plan for Recovery and Resilience funded by NextGenerationEu, she coordinates the project METROFOOD-IT, focused on “Strengthening of the Italian RI for Metrology and Open Access Data in support to the Agrifood” (www.metrofood.it).