Researchers from the Institute of Economics and Rural development of the Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, together with the Chamber of Agriculture (project coordinator) and seven farms, are launching the European Innovation Partnership project “Agricultural Service Sharing Ecosystem”.
In recent decades, Lithuanian farmers have invested heavily in agricultural machinery, but practice shows that purchasing and maintaining expensive equipment, as well as upgrading machinery, are not always economically viable solutions. Nevertheless, this agricultural machinery is often underutilized, and the costs of depreciation, insurance, maintenance, and repairs have a significant impact on the profitability of farming activities. Another important aspect is that small and medium-sized farms are not always able to afford new-generation agricultural machinery that is more environmentally friendly (for example, emits lower GHG levels, consumes less fuel, or reduces negative impacts on soil), therefore, increasing the availability of new agricultural machinery and equipment for this target group could have a positive impact on the sustainability of local food systems.
In response to these challenges, the European Innovation Partnership working group “Agrilink” has been established. The aim of the project is to create and implement a digital ecosystem for sharing agricultural services, enabling farmers to optimize their available resources, reduce farming costs, and increase operational efficiency through a collaborative model.
The project is being implemented under the intervention measure “European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability” of the 2023–2027 Strategic Plan for Lithuanian Agriculture and Rural Development. The project is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the national budget.
Keywords: agricultural machinery, farmer cooperation, sharing of services, sustainability
Project implementation: December 2025 – November 2027
Project implementation team:
Dr. Nelė Jurkėnaitė, e-mail: nele.jurkenaite@ekvi.lt
Dr. Virginija Namiotko
Dr. Aistė Galnaitytė