UoWM and TELNAS Laboratory Showcase Innovation in Sustainable Agricultural Water Management at ETAGRO 2025

The Laboratory of Networks and Advanced Services (TELNAS) of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Western Macedonia (UoWM) recently showcased its leading role in agrotechnology innovation at the 18th International Conference on Agricultural Economics (ETAGRO 2025).

Held on October 10–11 in Florina, the conference was co-organized by the Scientific Society of Agricultural Economics (ET.AGRO) and the UoWM Department of Agriculture. Under the theme “Enhancing the Sustainability and Resilience of Agricultural Economies: Green Transition, Digitalization, and Competitiveness,” the event gathered the international scientific community to address the urgent challenges of water scarcity, degradation, and the environmental impact of modern farming.

Digital Solutions for Water Scarcity

A focal point of the discussions was the excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers and the resulting overexploitation of water resources in Europe. Representing the University of Western Macedonia, Professor Malamati Louta, Director of the TELNAS Laboratory, presented the technological breakthroughs of the EU-funded project UNIVERSWATER (Universal and Interoperable Platform for Sustainable Water Management in Agriculture).

Professor Louta, who serves as the scientific coordinator for the project’s pilot area in Mikri Prespa (Use Case 3), detailed how UNIVERSWATER is developing a universal, interoperable Decision Support System (DSS). This platform is designed to optimize irrigation, significantly reduce pesticide runoff, and safeguard water quality through advanced digital modeling.

Impressive Preliminary Results

The presentation highlighted the transformative potential of the UNIVERSWATER technologies:

• Water Conservation: Up to a 50% reduction in groundwater extraction.
• Pollution Control: Up to 95% removal of pollutants, enabling the safe and sustainable reuse of water.
• Efficiency: A 15% reduction in operational costs for farmers.
• Accuracy: A 90% increase in the reliability of predictive models for water management.

Read the full press release here.