The University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils (INUO) at the University of Jaén is holding a ‘hackathon’ (an intensive collaborative event) during which the sector’s real needs have been identified and value propositions and potential models for economic sustainability have been put forward.
The Andalusian Living Lab, as part of the European LivingSoiLL project affiliated with the University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils (INUO) at the University of Jaén, has organised a ‘hackathon’ (an intensive collaborative event) during which the future of this platform – and, by extension, the soil of the Mediterranean olive grove – was mapped out. Under the slogan ‘Let’s build the Olive Grove Living Lab together’, the event brought together more than 40 participants from cooperatives, olive oil mills, irrigation communities, agricultural service companies, technology centres, research staff and representatives from the olive oil sector.
The aim of this meeting was to collaboratively shape the future of the Olive Grove Living Lab, identifying the sector’s real needs, value propositions, innovative services and potential models for economic sustainability. To this end, participatory sessions, working groups and discussion forums were held, during which attendees shared experiences and proposed solutions aimed at improving the competitiveness and sustainability of Andalusian olive groves.
The opening ceremony was attended by the project coordinators and INUO researchers Juan Manuel Jurado Rodríguez and Julio A. Calero González, as well as INUO researcher María Gutiérrez Salcedo. During the event, they presented the project, detailing how the monitoring phase had been carried out on the experimental farms and the initial steps taken during the implementation phase of the solutions. They also highlighted the importance of co-creation with farmers and other professionals in the sector to achieve a more sustainable and digitalised olive-growing model.
This event reflected the sector’s interest in fostering open innovation spaces by connecting knowledge, technology and agricultural practice, thereby consolidating the INUO of the University of Jaén as a key player in the transformation of the olive sector and in the development of European projects linked to soil health and sustainable agriculture.
The hackathon concluded with the presentation of awards to the most outstanding proposals put forward during the event. The Andalusian Living Lab will now carry out a detailed analysis of the contributions arising from the participants’ discussions in order to continue making progress towards restoring soil health.
Specifically, the Andalusian Living Lab, like the other four living labs located in Portugal, France, Italy and Poland, acts as a multidisciplinary and inclusive collaboration platform to co-design, co-develop and implement solutions that promote the conservation and restoration of soil health in woody crop plantations.
Finally, it should be noted that, at the time of its establishment, the consortium comprised 15 highly regarded Andalusian organisations active in R&D&I related to olive cultivation: the University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils (INUO) at the University of Jaén, the Regional Government of Andalusia, the Provincial Council of Jaén, the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training (IFAPA), the Olive Growing and Olive Oil Technology Centre (Citoliva), the Caja Rural Foundation, the JaénCoop group, Nutesca SL, Andalusian Agri-Food Cooperatives, the Spanish Federation of Olive Oil Manufacturers (Infaoliva), Finca La Torre, Almazaras de la Subbética, Puerta de las Villas, Cortijo Espíritu Santo and Grupo Consule.
Source: Andalusian Living Lab – Living SoiLL (07/05/2026)
