As part of the European Interreg NEXT MED SmartGreenEcos project, the University of Carthage continue their commitment to the sustainable and digital transition of the Mediterranean agri-food sector.

On October 15, 2026, the Ben Ismail Reserve in Toukaber (Béja) hosted the 5th and final co-design workshop for the project’s digital platforms. This decisive meeting brought together key stakeholders from across the dairy supply chain to advance digital tools tailored to their operational needs.

Objectives, Key Results & Recommendations

Main Objectives: 

Continue collaborative work on the project’s four digital platforms (AI Benchmarking, Learning Management System, Procurement, and Innovation), officially integrate new partner farms, and run technical sessions on processing and Good Hygiene Practices (GHP).

Key Findings & Outcomes:

Brainstorming sessions focused on prioritizing price forecasting parameters, high-priority training topics,group purchasing categories, and innovation use cases.Technical training on goat milk transformation, quality parameters, and hygiene standards hosted by the Ben Ismail Reserve (Saanen goat farming) and technical training by la Casa del fromaggio on cow milk transformation, quality control no hygiene standards.

Key Recommendations: 

Implement enterprise-size segmentation for group purchasing, simplify user interfaces for better accessibility, and establish a structured peer-to-peer exchange network among cheesemakers.

Participants & Partner Organizations

The workshop gathered technical experts, academic leads, and representatives from key enterprises across the dairy sector:

• Organizers & Technical Partners: University of Carthage (UCAR), SIRAT and Biware Consulting
• Participating Farms & Enterprises (Dairy Value Chain): Réserve Ben Ismail, Fromagerie Ennour, Fromagerie Le Fermier, Fromagerie Baklouti, La Casa del Fromage, La Prairie (Fromagerie Le Fort), Souani Farm, Borj Lella, Beya Sweets, Montbeliard

Next Step: The Closing Working Conference

Building on the success of these co-design sessions, the SmartGreenEcos project is entering a decisive new phase. To conclude this participatory momentum and seal the commitment of all enterprises in the sector, a major Working Conference is officially scheduled:

• Date: October 30, 2026
• Location: Royal Asbu Hotel

The main objective of this event will be to present the results of the co-design workshops, marking the launch of the next operational phase: enterprise data collection and the effective deployment of digital platforms (WP3.4 and WP4).

To optimize the impact of these platforms, cross-matching the expectations of key dairy value chain actors cheesemakers, milk collectors, and animal feed producers, is essential. As interdependent upstream and downstream links, this cross-matching approach will provide comprehensive visibility across all future users and foster key interactions within the ecosystem.