By Dimitra Fourkalidou | Head of Communications | reframe.food
On June 13, 2025, at 10:00 CEST, the STELLA Horizon Europe project will host its second Capacity Building Workshop, titled “Pest Prediction Tools feat. The Greek Plane Tree Forest Pilot”—an event designed to foster collaboration and share insights on pest prediction and crop protection innovations.
The session will bring together a wide array of experts and researchers from across Europe, each contributing to the development and deployment of advanced technologies in agricultural sustainability.
With a strong emphasis on pest and disease prediction, citizen science, and remote sensing technologies—including satellites, UAVs, and mobile applications—the workshop offers a comprehensive look at how research, policy, and digital tools converge to strengthen forest biosecurity and safeguard plant health across diverse European ecosystems.
Below is a detailed look at the agenda, including the speakers who will lead each session and the expertise they bring to the table.
10:00 – 10:30 Introduction to the STELLA Horizon EU Project and its use case pilots
Organisation: Agricultural University of Athens
Speaker: Prog. Dimitris Tsitsigiannis
Prof. Dimitris Tsitsigiannis, Coordinator of the STELLA project, is a member of the Department of Crop Science and the Board of Directors at the Agricultural University of Athens, Greece. He received his PhD from the Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison in the USA, and he is currently President of the Mediterranean Phytopathological Union. He is leading a group of 15 PhD and MSc students working on: 1) developing and testing in the field effective, durable, and environmentally sustainable biological and integrated management strategies to control plant diseases; 2) epidemiology and management of myxotoxigenic fungi and mycotoxins; 3) smart tools to improve diagnosis, forecasting and monitoring on plant pathogens and diseases utilizing technology innovations; 4) elucidation of plant disease resistance and pathogen virulence mechanisms.
10:30 – 10:50 CANKER STAIN OF PLANE TREES – THE GREEK USE CASE PILOT
Organisation: Agricultural University of Athens
Speaker: Spyridoula Dimitropoulou
Spyridoula Dimitropoulou is a Research Associate in the Laboratory of Plant Pathology at the Agricultural University of Athens. She holds an MSc in Integrated Plant Protection and Environmental Management, specializing in plant pathology. Currently, she is actively involved in two EU Horizon-funded projects: STELLA, which advances digital early-warning systems for plant health, and FORTUNA, which focuses on innovative strategies to reduce pesticide use in agriculture. Her previous experience includes an internship at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), where she supported risk assessment initiatives and development of a pest surveillance toolkit. Her expertise spans experimental design, plant disease management, and EU regulatory frameworks for plant health protection.
10:50 – 11:05 FOREST BIOSECURITY ASPECTS
Speaker: Dr. Fryni Drizou
Dr. Fryni Drizou is a researcher of Phytopathology- Protection of Forest Ecosystems in the Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems of the Hellenic Agricultural Organisation (ELGO)-DIMITRA. She leads the Phytopathology lab of the Institute, working on an array of forest pathogens and urban and peri-urban woodlands. Her interests include Ceratocystis platani, Phytophthora diseases and the decline of tree species (e.g. pines, abies) as well as public engagement and education on Biosecurity and Forest Ecosystems. In her previous role, she was Biosecurity lead for the Royal Horticultural Society’s (UK) gardens, providing practical advice, developing surveillance and management plans, policies and teaching professionals and the public. She has been involved in the development Plant Biosecurity strategy of GB and has been a member of several national and international sentinel and biosecurity networks.
11:05 – 11:25 REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGIES IN PEST/ DISEASE PREDICTION – SATELLITES
Organisation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU)
Speaker: Fransesco Vuolo
(Bio not available yet)
11:25 – 11:40 POLICY ASPECT IN THE EU
Organisation: Greek & Digital
Speaker: Anastasia (Natassa) Kannavou
Dr. Anastasia Kannavou holds a PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and has built a diverse career in public policy, public administration, and project management. From 2019 to 2024, she served as a senior policy advisor and Head of Office at the European Parliament, where she managed key files related to the Common Agricultural Policy and the European Green Deal. Before her tenure at the European Parliament, Dr. Kannavou was the Acting Director of the Managing Authority for the Greek Rural Development Program 2007-2013, where she also served as the Head of the Programming and Evaluation Unit. In this capacity, she managed a €6 billion program. She also worked at the Municipality of Piraeus, where she developed the city’s Blue Growth Strategy, managed the Piraeus Integrated Territorial Investment (an €80 million project), and led several EU projects, including HORIZON, UIA, Erasmus, LIFE, and AMIF. Currently, she is a Policy Advisor and Project Manager, leading policy analysis tasks in HORIZON EUROPE projects.
11:40 – 11:50 BREAK
11:50 – 12:00 PROXIMAL SENSING TECHNOLOGIES’ IMPORTANCE IN PEST/DISEASE PREDICTION – CITIZEN SCIENCE – ISCOUT MOBILE APP
Organisation: METOS by Pessl Instruments
Speaker: Dr. Heiner Denzer
Dr. Heiner Denzer was raised on a small farm in Germany and has a lifelong background in agriculture. He earned his PhD in plant pathology and has developed disease and growth models and insect traps for Pessl Instruments.
12:00 – 12:10 THE STELLA PEST SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM
Organisation: Agricultural University of Athens
Speaker: Christina Markou
Christina Markou is a Junior Project Manager and Research Associate at the SFT Group, based at the Agricultural University of Athens. She holds an integrated Master’s degree in Agricultural Engineering with a specialization in Precision Agriculture from the Agricultural University of Athens. Her expertise lies in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for agricultural applications, the implementation of remote sensing technologies for field monitoring, and the integration of artificial intelligence in precision farming practices.
12:10 – 12:25 REMOTE SENSING TECHNOLOGIES IN PEST/DISEASE PREDICTION – UAVS
Organisation: Agricultural University of Athens
(See bio above)
12:25 – 12:35 PRESENTATION OF THE ICAERUS PROJECT
Speaker: Christina Markou
(See bio above)
12:35 – 12:40 WRAP UP & FINAL REMARKS
This workshop serves as a targeted deep dive into pest and disease surveillance, equipping participants with practical insights into pest prediction systems, forest biosecurity, and digital detection tools. By showcasing the Greek Plane Tree Use Case and exploring the role of satellites, UAVs, and citizen-driven sensing technologies, the event brings together researchers, policymakers, and innovators to promote data-informed, cross-sector responses to plant health threats. Through this exchange, STELLA strengthens its mission to advance integrated, science-based solutions for resilient environmental and agricultural systems.
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