The olive grove has always been patient. For centuries, its cycles were shaped by the climate, the farmer’s hands, and the intuition passed down through generations. But something is changing—and it is changing fast. At the Olive Oil World Congress (OOWC), taking place on July 2–3 at the Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon, five internationally renowned experts will present the technologies that are rewriting the rules of the olive oil sector: from the moment a drone flies over olive canopies to when the oil leaves the mill, bottled and ready for market. This Congress will not only focus on production or quality, but on the digital revolution already transforming one of the most strategic sectors of the Mediterranean economy.
The starting point is the field. Miguel Córdoba, from xFarm Technologies, will outline the new landscape of “smart” agriculture applied to olive growing: soil sensors, aerial imagery processed with artificial intelligence, predictive models that anticipate plant health conditions or estimate yields weeks in advance. This is already an operational reality, transforming the profitability and sustainability of thousands of farms worldwide. The farmer, who once made decisions based on experience and direct observation, now has access to a digital nervous system that speaks to them in real time from every corner of the farm. Knowing earlier, acting better, wasting less: that is the promise technology is beginning to fulfill in olive growing.
But transformation does not stop at the mill’s gate. Chiara Corbo, from Politecnico di Milano, will address something often overlooked in the technological debate: what happens to digitalization across the entire value chain, from production to commercialization. Her talk will highlight how technology without strategy generates more bureaucracy than value, and how companies in the sector—especially small and medium-sized ones—need a clear roadmap so digital investment translates into real margins rather than added complexity.
Finally, there is the oil mill—the industrial heart of the sector, now under dual pressure: producing more and better with fewer resources, while operating within the limits of the circular economy. Dolores Pérez, from the University of Córdoba, together with Antonio López from GEA Group, a global leader in industrial process engineering, and Julián Ferrer from Grupo De Prado, will present the solutions already being implemented: automated and connected production lines, real-time oil quality analysis, energy recovery from by-products, and systems that not only produce but also learn and self-optimize. The roundtable will bring together scientific research, industrial engineering, and production expertise to shape the profile of the 21st-century oil mill: not a larger or more expensive facility, but one that “thinks”.
What unites these three discussions—the smart olive grove, the digitized value chain, and the autonomous oil mill—is a shared conviction that OOWC 2026 will present without hesitation: technology is no longer optional for the olive oil sector. In a context of increasing climate volatility, stricter European sustainability regulations, and international markets demanding traceability and transparency, digitalization has become a condition for competitive survival. Olive oil has been on the world’s tables for thousands of years. What is being debated in Lisbon is whether it will remain there in 50 years’ time, and under what conditions. Applied technology, as the experts gathered at this Congress will explain, is an essential part of that answer.
All individuals, companies, and public or private institutions in the olive oil sector interested in participating in this Congress can register via the following link: https://www.oliveoilworldcongress.com/inscription
The Congress already has the institutional support of the International Olive Council (IOC), CIHEAM Zaragoza, and the Mediterranean Diet Foundation, along with public entities such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Affairs of Portugal, the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha (‘Campo y Alma’), the Government of Catalonia, and IMIDRA.
In the private sector, the second edition is currently supported by Olivum and organizations such as AgroBank, the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional, GEA Group, Novonesis, APOAC (Associação para a Promoção do Olival e Azeite de Aire e Candeeiros) with its commercial brand ‘Olivedos do Carso’, Adsaica (Associação de Desenvolvimento das Serras de Aire e Candeeiros), Feria de Zaragoza (ENOMAQ), Kubota, Dazeite, and Siliker, as well as OlivoGestão as sponsor of the Scientific Poster Competition.
The OOWC invites everyone to be part of this international collaborative project, encouraging participation in cooperation and sponsorship opportunities, and making all necessary information available through the OOWC Technical Secretariat by calling +34 91 721 79 29 or emailing info@oliveoilwc.com.
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