NordPheno Officially Launched at the University of Helsinki:

Over two intensive days, 24–25 March, the Nordic Research Infrastructure Hub for Digital Plant Phenotyping (NordPheno) was officially launched at the University of Helsinki. The initiative brings together leading Nordic universities and research institutes to strengthen collaboration, share infrastructure, and accelerate innovation in plant phenotyping for 5 years (2026-2030).

Who is involved:

NordPheno unites partners from across the Nordic region, including:

• NMBU – Norwegian University of Life Sciences
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
• University of Oslo
• UiT – The Arctic University of Norway
• NIBIO – Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research
• SLU – Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
• University of Copenhagen

From Norway, the initiative is closely linked to PheNo – Norwegian Plant Phenotyping Infrastructure, ensuring strong national–Nordic synergies.

What NordPheno aims to achieve

NordPheno aims to build a more integrated Nordic phenotyping landscape by focusing on:

• Joint research: Advancing digital plant phenotyping through shared projects and coordinated scientific efforts.
• Synergy between infrastructures: Connecting existing national platforms to enable efficient use of facilities, data, and expertise.
• Mobility and competence building: Facilitating researcher and student mobility, training, and knowledge exchange across the Nordic region.

During the kickoff meeting in Helsinki, partners worked to:

• Align the scientific and strategic vision for NordPheno
• Map existing infrastructures and capabilities across the Nordic region
• Identify priority areas for joint research and technology development
• Plan next steps for governance, data sharing, and mobility activities

A special thanks goes to the hosts at the University of Helsinki—Xiang Su, Kristiina Himanen, Sylvain Poque, Giorgia Del Cioppo, Chenghao Lu and Pirjo Mäkelä—for organizing a productive and inspiring meeting.

“By connecting infrastructures and people, we can move much faster toward sustainable and climate-resilient plant production.”

What happens now

In the coming months, NordPheno will:

• Launch joint activities such as workshops, training schools, and pilot research projects
• Develop shared data and infrastructure frameworks to support open and FAIR plant phenotyping data
• Strengthen links between national infrastructures such as PheNo and the broader Nordic network

The launch of NordPheno marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration to position the Nordic region at the forefront of digital plant phenotyping and sustainable plant production.

Visit to the NaPPI facilities

As part of the program, participants visited the NaPPI – Finnish National Plant Phenotyping Infrastructure facilities. The tour offered a firsthand look at advanced sensor technologies, automation systems, and integrated data workflows.

This visit provided valuable inspiration for NordPheno’s upcoming work on digital phenotyping, data interoperability, and shared technological development. Seeing NaPPI’s operational setup strengthened the partners’ commitment to building a connected and future‑ready Nordic phenotyping ecosystem.

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NordPheno is funded by: