Over the past week, Lithuania has been focused on the devastating disaster in Pabradė. Not only Lithuanian and allied troops but also Lithuanian businesses contributed to the search and rescue operation of missing US soldiers. Among those who offered to help and had the opportunity to contribute was the „Beta Via“ team with its innovative artificial intelligence- based peatland exploration equipment.

We are proud to share a significant milestone in our journey — UAB "ART21" is now UAB "BETA VIA". This change is more than a new name. It marks the beginning of a new chapter — one that reflects our evolution as a company, the maturity we’ve gained, and the vision we continue to pursue. The name "Beta via" carries a deeper meaning: it symbolizes progress, transition, and purposeful movement toward greater efficiency and impact. It represents a step upward — a metaphorical ascent — as we continue to grow, innovate, and refine the way we create value. While our name is changing, our principles remain the same. Our dedication to meaningful collaboration, responsible innovation, and long-term partnerships remains at the heart of everything we do.

According to the EC, forests cover 45% of European land, and 25% of the population depends on them for their well-being, including income. Moreover, 80% of the EU territory is rural, where 30% of the people live, but many of them are still lacking opportunities due to technology gaps. Lithuanians participating in the international project XGain test a 5G-based innovation that would not only bridge the digital gap between urban and remote areas but also contribute to the untapped potential of the ForestTech sector.

While a minority of the population, fearful of progress, are measuring foil helmets to protect themselves from 5G connectivity, innovators from around the world are developing technology for rural areas, outpacing the development of future communications infrastructure. Although we usually listen to debates on TV about the possibilities offered by 5G communication, such as driving autonomous cars, etc., we rarely think that this extremely high-speed Internet connection will significantly impact regional areas and the entire food value chain.

The preservation of forests is becoming an acute problem in the world. Every summer, we hear about terrible wildfires raging worldwide from the coasts of California and Australia. The statistics show merciless numbers - during the last decade in North America, an average of about 18,000 fire accidents occurred annually (this year, the number is approaching 57 thousand), which destroyed almost three million hectares of forests and bushes in 2020. In Australia, 33 million hectares were burned.

"Agriculture is the most traditional and conservative sector in the world" is a phrase heard almost every day. However, this time the text will not be about the reasons for this. We are often convinced of what we cannot substantiate, right? So, why should we be surprised that the owner of a farm handed down from generation to generation does not want to change and invest in changes? After all, the advanced digital technologies offered to farmers are often developed by innovators who have yet to set foot on a real farm, which often leads to a reasonable gap in mutual trust.

Advanced technologies developed in one sector have long transcended the boundaries of their discipline and can often be applied on a much wider scale. What is particularly important in these uncertain and turbulent times, they can even significantly contribute to society's social, infrastructural and physical security.

Developing breakthrough techniques for crop plant stress and nutritional state assessment using hyperspectral imaging and remote sensing

Enabling sustainable agriculture with precision farming solutions for efficient resource use, data integration and on-field application

Turning farming digital by developing software that makes information access, farm management and decision making more effective and simple

Implementing specialized technological solutions for effective agriculture and food industry process management, accounting, storage and trading

Creating distributed infrastructure and expanding on Blockchain technologies for the next-generation of innovations in the AgriFood sector

Developing fast, cost-efficient, non-invasive and scalable spectrometry solutions for agriculture and food safety sectors.