On 31 October 2025, the AIGODS project achieved a significant mark of international recognition with the formal acceptance of its research for the 11th International Cool Climate Wine Symposium (ICCWS) 2026. The team is now preparing to present their findings at this prestigious global forum Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, in Christchurch, New Zealand, placing the Douro region at the centre of the international dialogue on viticultural innovation.

The accepted work, titled "The impact of replacing local meteorological data with open-access grid-format climate products for yield estimation in the Douro Demarcated Region (2016–2021)", details a major technical advancement in the project’s yield estimation objectives. The research demonstrates that the project’s predictive logic can be successfully maintained, and even improved during the critical flowering stage, by utilising open-access gridded datasets such as AgERA5 and CHIRPS.

This achievement is especially significant as it directly addresses the challenge of reducing dependence on restricted, station-based climatic inputs. By proving that open data can support high-precision forecasting, the AIGODS team is advancing a more transparent, reproducible, and resilient methodology that is ideally suited for future institutional use by the IVDP.

Securing a place at ICCWS 2026 not only validates the project's GeoAI approach but also opens a vital channel for international networking and the exchange of cutting-edge ideas on precision tools and automation. This selection serves as a powerful testament to the project's commitment to delivering technically robust and scientifically rigorous solutions for the viticultural sector.