Robotics companies and farmers can compete for grants from a program aimed at strengthening the European network of digital innovators.
Robotic technology companies and European farmers are collaborating on innovative agricultural projects that employ robotics to be submitted to the European Union for the first agROBOfood Open Call for Innovation Experiments. At stake is a prize pool of €2.65 million that will be divided among the best six projects.
With the open call, we expect to reach out to many small and medium enterprises across Europe.- Frédéric Colledani, head of the France-Italy portion of the project
In order to win, projects will need to demonstrate a solid innovative concept, a strong commitment to the latest available technologies and an assessment of the impact of the final product, including the role it could play for farmers in the field, the project’s managers told Olive Oil Times.
The projects must directly address problems of the agri-food sector, such as reducing costs for everyday operations, maximizing yields, or solving security and safety problems with a focus on robotic technology.
The agROBOfood initiative, part of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, is a continental network of digital innovation hubs and competence centers aimed at raising awareness among farmers about the benefits of robotics in agriculture. The centers offer support farmers need to develop their own projects, find the right partners and obtain the needed skills.
See Also:Technology Updates“With the open call, we expect to reach out to many small and medium enterprises across Europe. Projects must involve robotics and end-users, in small consortia formed by two to five partners,” Frédéric Colledani, head of the France-Italy portion of the project, told Olive Oil Times. “Consortia could be cross-border, for instance, involving partners from different countries, or cross-sector, with partners from different fields, like robotics, technology providers, farmers, and so on.”
agROBOfood already has experience operating among olive groves. In Spain, farmers and robotics experts are building a platform to maximize olive yields. The core of the project is the development of a mobile, electrified automatic guided vehicle (AGV) platform equipped with sensor modules to gather information for use in olive groves.
While the vehicles are being designed for relatively small testing groves, the project aims to be scalable, to work in different scenarios and large productions. The key is to look for strong innovation within an organized framework of innovators.
“Since agROBOfood is a network project, participants should also be connected to a local [digital innovation hub] that will connect them to the other stakeholders of the agri-food sector, in order to help them find relevant partners and disseminate the result of the project as widely as possible,” noted Colledani, who is also a robotics expert from the List Institute at CEA Tech.
Colledani said that the competence centers can provide partners with services such as technical infrastructure, technical support on scaling up and testing.
“In addition to that, the digital innovation hubs are organizations that act as a one-stop-shop and will also provide non-technical services, such as community building, strategy development, ecosystem learning and promotion as well as incubator/accelerator support, access to finance, project development, skills training and education and more,” he said
The centers and hubs are located around Europe in a growing network and are connected to one another. Information on applying for the Open Call is on the website linked below.
Winners will be selected in August.
More articles on: olive oil research, technology
Jan. 15, 2024
Oleocanthal: Behind the Health Benefits of Olive Oil's Famous Phenol
Found solely in extra virgin olive oil, oleocanthal demonstrates potent anti-inflammatory properties and has been linked to beneficial impacts on cancer and dementia.
Jul. 19, 2023
Researchers in California Test New Solutions for Olive Fruit Fly
Researchers at the University of California are testing a range of insecticide products for efficacy in controlling olive fruit flies.
Mar. 25, 2024
Scientists Defend Study Finding Xylella Not Responsible for Most OQDS
Margherita Ciervo and Marco Scortichini defend their research that found Xylella fastidiosa was not responsible for most Apulian olive tree deaths over the past decade.
Nov. 14, 2023
Mediterranean Diet Linked to Improved Outcomes in Liver Disease Patients
Following the Mediterranean diet for one year improved the symptoms of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in obese patients over the age of 60.
Mar. 7, 2024
Ancient Olive Groves on Capri Are Reservoirs of Biodiversity
Researchers traced the origins of the island’s olive trees to Crete and mainland Italy and discovered 21 new varieties.
Sep. 15, 2023
Using Effective Microbes to Boost Organic Olive Yields in New Zealand
Ross Vintiner, award-winning biodynamic olive farmer in New Zealand, believes that microbes are the future of farming.
Oct. 12, 2023
Researchers Identify Three Olive Varieties Resistant to Pervasive Fungus
Three cross breeds of Frantoio, Koroneiki and Arbosana olives resisted Verticillium dahlia in a controlled environment.
May. 13, 2024
Study Sheds Light on Lowering Harvest Costs for Table Olive Producers
A combined canopy and trunk shaking method to harvest table olives increases efficiency by 75 percent and improves fruit quality.