Project Details
Description
How can technically and commercially promising innovation ideas that promote the necessary transition in the agriculture and food processing industry be selected, supported and realized? The smart subsidy system of the Interreg Flanders-Netherlands project SMART FARMING & FOOD PROCESSING provides the answer. From the two countries, 13 partners (knowledge institutions, field labs and network organizations) have been brought together to test submitted cases. A transparent support and guidance system for the selected innovation projects is then developed. Challenges facing the sector include reducing the use of fertilizers and crop protection products and a growing shortage of workers due to heavy and monotonous work. On the production side, adjustments are needed such as deploying mechanical and thermal weed control, deploying more flexible and smarter cropping systems and deploying precision fertilization. On the food processing side, it is important to be able to deal with more diverse and smaller quantities of crops that are marketed more locally.
Research approach
ILVO is involved in 3 of the 7 innovation projects, namely weeding without hands, robotics for weed control and the solar powered work assistant. The project partners focus primarily on involving SMEs. Larger companies are involved only where deemed necessary to develop the right applications. Grant funding is available for both the company with the issue and the technical company that will develop the application. The matchmaking with issue holders and tech companies was made in the first months of the project.
Relevance/Valorisation
In agriculture and food processing, the challenging transition is to better balance the entire food system with nature, environment and health. New technologies such as robots, drones, sensors, AI and big data are necessary to arrive at the dream of a balanced agriculture and food processing industry. Part of the strength of the project structure is that the 6 knowledge institutions involved as partners, the 4 field labs and the 6 network organizations (some partners have a dual role) bring and deploy their networks to raise issues, recruit potential technology partners to develop the envisioned solutions. For each challenge, an independent expert council is planned to disseminate project results to their constituencies and network contacts.
Acronym | SF&FP |
---|---|
Status | Active |
Effective start/end date | 1/05/23 → 30/04/26 |
Data Management Plan flag for FRIS
- DMP not present