
The European Commission has recognised the ‘Andalucía Agrotech’ project as the main ‘European Digital Innovation Hub’ (EDIH), considered the highest quality seal at European level for an innovation ecosystem, allowing it to form part of a European network of excellence to promote the digital transformation of agro SMEs. This project is funded with an initial endowment of 4.26 million euros through the Digital Europe Programme and will last for three years with an implementation period between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2025.
The Andalucía Agrotech EDIH ecosystem is a public-private initiative led by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development of the Regional Government of Andalusia and involves more than 30 entities, including the University Institute of Research on Olive Oil and Olive Oils (INUO) of the University of Jaén (UJA). Its objective is to respond to the needs of the Andalusian agri-food sector by offering services aimed at technological development, training, the search for funding and the promotion of open innovation.
As part of the project, a series of conferences have been planned to raise awareness among Andalusian agri-food companies of the opportunities offered by digital technologies. The first meeting, held on 9 November at the Visitor Reception Centre in Cordoba, focused on artificial intelligence under the title “Agrotech Forum Artificial Intelligence: Cultivating the future of the agri-food value chain“. This meeting was inaugurated by Carmen Cristina de Toro Navero, Director General of Industries, Innovation and Agri-Food Chain of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Andalusian Regional Government and, Blanca Torrent Cruz, Deputy Mayor of Cordoba City Council.
This day consisted of exhibitions of innovative projects and initiatives from public and private entities (Agrotech Demo), sessions on Artificial Intelligence applications in the agri-food value chain (success stories) and a field visit for the in situ demonstration of Artificial Intelligence applications (field demonstration).
Agrotech Demo consisted of an exhibition of innovative projects (Operational Groups, R&D Projects) with demonstrations of Artificial Intelligence and innovative business solutions that apply Artificial Intelligence in the agri-food sector. Among them, the initiatives ‘Data-based modelling of nutrients spatio-temporal dynamics for fertigation control’ from the School of Engineering (UHU); ‘GO ARISTEO: Andalusian Cheeses 4.0’ from the University of Cordoba; ‘COVEROLIVE’ and ‘GO PAGOS’ from CeiA3; ‘Artificial Intelligence for Sierra Morena Quality Lambs’ by Corsevilla S.C.A.; ‘Precision Agriculture 4.0 Multispectral analysis as the cornerstone of agriculture’ by ALL4UNOW or ‘AgrarIA PROJECT’; ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) applied to the value chain of agricultural production 2050’ by TEPRO Consultores Agrícolas S.L.
Finally, the projects ‘MORERA- Integrated Irrigation Management and Agricultural Yield Estimation System based on Spatial Remote Sensing Tools and AI Algorithms applied both on the Ground and from Space’ by TEPRO Consultores Agrícolas S.L.; ‘GO ALGAVID’ by Fundación Ayesa; ‘Prototype system for the early prediction of the olive harvest-PREDIC I’ by the University of Jaén; ‘ITO-FOG: Optimisation of irrigation in olive cultivation’ by Hispatec ERPAGRO; ‘GO CitriAforo, LOCATEC’ by Apps Agrícolas; ‘Agrosat Sharing/Detection of seedlings and dwarfs in intensive and super-intensive woody crops’ by Grainot Satellite Technologies S.L.; ‘GO NIROLEO: Innovation in the quality control of olive oil in olive oil mills through the use of NIRS sensors’ by the University of Cordoba; ‘DERMOFARM Andalucía’ by the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development; ‘GO ETIC4FOOD: ICT tools for smart labelling of sustainable fruit and vegetable production’ by Fundación para las Tecnologías Auxiliares de la Agricultura (Centro Tecnológico TECNOVA) and ‘Machinery monitoring, digitisation of agricultural activity‘ by Agroplanning Agricultura Inteligente S. L.