ICT-AGRI 2: Information and Communication Technologies and Robotics for Sustainable

Project information
Information and Communication technologies (ICT) and robotics for sustainable agriculture. ICT-AGRI-2 targets Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and robotics for sustainable agriculture. The underlying rationale of the proposal is that modern agricultural engineering tools are necessary to enable agriculture to meet great challenges : The global demand for food, feed and bio-based products, to reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture, to respond to customer demands for healthy food and to combine precision livestock farming with high animal welfare standards. The principal objective of ICT-AGRI-2 is to contribute to the development of an eco-efficient, resource-efficient and competitive agriculture through an enhanced and improved use of ICT and robotics. The specific objectives are: Objective 1: Mapping and analysis of research and innovation and update of the Strategic Research Agenda The mapping will be conducted by all project partners with the purpose of producing three annual action plans for the implementation of the Strategic Research Agenda. The timing of the action plans will be coordinated with the development of annual transnational calls for projects and other support and coordination activities in ICT-AGRI-2. At the end of the project, the mapping data will be used to produce an updated Research and Innovation Agenda. Objective 2: Transnational joint calls for coordinated research and innovation The transnational joint calls are the principal tool by which the ERA-NET can influence the research and innovation community. The overall goal of this work package is to facilitate the implementation of the annual action plans produced by WP1 and to encourage coordination within the European Research Area, taking into account the outputs from WP3. The call topics will be determined on the basis of the three annual action plans as described in the previous section. Objective 3: Coordination within the European Research Area Expected outcome includes improvement in open access to the outputs of publicly funded research; increased mobility (geographical and sectorial) and career development opportunities for researchers; improved networking amongst all relevant players; and a continuation of cooperation on the principal objective of this ERA-Net after the end of the EC funding. Objective 4: Dissemination, online tools and sharing of good practices Online tools are indispensable to perform the different tasks within the ICT-AGRI-2 efficiently. The Meta Knowledge Base (MKB) developed in ICT-AGRI-1 is a central internet-based resource for multiple purposes, including dissemination, mapping, transnational calls, internal communication and project management. The MKB will be extended to facilitate the needs of ICT-AGRI-2. Objective 5: Assessment of impacts of ERA-NET activities In order to strengthen the European efforts in research funding, best practices have to be identified on how newly gained knowledge is utilized and assimilated into the scientific and economic value creation chain. Little knowledge is available on the experiences and expectations of the researchers and most importantly on their opportunities and perspectives for their work which has been funded with ERA-NET projects. An evaluation is needed to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of financing rather short-termed projects. ICT-AGRI-2 is a follow-up on ICT-AGRI-1.
Project partners: 
Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Danish AgriFish Agency Denmark
EIGEN VERMOGEN VAN HET INSTITUUT VOOR LANDBOUW EN VISSERIJONDERZOEK Belgium
AGENTSCHAP VOOR INNOVATIE DOOR WETENSCHAP EN TECHNOLOGIE Belgium
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY Finland
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN SCIENCES ET TECHNOLOGIES POUR L'ENVIRONNEMENT ET L'AGRICULTURE France
Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung Germany
Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz Germany
GREEK RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY NETWORK S.A. Greece
TEAGASC - AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Ireland
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT Israel
MINISTERO DELLE POLITICHE AGRICOLE ALIMENTARI E FORESTALI Italy
LATVIJAS ZINATNU AKADEMIJA Latvia
ALEKSANDRO STULGINSKIO UNIVERSITETAS Lithuania
MINISTERIE VAN ECONOMISCHE ZAKEN Netherlands
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO Netherlands
STICHTING DIENST LANDBOUWKUNDIG ONDERZOEK Netherlands
EIDGENOESSISCHES DEPARTEMENT FUER WIRTSCHAFT, BILDUNG UND FORSCHUNG Switzerland
INSTITUTO DE FOMENTO DE LA REGION DE MURCIA Spain
FUNDACION CORPORACION TECNOLOGICA DE ANDALUCIA Spain
MINISTRY OF FOOD AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK Turkey
TURKIYE BILIMSEL VE TEKNOLOJIK ARASTIRMA KURUMU Turkey
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS United Kingdom
Project dates: 
January 2014 to December 2017
Contact
Contact project
Contact person: 
Niels Gøtke
Contact organisation: 
Forsknings- og Innovationsstyrelsen Denmark
Funding
Funding agency: 
European Commission - Seventh Framework Programme
Grant: 
k€1997
Total budget: 
k€2370