As announced in the expression of interest published in November 2017, CEMA has actively participated at the last round of Horizon 2020 calls on “Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research and the bioeconomy” (Societal Challenge 2).

 

CEMA has contributed to the submission of three projects in February 2018, each one focusing on crucial topics for CEMA industries and network, as already highlighted in the Expression of interest previously shared:

  • Robotics and automating agricultural technologies – AUTOMATON project;
  • Advisory services in the digital age – FAIRShare project;
  • Digital Innovation Hubs – SmartAgriHubs project.

The AUTOMATON project, coordinated by ZLTO (NL), addresses the RUR-15-2018 Call on Thematic Networks and aims at helping farmers integrate automation and robotics successfully into their farming systems by promoting innovative best practices to address, in particular, the soft challenges farmers face in adopting these new technologies. The AUTOMATON consortium is composed by 15 partners coming from 10 EU countries and organized following a multi-actor approach: CEMA, together with FEDERUNACOMA (IT) and Lely Int. N.V. (NL) will represent the view of the agricultural machinery manufacturers. The participation at this project is expected to allow the industry deepening the understanding of farmers needs in agricultural automation processes. in the light of better targeting the solutions to be provided.

The FAIRShare project, coordinated by TEAGASC (IE), addresses the RUR-14-2018 Call on Digital solutions and e-tools to modernise the CAP. The project’s general objective is to ensure that the farm advisor community effectively uses digital tools and services: for doing so, FAIRShare thereby aims at engaging, enabling and empowering the independent farm advisor community, through sharing of tools, expertise and motivations. CEMA will have an important role in the Dissemination activities of this project, for reaching the agricultural industry community.

The SmartAgriHubs project, coordinated by WUR (NL), addresses the DT-RUR-12-2018 Call on Digital Innovation Hubs and aims at building a network of Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) that will boost the uptake of digital solutions by the farming sector. The consortium, led by Wageningen Research and other partners of previous key projects such as IoF2020, FIWARE, S3P Agri-Food and I4MS, will leverage the existing ecosystem and build an inclusive structure with very ambitious targets. The SmartAgriHubs project has been presented by Sjaak Wolfert (WUR) at the DIH 2nd Working Group Meeting held in Brussels on the 21st of February and it received several appreciations. Wolfert’s presentation is available at the following link: here.  

The evaluation results of all the above proposals are expected between June – July 2018.