INFRADIGIT

THE PROJECT.

Digital Agriculture and Mechatronics Infrastructure for Agribusiness Chain Research and Innovation

The Research Center and infrastructural platform on Digital Agriculture and Mechatronics are the reference point for those who intend to renew and develop skills in the current agricultural 4.0 context, where the use of modern technological innovations, generally applied to industry, allows the organization of the food chain, processing, traceability and marketing of agricultural products to be promoted in a new way.

The Center’s activities are aimed at responding to future challenges in food, natural resource and land management to stimulate sustainable, smart and inclusive growth. The integration of the technology-digital component, fromautomation, robotics and artificial intelligence fosters more advanced research in agronomic techniques and the development of new products that are more sustainable, healthy and safe.

SERVICES

The main services provided are:

  • integrated traceability systems of means, people and goods within the agribusiness chain and rural and urban areas affected by agroindustrial processes and marketing of agricultural products;
  • certification systems for consumer protection and compliancecompliancewith anti-fraud and counterfeit product regulations;
  • management and decision support models of agronomic stages, breeding stages of species of livestock interest, and agribusiness processing and distribution, enabling objects of agriculture and Industry 4.0;
  • Development of “knowledge on field” based technology and plant solutions;
  • Platform for monitoring and diagnostics of adverse phenomena (phytopathology, soil, water and air contamination) and control of product healthiness.

The infrastructure is, on the one hand, the largest existing experimental field in Europe and, on the other hand, a platform for the provision of services to agribusinesses, including entities managing control activities.

PROJECT PHASES

The development program consists of the following stages:

  1. Construction of territorial headquarters and setting up offices and operations center.
  2. Land mapping and selection of the
  3. Design of junction points and connectivity and sensor systems.
  4. Development of the IT platform for production process management.
  5. Infrastructure of land and business sites.
  6. Instrument calibration and software implementation.
  7. Farm infrastructure with precision agriculture and animal husbandry tools.
  8. Defining algorithms for managing production stages, harvesting and storage.
  9. Implementation of management software and platforms for process and product control and traceability.
  10. Activation of services and presentation of the platform.
  11. Launch of educational activities from the master’s degree in Digital Agriculture.