Enhancing working conditions and strengthening the work force through digital and data technologies – the potential of robotics and augmented reality in agriculture
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Digital and data technologies can facilitate the work in agriculture, enhance working conditions and mitigate the challenge of a lack of work force, by which some branches and regions are affected. They have the potential of making farm-related jobs more attractive, including for younger generations, and to make them safer. Digital and data technologies can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of applications, including for instance through a higher level of precision, and thus increase the sustainability and competitiveness of the sector. Automation is increasingly used in agriculture; frequently, the cost-effectiveness of innovative digital and data technologies still presents a bottleneck to their use in the sector, particularly in fields where their application is not primarily relevant for increasing process efficiency and effectiveness. Technical solutions based on augmented reality approaches offer many opportunities to facilitate and enhance the use of digital technologies in agriculture, to enhance the performance of digital tools, and to provide remote assistance, which is important for remote businesses, particularly in rural areas.
A successful proposal will contribute to transition to a fair, healthy and resilient agriculture.
Detailed Call Description
Proposals should address the following:
- Development of augmented-reality based solutions to improve working conditions, safety and failure avoidance, and to further increase robotic performance.
- Development of robotic solutions to improve unhealthy working conditions, where applicable. Robotics tasks to be fostered might be directly related to agricultural production, such as harvesting, weeding, crop monitoring, animal husbandry or indirectly related, such as logistics/ farm management (TRL 7-8).
- Development of robotic solutions for tasks, for which there is a high interest/ need to support and/ or replace the human work force, not only because of an interest to improve productivity, but to ensure production in an environmentally and socially sustainable way (TRL 7-8).
- Strengthening AI capabilities for agro-robotics in the fields of applications fostered by the proposals including through the use of (scalable) platforms to further increase robotics performance (TRL 7-8).
- Development of business models for the use of the developed innovative technologies under consideration of various farm structures and inter-farm linkages as well as of various biogeographic and socio-economic framing conditions.
- Development of a tool for system analyses of the consequences for farmers and rural communities of enhancing working conditions through automation and augmented reality and of replacing human work force with robotic systems.
Projects are encouraged – when reflecting on the effects of automation and augmented reality – to dedicate particular attention to youth/ younger generation, women and persons with disabilities as well as to the affordability of digital solutions.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
EU Contribution per project: €5.00 million
Thematic Categories
- Agriculture - Farming - Forestry
- Environment and Climate Change
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Rural development
- Small-Medium Enterprises and Competitiveness
Eligibility for Participation
- Educational Institutions
- Farmers Unions
- Farmers, Agriculturalists
- NGOs
- Non Profit Organisations
- Other Beneficiaries
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Eligibility For Participation Notes
Proposals must implement the ‘multi-actor approach’ including a range of actors to ensure that knowledge and needs from various stakeholder groups, including farmers, farm workers, farm advisors and scientists are taken into consideration.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Marcia Trillidou
Scientific Officer A’
Email: trillidou@research.org.cy
Dr. Mary Economou
Scientific Officer
Email: meconomou@research.org.cy
EU Contact Point
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact