Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Digital Europe Programme is the first EU programme that aims to accelerate the recovery and drive the digital transformation of Europe.
Worth €7.6 billion (in current prices), the Programme is a part of the next long-term EU budget, (the Multiannual Financial Framework), and it covers 2021 to 2027. It will provide funding for projects in five crucial areas: supercomputing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced digital skills, and ensuring the wide use of digital technologies across the economy and society.
The Programme is fine-tuned to fill the gap between the research of digital technologies and their deployment, and to bring the results of research to the market – for the benefit of Europe’s citizens and businesses, and in particular SMEs. Investments under the Digital Europe programme supports the Union’s twin objectives of a green transition and digital transformation and strengthens the Union’s resilience and strategic autonomy.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
The principal objective of this measure is to further the development of the agri-food sector by enabling the full benefit of the digital transformation with AI and AI-powered robotics technologies and the move to a Circular Economy for a more sustainable, affordable, efficient and competitive production under high standards.
Detailed Call Description
The selected project will develop reference testing and experimentation facilities with a focus on full integration, testing, validation, demonstration, and where appropriate certification, of advanced AI-based and AI-powered robotics technologies for the agri-food sector. The project may cover the whole value chain of the agri-food sector, but should only cover at least agriculture. Where appropriate demonstration can be done in connection with a specialised demonstration facility, several sub-sector and production types can be considered as well as various variables as it regards crop-livestock types/soils/climatic and environmental conditions/farm structure. The facilities may include a range of use cases in different fields such as – but not limited to – precision weeding/fertilisation/seeding, sensor data management, multifunctional autonomous robotics applications (and its long-time continuous use), and/or in different sub-sectors, such as arable farming, greenhouses, livestock/chicken management. Use cases may also be developed along different topics, such as collaborative robotics, circular economy or reduced food loss/waste. The use-cases offered should be end-user driven. This will be ensured by closely involving the end-users, e.g. farmers. Smaller farms and businesses should be involved in particular to ensure affordability of AI solutions.
The infrastructure established within this activity will set-up or build on physical and digital resources, which will be available to the facilities users for the testing and experimentation of their hardware and software solutions. These physical and digital resources include high-power-computing, labs, cloud computing, connectivity technologies such as 5G, trusted and secured access to sets of (labelled) high quality data, and AI toolkit solutions. Professional services support in areas such as business, compliance and verification/certification, including for a possible requirement from the future regulatory framework for AI, is also provided directly or via the EDIHs.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
After grant signature, you will normally receive a prefinancing to start working on the project (float of normally 50% of the maximum grant amount; exceptionally less or no prefinancing). The prefinancing will be paid 30 days from entry into force/10 days before starting date/financial guarantee.
Thematic Categories
- Information Technology
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)
- non-EU countries:
- listed EEA countries
- countries associated to the Digital Europe Programme (see p.47 of the call document)
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Eleana Gabriel
Directorate of Research and Innovation
Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy
Telephone: +357 22 691918
Email: egabriel@dmrid.gov.cy
(Publish Date: 22/02/2022-for internal use only)
EU Contact Point
For questions please contact: