Agtech Sweden

Driving innovative processes in the green sector requires great capacity if one is aiming to compete globally. In this context, innovative environments play an important role.

Innovative environments are growing around the world. Both collective environments and individual companies create their own innovation environment, sometimes in the form of buildings called "innovation centers".

Based on human needs, this project will set out a number of criteria for physical environments to support innovative processes. The method includes studies of agtech-related environments that we know have generated innovation - but also interesting environments from other sectors. Examples of concepts we use in the analysis are moodboards, which describe the mood or feeling of a place or in a room. As we define innovation as both development (of something fundamentally new) and entry into markets, we will not only study environments that support development but also environments that support entry. The latter can be about inspiring environments where new products and concepts are visualized with appetizing furnishings and modern technology. We also consider temporary environments such as booths at trade fairs.

The project is run by House by Stark AB, Väderstad, Sankt Kors Real Estate and Linköping University.

This project is about developing new knowledge about how different spectral signatures relate to actual crop or soil phenomena and then, based on this new knowledge, developing ideas for new concrete services for farmers and advisors.

The project's approach is to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to define optimal relationships between data of different types, such as radiometric sensor data from satellites or drones, soil data, weather data and agricultural data. The end result will be improved decision support available via the Swedish Society of Agricultural Sciences' existing decision support portal markkartering.se.

These decision support tools are created by continuously monitoring soil conditions and crop vitality. The project is a collaboration between Hushållningssällskapet Östergötland, Linköping University, “test pilots” and “sounding boards” in the form of agricultural companies, Hushållningssällskapet Skåne, T-Kartor and others.

It would be beneficial for agriculture if the added value of cereals could be increased. This applies in particular to starch and oat-based products.

Questions in the project

• What are the uses of different products?
• Who are the most interesting potential buyers?
• What are they actually looking for?
• What opportunities are there for Sweden to meet demand through new technology?
• What is the smartest way to go from potential business opportunity to real business and get the whole value chain on board?
  
  

Within the framework of the project, the prominent influencing factors for protein and case numbers will also be analyzed, not least how transport and, above all, storage/drying take place today and could take place in the future. The project is a collaboration between Lantmännen and Linköping University.

Determining the gender of eggs at an early stage has long been in demand. But no one has yet developed a commercialized solution for sorting fertilized day-old eggs. This project was about trying to realize that vision.

Collaboration with the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, for example, research projects are underway on sensors for analyzing various factors in the poultry industry - not least the egg industry. Östergötland has many companies in the egg industry and Region Östergötland has, appropriately enough, established a collaboration with the Poultry Expertise Center in Food Valley in the Netherlands.

Using gas sensors
No one has yet developed a commercialized solution for sorting fertilized day-old eggs. The team chose to attack the problem in a new way, namely with gas sensors. Linköping University and the industry organization Svenska Ägg are involved in the project. Vreta Kluster AB and Swedfarm AB also have roles in the project.

Aerospace company Saab has invented a new highly efficient and hydraulically flexible actuator (HILA) that could also be used for agricultural machinery in the future.

Need for flexible machines
Since the 18th century, the field of agricultural field machinery has been interested in seeding machines with different designs, such as different row spacings adapted to the crop or cultivation philosophy. Today, there is also a need for flexible machines that are also wide enough to achieve high productivity. In such machines, first-class actuators are needed.

Enabling fast movement
In simple terms, the HILA principle can be described as two hands pulling in a rope. It enables very long stroke lengths and wide machines. For example, the actuator can enable low center of gravity folding to move quickly between fields.

The project idea is to create a demonstrator of this aeronautical invention. The aim is to eventually build an experimental machine, i.e. a smaller machine for use in cultivation trials. The project includes dialogues with potential partners in the agricultural industry. The project group includes Linköping University, Hushållningssällskapet and Saab.

Data is king, they say. But producing and using data efficiently and robustly is easier said than done. However, it is a prerequisite for realizing visions such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Open standards
Data must be stored securely, so that it is not destroyed or disseminated to unauthorized persons, structured so that it can be found in a rapidly growing data set and visualized. This is partly done today by many actors. The problem is that everyone does it in their own way. An open standard is needed.

One enabler is a flexible and cost-effective data collection infrastructure. This includes both field-based technology that does not require power supply or frequent battery changes, as well as a communication link that covers a normal farm and minimizes ongoing license costs.

Developed in collaboration with farmers
One of the goals of this project is to develop a cable-free and license-free solution that is prepared for future data collection needs. The project includes building demonstrators in collaboration with advisors and end users. The project is run by Linköping University in collaboration with farmers and other stakeholders. As inspiration, experiences from technology developed to protect rhinos in Africa against poachers are used.