New digital technologies are often associated with problems and bugs, and in agriculture there is talk of the problem of linking different systems together. There is thus a need for commercially independent actors to whom agricultural professionals can turn for objective advice on technology issues.
Today, both farmers and advisors are largely in the hands of actors who directly or indirectly represent manufacturers of the technological options available. Therefore, Sweden's farmers need a function that captures and structures national experiences of applied digital agricultural technology.
Technology testing
Technology testing goes under block 4, Test and evaluate. Here we test different digital tools and services, which are then carefully evaluated.
Testing and evaluating digital technologies
How do we test digital tools?
Tools refer to physical digital technologies such as sensors for digitizing animal houses, terminals for precision farming, autonomous and digitally controlled field robots.
We will benefit from the development farms linked to the hub as well as the 10 farmers linked to the hub. When it comes to physical digital technology, the tests will not only be about function as experienced at first impression of it, but we will also initiate tests that take place over a longer period of time and where the technology is exposed to the environmental factors that characterize agriculture, ie weather and wind (not least moisture and temperature), shocks and blows or dust. To conserve financial resources, the tests will also include interviews with farmers who have used certain physical digital technologies for a long time.
We will benefit from the development farms linked to the hub as well as the 10 farmers linked to the hub. When it comes to physical digital technology, the tests will not only be about function as experienced at first impression of it, but we will also initiate tests that take place over a longer period of time and where the technology is exposed to the environmental factors that characterize agriculture, ie weather and wind (not least moisture and temperature), shocks and blows or dust. To conserve financial resources, the tests will also include interviews with farmers who have used certain physical digital technologies for a long time.
How do we test digital services?
By digital services we mean digital technologies that do not primarily involve physical products, but rather things like cloud services with various software for, for example, precision farming or control of livestock indoors or on natural pastures. Not least, decision support systems based on cloud services.
The tests will be carried out by actors in the expert network in collaboration with our development farms and our 10 reference farmers. But we will also systematically capture the experiences of a wider range of farmers through interviews and other methods. In this context, it is important to include a diversity of farmers, e.g. digitally accustomed vs. digitally unaccustomed, older vs. younger people, women vs. men, etc.
The tests will be carried out by actors in the expert network in collaboration with our development farms and our 10 reference farmers. But we will also systematically capture the experiences of a wider range of farmers through interviews and other methods. In this context, it is important to include a diversity of farmers, e.g. digitally accustomed vs. digitally unaccustomed, older vs. younger people, women vs. men, etc.
How do we evaluate digital tools?
The focus will be on digital tools that are available on the market, but we will also test prototypes and promote the creation of new research and development projects for new digital solutions that can have a positive impact on the industry.
As part of this, the knowledge hub will, among other things, keep track of relevant calls and help bring together actors for research projects and provide support in writing applications for calls.
As part of this, the knowledge hub will, among other things, keep track of relevant calls and help bring together actors for research projects and provide support in writing applications for calls.
How do we evaluate digital services?
As stated, we will test and evaluate technology in a user context. We are inspired by the Farmtest, which is well established in Denmark. It involves something less complex than a research project. For example, there is no requirement for repetition, but it is more of a product test.
Another difference between farm tests and regular research is the speed. The risk with larger research projects is that products included in the projects may disappear from the market before the results are ready. In terms of analytical dimensions for digital services, we intend to use the same as indicated in the section above.
Another difference between farm tests and regular research is the speed. The risk with larger research projects is that products included in the projects may disappear from the market before the results are ready. In terms of analytical dimensions for digital services, we intend to use the same as indicated in the section above.