Gradiant will offer services involving the use of AI and Big Data technologies, IoT, 5G, and unmanned autonomous vehicles (aerial and terrestrial) in the dairy sector
AgriFoodTEF will manage €2.5 million in Spain from the European Commission and another €2.5 million from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food
Gradiant, in coordination with AGACAL (Axencia Galega da Calidade Alimentaria), is leading the European AgriFoodTEF (Testing and Experimentation Facility) project in Galicia. Built as a network of physical and digital facilities across Europe, the project offers services to evaluate and validate AI and robotics solutions for companies in the agri-food and forestry sectors, particularly SMEs, under real-world conditions to maximize the impact of digitalization in these sectors. These companies will be able to test, validate, or certify their products and services before market launch, in both physical facilities and virtual testing platforms.
Specifically, Gradiant will offer services involving AI and Big Data technologies, IoT, 5G, and unmanned autonomous vehicles (aerial and terrestrial) in forage production and dairy production. Luis Pérez Freire, General Director of Gradiant, emphasizes that “the technological center once again becomes a benchmark in offering solutions in the field of AI, this time coordinating the support for companies that want to test their products.”
With this project, Gradiant continues to be a leader in promoting digital transformation in the primary sector in Galicia and Spain. This is evidenced by the work done by the technological center to promote the Galician digital innovation hub DATAlife, which is also part of the AgriFoodTEF project, as well as the work developed in European projects such as SmartAgriHubs, SPADE, and the EDIH DATALife project, among others.
The Spanish node focuses mainly on three geographical areas that concentrate most of the physical infrastructures. Academic institutions and research centers in Córdoba and Lleida, along with the Center for Agricultural Research (CIAM) in Mabegondo (part of AGACAL) and Gradiant, form the Spanish node. Córdoba, through the facilities and resources of the University of Córdoba, offers services oriented towards herbaceous crops, horticulture and fruit trees, extensive livestock, and the food industry. A Coruña, through the facilities of CIAM and the equipment of the Gradiant technological center, offers services oriented towards forage production and dairy production. Gradiant leads the relationship with the European digital innovation hubs (EDIHs | European Digital Innovation Hubs) and will leverage its experience in working with companies to attract demand for TEF services in collaboration with the DATAlife hub. Lleida, through the facilities and resources of the University of Lleida, Agrotecnio, the Center for Pig Studies, and the Lleida Agrobiotech Park, will orient their services towards the pig sector, fruit growing, and agri-food data spaces.
60 Million Euros Over 4 Years
The TEFs are part of the 2021-2022 Work Program of the Digital Europe Program (DEP) in which the Commission launched a call to support a single pan-European network of controlled testing environments for artificial intelligence in the agri-food sector. The resulting project, AgriFoodTEF, is underway with an investment of 60 million euros over the next four years distributed among main nodes and satellite nodes deployed in nine member states (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, and Sweden, totaling 30 participating entities). The Spanish node joins this network and will manage 2.5 million euros from the European Commission and another 2.5 million from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food over the coming years.
Initiatives like this will accelerate digital transformation and enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in the agri-food sector.
This project has received co-funding from the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme under grant agreement Nº 101100622.
Co-financed by the European Union and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food.
The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, the European Commission, or the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food. Neither the European Union, the European Commission, nor the MAPA are responsible for them.
