Digital Innovation Hubs

Back

DIH Profile

Smart Digital Farming

Hub Information

Hub Name
Smart Digital Farming
Local Name
Evolutionary Stage
Fully operational
Geographical Scope
European

Description

Smart Digital Farming is a non-profit organisation in Flanders, Belgium

We stand for digital transformation in the agrifood sector

SDF is non-profit initiative of companies (members >70% SME's in 2019) active in innovative precision farming -and livestock breeding with as main objectives. It is partly subsidized by the Flemish Government and has a 3 year working program.

1) Deploy economic potential and enhance the competitiveness of Flemish SME's via active and sustainable collaboration within the AgriFood 4.0 environment.

2) Contribute with solutions to the societal/agricultural challenges with a direct economical added value for Flemish SME's.

3) Stimulate open innovation, market -and product innovation, and international exposure of the SDF initiative.

We are a Digital Innovation Hub within the H2020 DT-RUR-12 project SmartAgriHubs

Together with our host ILVO (BE), the University of Wageningen and TNO (NL), we are building a network of Digital Innovation Hubs for European agrifood sector in order to connect innovation on an interregional scale. As of 2019, Smart Digital Farming is a DIH within SmartAgriHubs acting as the one-stop-shop for the digital transformation in agrifood.

We will become an EDIH in the Digital Europe Program

Together with the Flemisch government VLAIO/EWI, ILVO and Flanders' Food, we are leading the way towards a Belgian Hub for Food Systems according European standards and guidelines. Smart Digital Farming is also a partner in the DIHHELP program of the European Commission for that matter.

Contact Data

Coordinator (Research & Technology organization)
ILVO - Flemish Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
https://www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be/default.aspx?tabid=6469&language=en-US
Year Established
2017
Location
Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 115, 9820, Merelbeke (Belgium)
Website
https://www.smartdigitalfarming.be
Social Media
Contact information
Bart Minne
bart.minne@ilvo.vlaanderen.be
+32 9 272 27 83

Organisation

Organizational form
Public Private Partnership
Turnover
0-250.000
Number of employees
1-9

Technologies

  • Robotics
  • Internet of things
  • Big data, data analytics, data handling
  • Simulation, modelling and digital twins
  • Additive manufacturing

Smart Digital Farming (SDF) is hosted by ILVO, the Flemish Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

SDF is an IBN cluster subsidized for 50% by VLAIO, the Flanders Agency for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. VLAIO is a government agency, charged with implementing the economic, innovation and enterprise policy in Flanders. The other 50% is funded by the member companies with more than 60% SME’s. In parallel, the European Social Fund granted a budget to conduct a SCOPE competence study in precision farming. 

The cluster is also collaborating with Flanders' Food in order to introduce the Industry 4.0 program of digitalisation in the agrifood sector. The Industry 4.0 program is initialized by the Flemish government and coordinated by Mr. Leo Van De Loock (VLAIO). SDF is also an active partner in the S3 Smart Specialization Platform 'High Tech Farming' coordinated by Mr. Fabio Boscaleri of the Ufficio di collegamento con le Istituzioni Comunitarie, Regione Toscana – DG Giunta Regionale (Brussels Office).

Joke Schauvliege, Flemish Minister of Environment, Nature and Farming, has placed the emphasis on data in farming in 2018 (see link press release underneath)

https://www.vlaio.be/nl/begeleiding-advies/groei-innovatie/samenwerken-om-te-innoveren/cluster-initiatieven

https://www.esf-vlaanderen.be/nl/projectenkaart/strategische-competentieprognose-smart-digital-farming

Market and Services

Sectors

  • Agriculture and food

TRL Focus

  • TRL5 - Component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment
  • TRL6 - System/subsystem model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment
  • TRL7 - System prototype demonstration in an operational environment
  • TRL8 - Actual system completed and qualified through test and demonstration
  • TRL9 - Actual system proven through successful mission operations

Services provided

  • Awareness creation
  • Ecosystem building, scouting, brokerage, networking
  • Visioning and Strategy Development for Businesses
  • Voice of the customer, product consortia
  • Access to Funding and Investor Readiness Services
  • Education and skills development

Service Examples

Data Protection Officer in ERA-NET ICT-AGRI Food

Advice on GDPR legislation and data protection for the ERA-NET ICT-AGRI Food

Advice on GDPR legislation and data protection for SDF members which are involved in a specific business case where sensitive data processing and analytics might be a risk.

Data processing and correlation of specific farm data gives the opportunity for 'profiling' the activities of the farmer. When profiling of farmers results in a different approach of customer services offered, it must be in line with the GDPR guidelines. Smart Digital Farming offers DPO services to research the risk towards GDPR infringement.

Smart Digital Farming as an international partner in smart farming

SDF is a partner in the S3 Smart Specialisation Program High Tech Farming platform ran by Mr. Fabio Boscaleri, policy officer of the Tuscany Brussels Office. 

More details: http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/high-tech-farming

DIH services in other H2020 projects

SDF is coordinating a use case within the H2020 IOF2020, named IoTrailer where a SDF-member is involved (Lambrecht Construction).

https://www.iof2020.eu/trials/arable/traceability-for-food-and-feed-logistics

DIH services to the Flagship Innovation Experiments

Smart Digital Farming coordinates a series of business cases between the members of the cluster. These Flagship Innovation Experiments are part of the WUR-Wageningen approved H2020 DT-RUR-12 project, called SmartAgriHubs. 3 FIE's where SDF members are involved, were approved in 2018.

More details: http://www.eufras.eu/images/activities/conferences/Hungary/6.SmartAgriHubs_short_abstract.pdf

Support for international projects in smart farming 1

Smart Digital Farming in collaboration with ILVO are supporting SME's to file for international projects in smart precision farming or PLF. In the ICT-AGRI network (ERA-NET), both companies AVR and De Roeve have an ongoing project (called respectively 'DEPT' and 'iFAROS') which were presented in November 2017 at the ICT-AGRI joined meeting in Copenhagen.

More details: http://ict-agri.eu/node/13786/projects

Support for international projects in smart farming 2

Smart Digital Farming and ILVO will coordinate an 3-year EFRD project as of April 2018:

Approved EFRD project by the Flemish government: project 1237 DataHub for Agrifood, a data platform for dairy cows, feed and health, milk quality, etc. with the collaboration of the main dairy stakeholders in Flanders-Belgium

More details: https://goo.gl/Zp2mvc

Business case coordination in local projects

Smart Digital Farming coordinates a series of business cases between the members of the cluster. In this case, field data is gathered and correlation for different stakeholders and first line suppliers of farmers in order to shape a 'virtual field' for crop prediction and early warning for crop diseases.

Further details cannot be disclosed as they are business-critical. The cases are ongoing and 3 consortia of SDF members have filed a proposal for subsidy in the VLAIO cluster call (Flanders) during the summer of 2018.

More details: https://www.smartdigitalfarming.be/members/

Funding

  • Regional funding
  • Memberships

Customers

Number of customers annually
26-50
Type of customers
  • Start-up companies
  • SMEs (<250 employees)
  • Large companies, multi-nationals

    • Partners

    Last updated: 06/03/20 10:43