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Six million euro available for development of agricultural apps

Companies and web entrepreneurs can apply for grants for the development of new technologies for the benefit of agriculture and the food industry. Deadline for applications is 15 November 2014.

[Translate to English:] Det er muligt at søge midler til udvikling af ny IKT til landbruget. Foto: Colourbox

Agriculture is facing significant challenges in meeting the expectations for higher productivity, improved competitiveness and sustainable production methods. Here, new technologies can play a crucial role. Intelligent machines, sensor networks and advanced communication technologies linked to decision support are important elements in the farming of the future.

 

This is the reason why the European innovation project SmartAgriFood together with the ERA-net ICT-AGRI are making €6 million available for the development of information and communication technology (ICT) for agriculture.

 

The money is available for small and medium-sized enterprises. And there is not merely funding available – companies can also seek advice and join networks.

 

The money will fund new applications and services that help overcome the fact that there are currently very few smart ICT tools available for agriculture. With the new fund, small and medium-sized companies can seek financial support for projects that enable farmers, horticulturists and food producers to increase productivity while reducing environmental impact.

 

Applications must be received by SmartAgriFood no later than 15 November 2014. Applicants may apply for grants of up to €100,000. The money is divided into three phases: 1) Development of prototype, 2) testing at end users, and 3) business development. Phases 2 and 3 require self-financing of 25 and 50 percent, respectively.

 

For further information please contact: Senior Researcher Claus Grøn Sørensen, Department of Engineering, Aarhus University, telephone: +45 8715 7638, mobile: +45 2282 7547