Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has reported healthy interest in its innovation voucher system, a scheme which provides applicants with the possibility of testing an innovation or new technology for circular agriculture through WUR’s Farm of the Future agroecological research project.
The Farm of the Future (pictured right), located in Lelystad, central Netherlands, is a hub “featuring all the best practices and techniques related to agronomy, ecology and technology. Farm of the Future draws on the expertise and practice of both organic and mainstream agriculture to create a business model with sustainability at its core.”
WUR reports that more than 50 domestic and foreign businesses have applied to test an innovation or new technology for circular agriculture this year. Of these, four applicants involved in the development of autonomous field robots have received a voucher enabling them to use the facilities, expertise and support of the Farm of the Future.
The voucher system has been possible through a collaboration of four Dutch provinces, who together have made €1.47 million of European Regional Development Funds available this year. The projects currently being funded involve robots and tractors that can be used for weed control, potato storage and other tasks.
“The applications we received are extremely diverse, both in terms of their level of innovation and in terms of their areas of focus, the domains and countries of origin,” WUR’s Marleen Riemers told the university’s website. WUR says more applications will be remunerated shortly and there is room in the budget for further applications. “It would be great if we use up our €1.5 million budget by the end of the first half of this year,” added Marleen.
WUR says three types of vouchers are available:
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