Portugal and Fraunhofer sign protocol for Precision Farming

The FCT and the Fraunhofer Society signed today a protocol for cooperation in the area of "Precision Agriculture". The signing takes place 10 years after the signature between the two institutions, which allowed the creation of the Fraunhofer Portugal Research Association and the installation in Portugal of the first Fraunhofer Research and Development (R&D) center in Portugal, together with the University of Porto and in the area of information technologies.

The agribusiness sector is going through a major transformation phase, characterized by the adoption of new technologies with shorter development and qualification cycles, access to new forms of robotization and digital transformation, including access to space platforms, as well as disruptive business models with greater exposure to risk, which are attracting increasing levels of public and private funding for R&D activities.

The national strategy to strengthen Portugal's position within the evolution of the European Framework Programme in R&D and in the context of Mediterranean cooperation - namely in the context of the PRIMA Programme, including cooperation with North African countries - requires the need to reinforce scientific and technological cooperation with European reference centers. The extension of cooperation between Portugal and Fraunhofer, formalized in this new agreement, is a stimulus for the transformation of the agro-industrial sector in Portugal, and reinforces the R&D activities in this sector.