Agriculture meets innovation

Massively declining fish stocks and rainforest clearance are just two of the effects of intensive resource and land use for human nutrition. The efficient use of alternative biomasses such as algae, insects and fungi is crucial for the supply of important macro- and micronutrients for future generations. However, economic viability remains a challenge. The aim of the network is therefore to develop innovative, scalable techniques and technologies to make processing methods for extracting various nutrients more efficient. The development of new methods for the production of authentic food alternatives and the use of residual materials is also a focus and plays an important role in increasing economic efficiency. The network thus contributes to the transformation of our food system and the preservation of a planet worth living on.

Livestock farming is undergoing permanent structural change. Rising costs for feed and qualified personnel as well as considerable expenses for the health management of large livestock are just some of the challenges that farmers are facing. In addition, increasingly strict environmental regulations must be complied with and growing consumer awareness requires better living conditions for livestock. There is therefore a need for forward-looking livestock farming that takes greater account of animal welfare, environmental protection and transparency along the value chain. In the "ZukunftTier" innovation network, innovative technologies for keeping cattle, pigs, poultry and small ruminants are being developed through the targeted networking of stakeholders from industry and research.

The Aquaponic Network is an expert platform for the development of innovative products and processes for raising fish and producing plants in closed cycles. The aim is to develop sustainable, economically efficient solutions for the agri-food sector to deal with the effects of climate change, increasing land and water scarcity and rising population growth. The core technical elements here are aquaponic processes and systems. The companies and research institutions from Germany are working together with partners from the Netherlands to implement the network's goals.

In the meat industry, many processes are still manually solved, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises. These operations, such as monotonous tasks or the movement of heavy loads, often have negative effects on the staff's wellbeing. The aim of the AutoMeAt network is to develop innovative technologies to sustainably improve production conditions in the meat industry across the entire value chain. For this purpose, the slaughtering process, the inline transport and the packaging process of single products are to be improved and accelerated through the use of robotics, AI and automation of hygiene and sensor technology.