Portugal and Fraunhofer sign protocol for precision agriculture

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

The agro-industrial 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 in the context of the evolution of the European R&D Framework Program and in the context of cooperation in the Mediterranean - namely in the context of the PRIMA Program, including cooperation with North African countries - requires the need to strengthen 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 strengthens R&D activities in this sector.