Digitalisation in agriculture and forestry: markets for data, and digital technologies and infrastructure – state of play and foresight in a fast ch…
European Comission
ExpectedOutcome :
In line with the European Green Deal, the farm to fork strategy in particular, and the headline ambition of a Digital Age, a successful proposal will support the capacities to understand and forecast the development of markets and the use of data and digital technologies in agriculture and forestry, particularly through the development of innovative assessment and modelling approaches. It will therefore support decreasing the risk of investing into digital infrastructure, and indirectly contribute to the enhancement of the sustainability performance and competitiveness in agriculture through further deployment of digital and data technologies as key enablers, and to the development of innovative governance models.
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Analyses of global markets through innovative approaches including trends, potential barriers and risks associated with investments in data, digital and data technologies in the agriculture and forestry sectors.
- Increased transparency in data sharing and in the markets for digital and data technologies in the agricultural and forestry sectors in support of healthy competition.
- Contribution to an increased uptake of digital and data technologies in agriculture and forestry including through reduced investment risks; this is expected to indirectly contribute to an increase in environmental and economic performance of the sectors through increased and enhanced used of data, and digital and data technologies.
- Strengthened policy-making and -monitoring and foresight capacities. Scope :
The potential of digital and data technologies in the agricultural and forestry sectors to enhance their sustainability and economic performance and working conditions has been acknowledged. The uptake of digital technologies in the sectors and the development of supplementing data- and data-technology-based solutions in the EU are increasing. However, there is hardly comprehensive, independently collected data about the actual uptake and use of digital technologies by farmers and foresters, about the trade of sector-related data and digital technologies, and about the extent and structure of the provision of digital and data services in the agricultural and forestry supply chains, which are of global outreach.
At the same time, policies and the regulatory framework directly or indirectly influencing the deployment of digital and data technologies in the EU are evolving in a fast pace and will continue to do so.[1] Also trade regimes are continuously changing. For stakeholder in the agricultural, forestry and the digital sectors to invest in digital and data technologies, it is important to be able to assess the possible implications of changing regulatory and market conditions on the development, purchase and use of data, and digital and data technologies. This is also supported by an increase in information on markets and related actor networks, and information on the storage and the flows of goods and data, through increased transparency and a strengthened position of users and consumers. Such information as well as capacities in modelling and in carrying out foresight analyses for the development of markets and of the situation in the agricultural sector is also one pre-requisite for tailored policy-making.
Fostering the provision of insights into markets of data, and digital and data technologies in the agricultural and forestry sectors, the proposals should address the following:
- Development of innovative approaches to assess the uptake of digital technologies and digital infrastructure (incl. platforms) in the agricultural, and forestry sectors globally with special attention to the situation in the EU and Associated Countries.
- Development of innovative approaches to forecast the markets of data, digital technologies and digital infrastructure (including platforms) and the uptake of digital technologies globally with special attention to the situation in the EU under consideration of fast-changing regulatory framing conditions in the fields of data-, digital and machinery technologies and of agricultural and forestry policies.
- Demonstration of the qualitative and quantitative implications of market and technology trends in the fields of data, digital technologies and digital infrastructure for the use of digital and data technologies by farmers, foresters and other actors along the supply chains in a way that demonstration results can be steadily adapted to changing framing conditions. Demonstrations should allow for the reflection of scenarios and provide input to policy-making.
Project(s) are expected to consider innovation in digital technologies brought onto the market during the life-time of the project. It is expected that the project(s) are working with targeted stakeholders, including farmers, foresters, agri-businesses, farm advisors, policy-makers etc. to test demonstration and communication tools.
For the assessment of the uptake of digital technologies by farmers and foresters, statistical approaches evolving in the EU are to be considered, if applicable; assessment approaches may vary between continents.
In this topic, the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.
Specific Topic Conditions :
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 3-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
[1] See, e.g. the announcements in the Digital package published by the European Commission in February 2020: https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/policies/building-european-data-economy.
General conditions
- Admissibility conditions: described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System
- Eligible countries: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide .
Other eligibility conditions: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes
Evaluation and award:
Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes
Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes
- Legal and financial set-up of the grants: described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes
Specific conditions
- Specific conditions: described in the specific topic of the Work Programme
Documents
Call documents:
Standard application form — call-specific application form is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Standard evaluation form — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
MGA
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 13. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual