Nordic Testbed Network is happy to introduce you to the Intelligent Organic Farming testbed, linked to the Institute for Environmental Solutions (IES) in Latvia, as a new member.
The testbed demonstrates a close cooperation between research and the industry for growing medicinal and aromatic plants, and production of high-value added plant-based products demanded in the largest pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food manufacturers in Europe. We got the chance to talk to Inese Suija-Markova and Guna Dātava, linked to the testbed.
In the context of the digital bioeconomy, what issues do you see as the most important going forward?
– Digital bioeconomy has a big potential for all kinds of agriculture, including organic farming, which is one of the focus areas of our testbed. It involves the development of tools needed to effectively plan, manage, and optimise production and sales. It can also give farmers an in-depth knowledge of the specific conditions of their farms, like the soil, plant development and vitality, yield quality, waste reduction possibilities, etc. However, the development and implementation of digital solutions requires active learning, co-creation, experimentation, and various support instruments, like funding for developing, upscaling, and promoting digital solutions.
What would you like to contribute to the network?
– The Institute for Environmental Solutions (IES) can share knowledge and expertise on research-industry cooperation in sustainable innovation development. IES’s Intelligent Organic Farming testbed is focused on medicinal and aromatic plants. The equipment, facilities, and accumulated expertise of IES help to research them in various dimensions – from field to lab, from seed preparation till harvesting, from rubber boots to space, from local to global. Thus, creating the products and services demanded in the largest pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food manufacturers in Europe.