Embrapa Soja launches notice for public-private partnership in innovative projects

The notice seeks public-private partnerships to develop sustainable technologies for the soy production system. The launch will be on November 20th, at Arena AgroConexão, during Sebrae like a Farmer, an event that makes up Agrobit Brasil, to be held on the 20th and 21st, at the Ney Braga Exhibition Park, in Londrina (PR). 

For the general manager of Embrapa Soja, José Renato Bouças Farias, the objective of Open Innovation for Startups is to bring Embrapa Soja closer to innovative ideas in digital technology applied to agribusiness and to entrepreneurs who are familiar with the set of tools, methodologies, processes and services available via Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). “Our idea is to get closer to all this knowledge to identify opportunities for interaction and development of partnerships in search of solutions together”, highlights Farias.

The Open Innovation notice for Startups  has 12 lines of research: 1) Management of pests, diseases or weeds; 2) Process automation; 3) Assessment/Monitoring of nutrient availability in the soil; 4) Assessment of the nutritional status of plants; 5) Technology for applying pesticides; 6) Production technology and seed quality; 7) Assessment of the physical quality of the soil; 8) Plant phenotyping; 9) Sustainable grain production systems; 10) Reducing losses and increasing production quality; 11) Classification of grains and seeds and 12) Multimedia Communication (optimization of interfaces with customers).

Based on one of the chosen lines of research, entrepreneurs will be able to develop projects using Artificial Intelligence, Sensing, Robotics, Automation, Internet of Things (IoT), among other solutions involving ICTs. The selected projects will have a contract with Embrapa Soja for one year to develop the actions. Proponents will have access to Embrapa's physical structure, such as laboratories, greenhouses and experimental fields, as well as being able to receive weekly tutoring from the Company's researchers.

Submission of projects must be made by December 20th, via email loja.eventos@embrapa.br. The projects will be evaluated by the Embrapa Soja research team and those selected will be partners in the development of technologies. The organizing committee will publish the results by January 31, 2019. Check out more details of the notice: www.embrapa.br/soja/open-innovation