'Agritech': the new National Center for the development of New Technologies in Agriculture

Our University in the project promoted by the Federico II University of Naples

di Beatrice Passarelli

June 22, 2022 - Universities, 5 research centres, 18 companies. 'Agritech' starts, the National Center for the development of New Technologies in Agriculture, a project based onuse of enabling technologies for the sustainable development of agri-food production, with the aim of promoting adaptation to climate change, the reduction of the environmental impact in agrifood, the development of marginal areas, safety, traceability and the typicality of the supply chains. A project worth around 350 million euros, of which 320 million from the Pnrr, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The Agritech Center was born with the ambition of combining the best scientific skills for make the Italian agri-food industry more competitive and sustainable. It wants to connect nationally available agricultural research infrastructures, use enabling technologies to improve productivity and sustainability, as well as promote ecological and digital transitions, collaborate with companies to increase resilience and economic competitiveness in the agri-food sector and train the next generation of scholars in the sector, guaranteeing the human capital and skills necessary to face future challenges.

The Center provides the application of technologies for pursuing Agriculture 5 main objectives:

• RESILIENCE - Adaptation of productions to sustainability criteria and climate change;
• LOW IMPACT - Reduction of waste and environmental impact;
• CIRCULARITY - Development of circular economy strategies;
• RECOVERY - Development of marginal areas;
• TRACEABILITY - Promotion of safety, traceability and typicality of the agri-food chains.

L'Federico II University is the promoter of the National Agritech Center and is responsible for the national HUB which will be based in East Naples in the former district of the Tobacco Factory. Among the subjects involved also theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma.

The Center will be structured according to the setting Hub&Spoke, with coordination in Naples and 9 research nodes equally distributed between North, South and Central Italy, in line with the principle of reducing the gaps underlying the Pnrr programme. The coordinators of the 9 spokes are: National Research Council, Alma mater studiorum - University of Bologna, University of Bari, University of Milan, University of Bologna, University of Padua, University of Siena, University of Tuscia, University of Naples Federico II.

The Hub's Cross-Spoke activities will focus on monitoring project development and administrative management, setting up an Agritech Academy, and organizing and managing technology transfer initiatives. Each spoke will develop one or more Living Labs which will have the purpose of carrying out research activities, experimenting and validating technologies and supporting business trials.