National knowledge hub for digitization in agriculture has been awarded to Linköping University through a procurement from Jordbruksverket. The three-year project has a budget of SEK 20 million and is led by LiU researchers Karolina Muhrman and Per Frankelius, who also lead the innovation platform Agtech Sweden. Muhrman and Frankelius will be responsible for refining, packaging and conveying knowledge to the agricultural industry.
Linköping University was chosen because of its long experience and strong presence in technology, especially in agricultural technology. The knowledge hub’s mission covers five main areas:
- Environmental analysis
- Needs analysis
- Coordination of cooperation and dialogue
- Testing and evaluation of new technology
- Packaging of knowledge
An expert network is also linked to the hub, with representatives from various organizations in agriculture and digital technology, such as Gård och Djurhälsan, Lovang Lantbrukskonsult, Ludvig & Co, Växa Sverige, SLU, LRF, AI Sweden c/o Lindholmen Science Park, DeLaval, Väderstad and Agtech Sweden. The innovation platforms IoT World and Sweden Secure Tech Hub are also included here, which are coordinated by Linköping Science Park.