Agrifood Cluster
A real bet on sustainable and competitive agri-food systems.
Aware of the potential of agri-food activities in Setúbal, the Knowledge City project will contribute to the growth of productive activity, to the generation of jobs and to the improvement of the population’s quality of life standards.
Bet on an efficient and nutritious sustainable system
Only recently, the food and agricultural sectors began to adopt technologies that propelled the Industrial Revolution 4.0, such as the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence. There is also an improvement in the efficiency of the use of resources (soil, water, energy) for the production and sustainable management of the agrifood chain. The use of new technologies and new equipment will also intensify in the coming years.
Setúbal Knowledge City will be a fundamental element in the creation of new research and innovation centers, focused on the search for solutions that can manage situations of entrepreneurship and the creation of new companies in the sector. Physical proximity and working relationships will be decisive for the transfer of knowledge and for the enhancement of this cluster.
How are we going to differentiate the agrifood cluster?
The focus should be on the development of biotechnologies and conventional techniques to improve the quality of products and resilience to adverse environments aggravated in a context of climate change (prevention and protection against pests and diseases).
The priority must also be to develop and implement production support solutions, namely with regard to:
- Traceability and authenticity;
- Use of sensors and information technologies;
- Communication;
- Georeferencing;
- Integration of multidisciplinary data (bioinformatics, big data, modeling) and robotization.
Likewise, the focus should be on the creation and enhancement of original or processed bioproducts for human and animal food (also evaluating the potential for using by-products in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals or energy).
Another strategic line to prioritize is the development of natural alternatives to certain food additives and the bioprospecting of nutraceuticals. Innovation in the food and packaging engineering sector (for longer product life and reduced ecological footprint, through the use of nanotechnologies), fits into this strategic line.
Finally, it is essential to adapt production and supply systems to the 4th technological revolution and promote the digitalization of rural areas. The use of sensors and satellite images, data analysis algorithms, machine learning, the Internet of Things and all types of connectivity technologies are central to the development of agricultural production systems and the food sector.
