Agri-Immanence have secured €500,000 in further funding. The team were one of five teams selected to progress to the final stage of Ireland’s National Future Food Systems Challenge.
The University of Galway’s Agri-Immanence project team has been named as one of five teams nationally to make it through to the Grow phase where they each receive €500,000 under the National Challenge Fund’s Future Food Systems Challenge. The Galway team are now competing against four other teams under the Future Food Systems Challenge, which seeks solutions for sustainable, productive and resilient food systems.
The Agri-Immanence research team is led by Professor Charles Spillane (Lead PI), supported by Dr. Galina Brychkova (Co-PI) and Prof. Phil Thornton (Societal Champion). Over the past year and a half, the interdisciplinary Agri-Immanence team has developed a generative AI/IoT enabled digital agronomy advisor for sustainability transitions of covered horticultural food production systems in Ireland and globally.
Prof. Charles Spillane indicated that:
“Our team are delighted and honoured to have made it through to the Grow phase of the Future Food Systems Challenge where we aim to accelerate and deepen our R&D to develop a scalable generative AI agronomy advisor targeted towards low to medium technology greenhouse growers in Ireland and globally. We are thankful to our funders and partners for their ongoing support for our team’s research and innovation activities.”
The National Challenge Fund is a €65 million competitive programme which aims to deliver solutions for major environmental and societal issues. Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, announced Agri-Immanence as one of the final research projects to proceed to the Grow Phase of the competition. During the one year Grow phase, the University of Galway Agri-Immanence team will compete with the other four finalist teams to win the final €2 million in research funding that will be awarded to the final winning team and project.
The Agri-Immanence project is using AI to enable greenhouse growers to get real-time insights into their greenhouse conditions. The project is creating a platform for low to medium tech greenhouse growers to use precision horticulture in their growing operations, supporting the production of more environmentally-friendly crops while maintaining profits.
Announcing the awards, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD said:
“I am delighted to announce the final research teams to become finalists as part of the National Challenge Fund – a competition-based funding programme. These teams are working on innovative, solution-focused projects that will have a real and positive impact across society, the economy, and the environment. They are exemplars of the positive impact research and innovation funding can deliver. I look forward to seeing these research teams progress their projects over the next year as they continue to support Ireland’s digital transformation and green transition.”
Celine Fitzgerald, Interim Chief Executive of Research Ireland, commented:
“This announcement marks a key milestone for the National Challenge Fund as the final research teams receive Grow Phase funding becoming finalists in this fast-paced funding programme. I wish all the finalist teams success as they continue to work towards delivering their ambitious solutions to key national challenges.”
The grants are available through the Frontiers for the Future Programme, which supports high-risk, high-reward research programmes and projects with the potential to deliver economic and societal impact.