The initiative focuses on researching and developing innovative technologies in land use and animal production to achieve greater sustainability. At its core is so-called “biogenic value creation.” This approach goes beyond food production in the agricultural sector to also consider the supply, processing, and cultivation of raw materials for energy use. A key aspect is maintaining a balance between economic viability, ecological sustainability, and social acceptance and responsibility. Especially in times of crisis, a stable agricultural system is essential.

Smart Farming aims to optimize the entire value creation system through technological innovations such as automation, digitalization, robotics, and sensor technology. Processing large volumes of data can help the sector address challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and societal demands regarding food production and environmental protection. Digital systems are intended to support decision-making in operational transformation processes, improve the use of fertilizers, feed, and medication, and enable many other optimizations. Assistance systems and autonomous vehicles on land and in the air help counteract labor shortages.

The initiative is supported by five Fraunhofer institutes and is divided into two independent sub-initiatives in Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania and Bavaria. In Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Large Structures in Production Engineering (IGP) and for Computer Graphics Research (IGD), both located in Rostock, are involved.

Over the next five years, the consortium will receive EUR 40 million from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, as well as EUR 20 million each from the science ministries of the federal states of Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania and Bavaria. This five-year start-up funding enables Fraunhofer to recruit qualified personnel and make the necessary investments in well-equipped laboratories and efficient infrastructure. Afterward, the sub-initiatives in both federal states are to be permanently integrated into Germany’s research landscape.

Within the project, Fraunhofer researchers are cooperating with private companies, such as Karls Erdbeerhof, and public institutions including the universities of Rostock and Greifswald and the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) in Dummerstorf.
“The new initiative on biogenic value creation and smart farming is a commitment to the region and to sustainable land use,” said Bettina Martin, Minister of Science of Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, at the local launch event in Rostock. “With digital innovations, both conventional and organic farming systems have the opportunity to increase the efficiency and resilience of production systems. Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania is proving itself here as a top-tier science location.”

“Efficient, high-quality supply of food and protein sources is a central societal task—especially against the backdrop of the projected exponential population growth to around 10 billion people worldwide by 2050. At the same time, the agricultural sector faces growing challenges due to increasing sustainability and environmental protection requirements, limited land availability, and finite fossil resources,” said Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Fraunhofer research in Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania. “With the research fields of biogenic value creation and smart farming, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is making a significant contribution to addressing these challenges. At the new Fraunhofer Center of the same name, with locations in Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania and Bavaria, innovative technologies for sustainable agriculture are being developed along the entire value chain—from seed to digital assistance systems to refined end products.”

Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania and Bavaria are two federal states where agriculture plays a particularly important role. However, agricultural practices differ significantly in terms of land area and farm size, which is seen as beneficial for creativity within the initiative. A pilot project on “extended value creation in specialty crop cultivation” was launched in Rostock at the end of 2021. In this project, automation solutions are intended to help counter rising labor and operating costs, limited personnel availability, and high quality requirements. Further projects are currently in preparation.