Norway have just made a very public commitment to the agritech and foodtech sectors.
Norwegian companies actively developing ground-breaking new technologies to meet the world's growing demand for more sustainable foods and more environmentally friendly methods of agriculture - both of which will, in turn, have a positive impact on climate change - are being encouraged to collaborate much more closely together.
The objective according to Frank Larsen, CEO of Klosser Innovation, is to "develop a national team for Agrifoodtech that can help build a performance culture so that companies can succeed internationally".
Agrifoodtech Norway will be unique in establishing a market that could be worth as much as $700m. Kristiane Haug Berg, head of the initiative in Inland, Norway explained the project is all about modernization that is in full swing, and the opportunities it gives us:
"We are facing a digitalization of agriculture and sensors, drones, machine learning and biotechnology are being used on a larger and larger scale. In combination with existing knowledge about the soil. This is what gives us room for manoeuvre to focus and focus on an export industry; The companies can make money on this, at the same time as we make a climate boost."
Currently, innovation companies in Trøndelag, Viken and Innlandet are behind the Agrifoodtech Norway initiative and they will be supported by other organisations and policy leaders like Innovation Norway. Klosser Innovasjon, T-Lab and Aggrator Inkubator Ås have already been given project support from their local municipalities. The next stage will involve the innovation companies identifying other organisations within their areas that they can invite to cooperate with them to start building strong regional teams form which a national team can be created.
At this stage the companies involved include DigiFarm who use satellite data to accurately plot boundaries across agricultural land.
DigiFarm are a perfect example of how successful a business can be with the right support, in this case working with Klosser Innovation and NCE Heidner Biocluster to secure NOK 60 million in EU funding. They were a start-up in 2018 and have grown into an international business with close to sixty employees worldwide.
As lawyers and patent and trade mark attorneys who specialise in both foodtech and agritech within Norway, Sweden and Denmark, we see the establishment of Agrifoodtech Norway and Norway's public commitment to agritech and foodtech as a huge step forward for these vital sectors. We look forward to playing an active part as Agrifoodtech Norway grows.
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