Digital innovation for horticulture adaptations to climate change

Horticulture accounts for 18% of the total value of agricultural production in the EU and is expected to significantly grow due to the rising demand for high-quality crops and flowers. However, global climate change poses significant challenges to horticulture. Digital technologies offer a promising opportunity to effectively protect horticultural crops from climatic changes as well as from pests and diseases to ensure their productivity and yield variability in the EU.

How

To promote digital innovations and their transfer into horticultural practice several innovation services are offered by the DIH including the creation of project consortia, project conception and development of proposals as well as access to finance. Companies can be additionally supported through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) by analyzing their internal processes and product manufacturing systems for their potentially negative environmental impact.

Next steps 

 Establishment of a federally funded innovation network "digital technologies for sustainable and resource-efficient horticulture - horDIGrow"; development of further project ideas and formulation of funding applications