Consortium
Research Technology Organizations
ICCS
ICCS is a very experienced coordinating partner, with more than 80 successful projects coordination in H2020 and FP7. Through this role, it has gained considerable experience in, Quality, Knowledge, Data Management tasks as well as Legal Ethical and Security Management issues, hence its contribution to the project management activities. ICCS will ensure the strong coordination needed for such a big action involving a wide range of partners with different profiles and needs. It will further lead the activities of the project regarding: (i) the specification of System Requirements and KPIs; (ii) the development of algorithmic solutions regarding the optimised dimensioning and placement of the integrated technological solutions, supporting the shaping of the appropriate technology solution mixtures, (iii) the development of a holistic integrated connectivity and edge processing solution for the Greek Living Lab – this will include the provision of cutting edge 5G lab facilities for system integration and validation; and (iv) the technology validation and overall assessment of technologies as well as the knowledge facilitation tool.
EVILVO
EVILVO will leverage on its >80 years of experience in multidisciplinary research for economically, ecologically and socially sustainable agriculture through its undertaken role in XGain project. EVILVO is part of several EU consortia in agricultural research (incl. technologically-oriented projects) to which it forms the bridge and use existing knowledge in the field. In the agricultural engineering group, innovative animal/plant and environment-friendly solutions are developed and integrated into innovative production systems. The mechanical/electronical, technical, mathematical (incl. AI) and IT-competences will be used in the Belgium Living Lab, as well as the DIH for the support of precision agriculture/livestock, dairy farming and pig and poultry farming. XGain project will enhance EVILVO’s portfolio of research and development, and the exploitable results can be taken up by SMEs or (international) companies through the DIH or directly by farmers through the living labs.
i2CAT
I2CAT will act as the technical and scientific manager of the XGain project, assuring the technical and scientific outputs of the project are generated and coordinating the technical efforts of the consortium that will result in the implementation of the XGain architecture and the knowledge facilitation tool. In addition, I2CAT will also act as the data and IPR manager, leveraging its experience in a regional project for the deployment of 5G in rural areas in Catalonia for social and policy innovation with the whole XGAIN consortium. Furthermore, I2CAT brings a 5Genabled testbed in Mora la Nova (Spain) to the project and leads the deployment of the Spanish Living Lab. XGain is of crucial importance to I2CAT as it is aligned with the Catalan 5G Strategy, and it will allow it to establish a nest for the 5G ecosystem in the region and revolutionise the regional economy and promote the innovation of SMEs. I2CAT will exploit XGain results to become a key 5G technological partner and help SMEs build an advanced ecosystem in a 5G innovation hub through its own communities in Europe related to digital innovation hubs.
WR
WR has a track record in carrying out projects on digitisation and high tech in European agricultural development, including information management and ICT, systems analysis, and sustainable development, as well as informational governance and social science related research in agri-food chains, including impact assessments, social innovation, ownership of data, privacy, division of power, division of responsibility, trust, management and citizen science. Wageningen Economic Research also carries out tasks such as presidency of the European Federation of ICT in Agriculture, Food and the Environment, and membership in a Steering Committee on Informational Governance and Sustainability at Wageningen University & Research (2013-2015) and has published a series of socio-economic and digitization related scientific articles. During XGain project, WR will leverage all the aforementioned experiences and means in order to propose stakeholder engagement strategies and coordination of the different identifies clusters, as well as implement the socio environmental assessment of the last-mile and edge technological solutions.
ZSI
ZSI is a private non-profit institute for applied social sciences based in Vienna (Austria) with more than 30 years’ experiences. ZSI implements research and application projects on the social embedding and impact of all types of innovations and contributes to the design and diffusion of socially accepted and sustainable innovations to meet global challenges. In this context, ZSI will provide its experiences in stakeholder mapping and analysis of their needs through applying processes of co-design, co-creation and diverse action research and participation approaches relevant to the forseen tasks and trainings. Besides this, ZSI will act as the ethical manager of the XGain, through constantly monitoring activities and issues concerning GDPR, gender balance and ethical issues.
SME Partners
ASTRO
Astrocast SA is a leading global nanosatellite IoT company based in Switzerland. Working toward completing 100 satellites constellation by 2024, Astrocast SA currently serves its customers globally with 10 nanosatellites and is planning to launch 10 more by the end of 2022. During the XGain project, Astrocast SA will leverage its knowledge and equipment on remote track of herds and fields’ health giving the insight needed to predict better, plan, and manage operations, by sending the right information needed out in the field. Astrocast SA will support the use case in Croatia through its satellite connectivity for IoT applications (low energy, short messages, small electronic module/antenna size), enabling information gathering from sensors / data logger in the field, contribute to the parts related with the satellite communications and the relevant requirements and specifications, and develop the satellite communication link that will be used in the pilots and contribute to the work of the other enablers. Astrocast SA in collaboration with the other technical partners will perform the installations needed in the field for the validation of the technology and the Knowledge Facilitation Tool, and will be supporting the Impact Maximization and Outreach activities.
BENCO
BENCO is a pioneer SME based in Croatia, aiming to transfer of scientific knowledge, innovative technologies and business know-how throughout Europe, with main focus the capture and process of spectral data in different types of fields, i.e., vineyard and oyster farms. Through the XGain, BENCO will use its current knowledge and experience in aquaculture farm monitoring by applying its experience and equipment in a use case in the Adriatic region of Croatia with the aim of demonstrating how an extended network infrastructure can be used in order to transmit data from offshore sensor systems. The exploitation solution will help farmers assess oyster quality, growth conditions, evaluating potential risks and operational planning both at oyster growing and harvesting stages, as well as performing oyster quality and freshness monitoring and preventative screening down different supply chain stages.
CAFA
CAFA provides products and services in various robotics domains, such as Cellular drone system for agriculture and telecom operators. Autonomous Mobile Robot performing predefined tasks autonomously; Computer Vision system analysing all sensors feeds; and 3D Mapping and 3D Analyzer to visualise drone flights and measured 5G network quality of service in real-time in the true 3D environment. During the XGain, CAFA will leverage its wide expertise in the identification of edge processing enablers and will provide the necessary equipment in order to successful implement the use case in UK.
CAP
CAP is a product based on the exploitation of the results of CAPTAIN Horizon 2020 project, aims to become a gentle companion and caregiver inside the older person’s house, providing a radically new hardware and software solution based on user’s detection and generation of projections. CAP Coach-Twin pilot aims at providing health and wellbeing guidance and interventions for people living in rural areas. Currently CAP is based on locally deployed services in the CAP device, but the use of 5G and high throughput connectivity will enable the use of real-time, online services (e.g., for NLP, communication and social aspects) that will enhance the user experience but also the services provided to older people at home. CAP will undertake the research and development of the XGain use case in Greece, leveraging its rich experience in the elders’ healthcare field.
eBOS
eBOS technical role in the project, given its 18 years+ of expertise as a software powerhouse, is to design, develop and integrate the XGain knowledge facilitation tool including its digitalization and visualization. EBOS will also act as the quality assurance and risk manager, as successfully undertaken this role in 9 previously funded H2020 projects. Additionally, EBOS will lead technology validation and impact assessment activities, leveraging its rich experience in the telecom domain – currently participates in 8 5G-oriented projects. Apart from designing and maintaining the project’s website, EBOS will also leverage its wide experience in the market, to contribute to the elaboration of XGain dissemination and sustainability plans and present project’s results to key associations through its membership (e.g., BDVA/DAIRO, AIOTI, NGI, NESSI). From the exploitation side, EBOS expects to advance knowledge and reinforce understanding in XGain advances, extending the company’s R&D activities.
INC
INC has a profound experience in ICT systems and techno-economics with a rich collection of papers in scientific journals and conferences. INC has also participated in numerous European R&I projects collaborating with several well-known partners in order to investigate new business models and financially assess the proposed solutions. This justifies INC ability to contribute to tasks dealing with the development of the decision support tool as well as with the exploitation of XGain innovations. INC has also provided advice to telecom providers, companies on their investment plans as well as to regulatory authorities by developing appropriate business plans and bottom-up models. These skills will enable INC to investigate new pricing schemes and business models. Thus, INC will lead the activities of related to the XGain knowledge facilitation tool development: from the definition of tool’s requirements and specifications to the techno-economic assessment of the last-mile and edge technological solutions.
RAIN
RAIN will capitalise on the extensive experience of its personnel in business development, capacity building and communication activities, acting as the dissemination and communication manager of XGain project. RAIN will develop effective dissemination, communication, and exploitation strategies, conduct thorough market analyses and co-create innovative business models, ensuring continuous stakeholder engagement and wide uptake of the project’s results. RAIN will organize a wide array of trainings aiming to expand the capacity building of the target groups (farmers, foresters, their associations, and rural communities). Furthermore, RAIN will lead the development of innovative business models for adopting cost-effective and environmentally friendly last-mile and edge technological solutions. In terms of exploitation, RAIN aspires to broaden its know-how on business modelling, thus amplifying its portfolio with new business consulting services.
ART
ART is a boutique innovation house delivering AgriFood Tech solutions that shape the future of agriculture, food and associated sectors, with a mission to make agriculture and food more efficient, sustainable and healthy with the help of breakthrough technologies. Collaborating at solving the most pressing issues facing the Agri-Food sector, ART deriving new knowledge from scientific and applied research, developing new technologies and expanding the application horizon of existing ones and creates new products and leading them to meet market needs. Through the XGain project, ART will conduct a use case in Lithuania, focused on the precision agriculture and forest management using its current expertise and experience on aerial monitoring using UAVs/airplanes and hyperspectral cameras’.
JS
JS owns and manages Scilly Organics, a small-scale vegetable farm on the Isles of Scilly, UK. This isolated island will act as a demonstration community in the project, illustrating the needs of a remote area during the use case in UK. As a small farm supplying a range of customers and product types, it is innovative and able to implement different business models with relative ease. JS also runs Jonathan Smith Consulting, which is a UK-based consultancy, specializing in the application of carbon reduction in farming and food production. Through the consultancy, JS has constant interaction with small-scale farmers, and as such, JS will use its network to provide valuable input regarding farmers’ needs, being involved in the co-design and co-development procedures of the XGain project, and provide input and feedback for the development of the XGain knowledge facilitation tool.
Governmental Organization
RDFCM
RDFCM is a private legal entity, belongs to the Region of Central Macedonia, Greece, responsible for the technical support of the region and the development planning of wider regional spatial units by providing required data to the relevant services. In accordance with decisions of the regional credit council of the public investment program, public sector entities funding and other legal persons, funds coming from EU programs, other international organisations, and other foreign bodies, RDFCM concerns regional and special developmental programs of the region’s area, supporting its residents. During the XGain project, RDFCM will support the use case in Greece, and will provide a valuable communication pathway with the key end-users, stakeholders and policymakers, enhancing social acceptance and adaptability of rural communities, with main focus on e-governance and relevant services.
Large Industrial Partners
ICOM
ICOM evolved into a leading telecommunications system, defence electronics and information technology provider, with numerous subsidiaries in 16 countries. As ICOM plans to pursue additional strategic directions, focusing on innovative new ventures and investing in cutting edge infrastructure, its main role in the XGain project is to identify and suggest tailored technology enablers for connectivity in remote areas. ICOM will also provide support to the use case in Greece, leveraging its rich experience digital manufacturing and IoT systems, which a very strong track record of participation in tens of successful EC co-funded projects, as well as commercial deployments for manufacturing enterprises. ICOM will also represent the consortium in industrial associations where it participates with an active role, including BDVA/DAIRO, AIOTI WG11 and the EFFRA association.
TID
TID is the innovation company of the Telefónica Group with the largest private R&D centre in Spain as regards to activity and resources, and one of the most active companies in Europe in terms of European research projects in the ICT sector. Over the last few years, within the global market, TID has grown to become a network of centres of technological excellence that stretches far beyond the Spanish borders. During XGain, TID will contribute to the Green ICT for energy consumption on devices related to the connectivity and edge infrastructure and will provide input on the proposed technology enablers. TID will also contribute to disseminate the project results to its rich network, with main focus on the promotion of the XGain Knowledge Facilitation Tool to relevant stakeholders.