The objective of the project is to transfer knowledge on efficient water use in agro-ecosystems to: i) the agricultural production sector, ii) technology companies and iii) water management entities.
The project 'Transfer of Digital Solutions for Efficient Water Management in the agro-environmental sector (TRAGUA)' starts its activity, contributing to facilitate the promotion and dissemination of R+D+i among companies in the Valencian Community. The three-year project will focus on developing a comprehensive plan to promote the research activities and results of the Water and Crops research group of the Desertification Research Center (CIDE, CSICUV-GVA).
TRAGUA's main mission is to promote R&D&I in the field of water and water resources management, given the relevance of this topic for the agricultural activity and the protection of the environment in the Valencian Community. On the one hand, many Valencian companies, particularly SMEs, can learn about and capitalize on the knowledge and tools to market the solutions developed by the Water and Crops group of CIDE. On the other hand, end users, such as Irrigation Communities, large fruit and vegetable farms, agri-food cooperatives, wineries and Valencian wine growers, will also be the target of the promotion of R&D&I activities, taking advantage of the already established network of relationships with entities such as Protected Designations of Origin (Alicante, Valencia and Utiel-Requena), the Federation of Irrigation Communities and the Federation of Agri-food Cooperatives of Valencia.
“Our objective is to facilitate the implementation of management models, practices and technologies to address water scarcity and in particular drought,” says Diego Sebastiano Intrigliolo, CSIC researcher, head of TRAGUA and Acting Director of CIDE.
Together with the researchers of the Water and Crops group of CIDE in TRAGUA collaborate, as a technology partner, AINIA Technology Center, which works to boost the competitiveness of companies through innovation and Agrotec, business incubator of the University of Valencia installed in its Science Park, which aims to encourage the creation of agri-food startups based on science and technology, disruptive and innovative.
“We hope that this can serve as a successful case of a transfer activity that can be replicated in the future by other CIDE research groups in other relevant areas such as forest fires, water pollution or conservation of soil resources, among others,” concludes Ramón López Urrea, CSIC researcher and member of the TRAGUA team.
TRAGUA is financed by the Agencia Valenciana de la Innovación (AVI) (IVACE+iInnovación), within the Programa de Acciones Complementarias de Impulso y Fortalecimiento de la Innovación, called by the Resolution of May 9, 2024, and aimed at strengthening and developing the Valencian Innovation System for the improvement of the productive model for the fiscal year 2024 to 2026, and by the European Union within the framework of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Comunitat Valenciana 2021-2027.
CIDE Communication
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