Among the new operational groups approved through the grants for the implementation of innovative projects of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP), in order to boost innovation, competitiveness and sustainability in the agri-food and forestry sectors of Galicia, we have obtained funding for the implementation of 4 innovation projects of regional operational groups, in which we will be in charge of transferring knowledge and promoting the implementation of the solutions and results expected from them. These initiatives include obtaining quality crop plantations reinforced against stresses, the integral valorization of Galician forests through the Chain of Custody Certification, the improvement of soil fertility through an intelligent slurry application system and the revalorization of cheese whey for the production of a new range of food products.
One of the great challenges today is to achieve sustainable agricultural production to mitigate climate change. In response to this problem, the BIO_MARTERRA Operational Group was created, whose main objective is to demonstrate the beneficial effect of biostimulants, made from seaweed extracts from the Galician coast, against abiotic and biotic stress situations in different crops of interest. We participate in the project together with PORTOMUIÑOS SL, the VIOR research group of the Misión Biolóxica de Galicia (MBG-CSIC), the waste management and fertilization unit of the Agronomy group of the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Avelino Santana García and, as cooperating members, the Centro de Investigacións Agrarias Mabegondo (CIAM-Agacal) and Horta da Lousa, with a total budget of 179,634.83 €.
The Multi-Forest Operative Group is part of the continuous improvement of Galician forests. The project seeks to promote the multifunctionality of the forests through the diversification and compatibilization of its uses in order to revalue the Galician rural sector, revitalizing underproductive areas and offering viable and diverse alternatives. The project has a budget of 179,980.81€ and we are promoting it together with the Mancomunidade de Montes de Baroña, the Asociación Galega Promotora da Certificación Forestal (PEFC Galicia) and the Universidade de Vigo.
The main objective of the PURINPRECISO Operative Group will be to design and evaluate an intelligent system for the control and digital documentation of slurry application for use as fertilizer. The project will be carried out by a multidisciplinary team that includes Talleres Carruxo SL, the R&D groups BioModem, Computer Vision and Computer Architecture of the USC, SAT As Pandas, as well as CIAM-Agacal as a cooperating entity, and has a total budget of 180,000.00€.
Finally, the SUEROVAL Operative Group aims to design a new range of food products based on the valorization of cheese whey, using a solar dehydrator with a near-zero carbon footprint, in combination with chestnut flour. The project has a budget of 179.340,00€ and is integrated by Queixos Castelo de Brañas SL, the Centro Tecnolóxico da Carne (CTC), Trasdeza Natur S Coop Galega, Amarelante and the Grupo de Aplicaciones Energéticas Sostenibles of the USC as a cooperating entity.
These projects are financed through grants for the implementation of innovative projects of the operational groups of the AEI, co-financed with the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) under the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy (PEPAC) 2023-2027. The Consellería del Medio Rural is the body of the Galician Administration responsible for proposing and executing the general guidelines in the rural area and is responsible for agriculture, livestock, rural development and regional planning, rural structures, agri-food and forestry industries, forestry, forest fire prevention and defense.
