Smart Farm

About This Project

With the world continually changing and technology with it, we need to make sure we’re keeping up. Our Smart Farm project will use industry leading research and development and education and training to keep our region’s farmers ahead of the game, ready to seize opportunities.

The Smart Farm will provide vocational education and training (VET) that unites experience with knowledge through links between  universities, horticultural companies, tech companies, growers, robotics specialists, the industrial internet of things (IIOT) and horticultural experts from Australia and around the world.

Our goal is to develop, test and commercialise IIOT solutions and combine them with robotics to increase productivity and sustainability on farms. The Smart Farm will be a world recognised center of excellence in applied education, tech research and commercial development. It will provide pathways from product concept to market, VET and higher education training and will help bring life to new and innovative ideas.

Together, La Trobe University Mildura and SuniTafe will connect with industry and end users to identify, develop and deliver training that meets international standards. These programs will be created to research, operate and maintain the technology needed to future proof our region’s farms and more broadly, improve the growth potential for our horticultural sector. The program seeks to identify digital disruption threats and opportunities and to ensure that solutions to skill shortages are developed.

By placing horticulture at the heart of the innovation process, we not only unlock its potential, we bolster the region’s economic foundations and future. That’s why the  program will have an on-farm research foundation that will ensure outputs reflect a genuine response to identified needs and are fit for purpose.

You can invest financially in this exciting, breakthrough project in four ways:

• As a core partner,  you will be involved in shaping aspects of the program’s direction and business model. This will include the R&D strategy as well as commercialisation and intellectual property agreements.
• As a supporting partner you will be involved on a more flexible basis. You may choose to invest in a specific project – but we can set up an agreement that meets business objectives and priorities.
• As a business partner you will work on identified problems within your business, on a project-needs basis.
• As a brand partner you can be associated with the lead research and education facility in Australasia and engage with relevant target audiences that support your market segment. You will also have access to contemporary education and training for staff, relationship opportunities with investors and partners and other value propositions as identified.

For further information growing smarter prospectus