How AI influences what ends up on your plate
How can AI and research contribute to better rapeseed oil and a more sustainable agriculture? That was the question Skeby Gårdar asked researchers at the University of Skövde. The collaboration with the University is carried out through the ShiftLabs project and has already yielded results in the form of a better understanding of the company’s data and new ways to optimise production.
“The University has been both attentive and committed. The collaboration has given us much more than we initially expected, and we strongly recommend that other companies give it a try”, says Adam Boqvist.
Smarter agriculture with AI
Skeby Gårdar, that produces rapeseed and linseed oil at the foot of Kinnekulle, wanted to take the next step in their digitalisation journey and contacted the University of Skövde. The aim was to improve the interpretation of field data and make smarter decisions on fertilisation, harvesting and irrigation.
“We want to demonstrate how agriculture can work smarter to meet the food industry’s demands for sustainability, traceability and efficiency. By linking research with practice, we contribute to a more data-driven and future-proof food supply chain”, says Adam Boqvist.
For Skeby Gårdar, the collaboration was also about securing future expertise. Technology and data analysis are becoming increasingly important in the food sector, and the University of Skövde has specialist competence in the field.
Competence for the future
In the collaboration, Skeby Gårdar provides processes, seeds and operational data, while the University contributes analysis, AI expertise and research structure. Together, they test and adjust models to see what works in practice.
For the University, the collaboration is not only a chance to contribute to the development of the food sector. It also strengthens both research and education.
“We gain valuable access to real processes, data to conduct research on, and can make a genuine societal contribution”, says Magnus Holm at the University of Skövde.
Benefits already today
The collaboration with the University has already produced concrete results for Skeby Gårdar. They have gained a better understanding of how their processes function and see opportunities to optimise cultivation.
“The goal is to develop cultivation methods that produce both higher quality rapeseed oil and better yields for farmers”, says Adam Boqvist.
The collaboration with Skeby Gårdar takes place within the framework of the ShiftLabs project, an EU-funded initiative that supports small and medium-sized manufacturing companies in their efforts to adopt new digital technologies.
