The Sustainable Agriculture Scientific R&D Cooperative unites farmers, academics, innovative entrepreneurs, agriculture experts, sustainability specialists, clean-tech/climate-tech experts, IT professionals, economists, and accomplished business developers in a collaborative endeavor. This collective aims to establish the Sustainable Agriculture Village, a pioneering concept known as the Farmers’ Experience Center.
The primary objectives of this Village are:
* Facilitating the transition from conventional agriculture to sustainable production practices,
* Creating a Living Lab to foster innovation in agriculture and related fields such as energy, water, digitalization, and clean technologies,
* Developing novel business models through a multi-actor governance approach.
The Sustainable Agriculture Entrepreneurship Journey comprises three key components:
Pre-Incubation Center:
Located within the premises of International Agricultural Research and Training Center (UTEAM) and Izmir Institute of Technology (IYTE), a plot of land will host the inaugural implementation of the ‘living lab.’ This initiative will run in conjunction with the Pre-Incubation Program, designed to nurture innovation and entrepreneurship. Successful graduates of the Pre-Incubation Program will be eligible to advance their entrepreneurial endeavors through the Incubation Program offered by the Izmir Agricultural Technology Center (ITTM), contingent upon meeting specific criteria.
Incubation Center:
In collaborative partnership with relevant stakeholders, the Pre-Incubation Center at Izmir Institute of Technology (İYTE) is poised to operate as the Satellite Incubation Center affiliated with the Izmir Agricultural Technology Center (ITTM), an entity falling under the purview of the Izmir Commodity Exchange.
Farmers’ Experience Center:
The concept of the Farmers’ Experience Center will focus on:
• Integrating agricultural activities with specialized AgriPV products (specific products to be determined),
• Harnessing advanced geothermal technology for greenhouse heating and power generation,
• Implementing a seawater reverse osmosis (RO) system for sustainable water supply,
• Developing innovative Virtual Reality (VR) training modules catering to women and children,
• Creating a Gamified App to incentivize families to make sustainable choices,
• Designing a Journey App integrated with an on-site digital monitoring system.
