EIP Operational Group activities in Finland
EIP-AGRI Operational Groups have been the flagship innovation and development projects of the Finnish Rural Development Plan 2014-2022. For the new CAP programming period 2023-2027, the aim is to have 100 EIP-AGRI Operational Groups. The implementation is ongoing and new EIP-AGRI Operational Groups are funded all the time.
Innovation Market
Call for exhibitors to Innovation Market 2025 is open
Showcase your innovation in agriculture, forestry or horticulture at the KoneAgria trade fair held between 9 and 11 October 2025 and take advantage of the pre-marketing visibility. Over the years, the Innovation Market has become a well-known joint exhibition stand, bringing together the most innovative players and the latest solutions in the field. This is your opportunity to reach professionals and innovators in the sector all in one place. Apply by 7 August 2025! More detailed information and link to the application form.
Innovation Market 2024 showcased EIP-AGRI Operational Groups from Finland and Estonia as well as other innovative projects and innovation support service (ISS) providers
Innovation Market is an annually organized joint exhibition area that took place this year at the Finnish Agricultural machinery trade fair in Helsinki. This year Innovation Market gathered altogether 26 exhibitors including 14 EIP-AGRI Operational Groups. Read more and see the list of exhibitors
Over the years, the Innovation Market has developed into a well-known exhibition area with a rich and diverse programme alongside the fair. Check out the stage programme from Thursday 17.10.2024. The Opening Ceremony and New Innovations in Estonia are bilingual or in English.
EIP-AGRI Operational Groups in CAP 2023-2027
In Finland there can be regional, cross-regional, national and international EIP-AGRI projects. The first EIP-AGRI Operational Groups of CAP 2023-2027 have been selected in spring 2024. As the regional and cross-regional calls are ongoing, new EIP-AGRI Operational Groups are funded all the time. By June 2025, total of 23 EIP-AGRI Operational Groups have been funded.
National EIP-AGRI Operational Groups
- Moose drone: Preventing elk damage in seedling stands by utilizing drone technology and artificial intelligence
- ERISTEK: Enhancing animal disease risk management with new technologies
- PUNURMIO: Developing a method for automatic and plot-specific assessment, monitoring and prediction of grass biomass growth.
- Remote Digital Autopsy as a Local Service for Cattle Farms – A New Finnish RDA Operational Model for Diagnostic services
- CranberryInnovation – Soilless production of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) in a high tunnel
Regional or cross-regional EIP-AGRI Operational Groups
- InnoKas: Innovative methods for pest management of winter oilseed plants for Finnish organic farmers
- Healthy herd, high production – new sensor and measurement technology for evaluation and diagnostics of health in dairy herds
- SEEDINET: Towards a cost-effective start with special plants: an innovation for successful nettle field establishment by direct seeding
- Data field pioneers – renewing grain trade with communal data
- Climate smart farm in South Ostrobothnia
- EXO FOREST – Developing an exoskeleton for supporting lower limb in brush cutting (clearing)
- Refinement of silage harvesting time
- VILSKE – Utilization of by-product of grain drying as material and energy
- Bug vacuum and automated monitoring to improve pest control on strawberry production
- Get rid of foreign grain with a mobile phone
- AI for horse stables
- Optimizing Water Usage in Food Potato Crop Rotation through AI and Automation
- SmartFarm Satakunta
- The Primary Production Innovation Network in Central Ostrobothnia
- New circular economy perspectives for agricultural side streams. Innovations from side crops
- EIP-Mite – better management of spider mites through a monitoring program and microbiological control
- EIP Fieldmap – Mapping the Health of Farmland Soils
- HukKaBio – From Waste Milk to Casein Biocomposites
EIP-AGRI Innovation Awards 2024 for Operational Groups: Finnish Nominees
Development of a carbon footprint guidance and calculator for recycled fertiliser products
This Operational Group from Finland has developed the very first ‘Carbon Footprint Calculator’ for recycled fertilisers so that manufacturers can reliably and transparently calculate and demonstrate the climate and environmental benefits of these products. Guidelines ensure that calculations are measurable, comparable and easier to communicate. A detailed and clear model for calculating the carbon footprint of a product is available to manufacturers. The lower footprint of recycled fertiliser products could be a competitive advantage compared to mineral-based fertiliser products. The project involved bioenergy and biogas associations, industry, manufacturers, NGOs, a waterworks association, a meat processing company and agricultural advisors. The calculator is based on international standards so it can be transferred to other countries. It is being translated into English.
SMART FEED – Smart measurements in cattle feeding and health
This Operational Group from Finland combined methods, tools, analytics and data transfer to create an on-farm system for monitoring silage quality and energy and protein nutrition balance in dairy cows. The overall aim was to improve cattle health and increase farm efficiency, productivity and competitiveness. The system allows the control of the feed dry matter content via a silage sampler attached to a bale gripper, a fast method for determining dry matter using a halogen dryer and a mobile application, FeedApp. This was developed in close collaboration with farmers. Other project partners were a rural advisory organisation, a small metal workshop, and a veterinarian-nutrition and animal health expert.
EIP-AGRI Operational Groups in Rural Development Programme 2014-2023
Altogether 32 EIP-AGRI Operational Groups have been funded:
- FarmEnergy
- Wood2Biogas
- Farm maggot for chicken
- ePlastic – developing the platform ecosystem
- Domestic pollinators for commercial gardens
- Smart pig farm – combining data
- Quality oats
- KuNa – Thermal imaging of cattle
- Digibale – towards more efficient management of feed bale life cycle
- Fresh forest-chips for farm-level heat production
- Cybernetics in dairy cow feed optimization
- UVC technology for control of strawberry diseases
- SMART FEED – Smart measurements in cattle feeding and health
- Plant nutrients, energy and industrial and commercial activity for rural areas by a biogas plant
- Enhancing and securing primary agricultural production with new nanobubble technology
- Development of moisture removal process, energy consumption and control of a grain dryer
- With scanning techniques and machine learning towards the assessing of biomass, carbon and nitrogen feed of crops
- Strawberry picking robot
- PiE-eTrace – Electronic traceability system for small producers and specialty crops
- Intestinal health and welfare of horses: can spent grain be developed into a feed supplement that maintains and improves the intestinal health of horses
- Development of a carbon footprint guidance and calculator for recycled fertilizer products
- BITUPROP – Increasing the productivity of biogas reactor with process optimization
- Good for cattle – quality silage by temperature monitoring and antimicrobial peptides in agriculture
- Methanation on the farm – Improving the profitability of on-farm biogas production by scaling in situ methanation from pilot to farm scale
- Identification of common wild oat and other weeds from drone photographs
- DataYield – Agile data management from farming machines and services to new business
- Producing a virtual reality learning environment on cattle health and welfare
- Smart drinking bowl 2022. Smart drinking bowl measures cow’s individual water intake to ensure healthy life and improve genetic selection parameters
- Agricultural business development with intelligent data analytics
- Digitomkku: Big Data test beds for wireless sensors in tomato and cucumber production
- BIOSIVU – From hemp by-products to low-carbon building products
- Contingency plan for water management on Söderfjärden
Transnational cooperation in EIP-AGRI
Finland has been collaborating with Estonia and Latvia in an attempt to accelerate transnational cooperation in EIP-AGRI Operational Groups and to synchronize the national EIP-AGRI calls. In June 2025, the consortia has launched a dedicated landing page for promoting the synchronization of their national EIP-AGRI calls and accelerating the formation of transnational EIP-AGRI Operational Groups.
An EIP-AGRI project may involve international cooperation or be entirely international.
- A project with an international component means, for example, benchmarking or organising a joint event with an EIP-AGRI Operational Group from another country.
- A fully international project is one where the project is designed, objectives are set, and activities are carried out in cooperation with an EIP-AGRI Operational Group in another country or an international EIP-AGRI Operational Group has members from the cooperating countries.
EIP-AGRI Operational Groups may also cooperate with projects under the Horizon Europe research programme and participate in the work of the EU’s EIP-AGRI network. Read more!
Contact
Interested in transnational cooperation with Finnish partners?
Finnish Rural Network
Tuija Kallio
Network Coordinator
tuija.kallio(a)maaseutu.fi
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Leena Anttila
EIP measure in Finland
leena.anttila(a)gov.fi