EIP Operational Group activities in Finland
EIP 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 Operational Groups.
Innovation Market 2024
Innovation Market 2024 showcases 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 taking place this year at the Finnish Agricultural machinery trade fair in Helsinki. This year Innovation Market gathers 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. This year there will be at least innovation reviews, interviews and a networking event. We may come up also something extra!
In 2023, the Innovation Market was organised for the third time and once again bigger than ever. The joint stand at KoneAgria brought together 35 exhibitors including 10 EIP-AGRI Operational Groups, 15 start-ups and 16 other innovative projects. Check out the atmosphere at the fair in the video.
EIP-AGRI Innovation Awards 2024 for Operational Groups: Finnish Nominees
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.
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.
EIP Operational Groups in Rural Development Programme 2014-2023
Altogether 32 EIP 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
EIP Operational Groups in CAP 2023-2027
In Finland there can be regional, cross-regional, national and international EIP projects. The first EIP Operational Groups of CAP 2023-2027 have been selected in spring 2024. As the regional and cross-regional calls are ongoing, new EIP Operational Groups are funded all the time. By mid-September, 12 EIP Operational Groups have been funded:
- Moose drone: Investigating how to identify tree seedlings to be treated with anti-eating agent in seedling stands and how to apply the agent using drones
- ERISTEK: Enhancing animal disease risk management by integrating new technologies with existing disease control practices
- PUNURMIO: Developing a method for automatic and plot-specific assessment, monitoring and prediction of grass biomass growth.
- 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
- Utilization of by-product of grain drying as material and energy
- Bug vacuum and automated monitoring to improve pest control on Suonenjoen mansikka
Transnational cooperation in EIP
Finland has been collaborating with Estonia, Latvia and Sweden in an attempt to accelerate transnational cooperation in EIP Operational Groups and to synchronize the national EIP calls.
Already currently transnational cooperation in Finnish EIP projects is possible. An EIP 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 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 Operational Group in another country or an international EIP Operational Group has members from the cooperating countries.
EIP 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