Supporting and accelerating digital innovations in SMEs

SMEs

Sharing knowledge, inspiring and bringing parties together to work on innovations that businesses can bring rapidly to market. That is the central theme of the OnePlanet Research Center SME program. SMEs from the region get involved as effectively and early as possible, contributing to the groundbreaking digital solutions in progress at OnePlanet.

From a sensor system for advanced nitrogen measurement to a smart, wearables-linked platform for digital health advice. With the right knowledge, expertise and facilities in digital and sensor technology, SMEs can bring innovations to market that, perhaps, they could only have dreamed of. Smart solutions with which they can distinguish themselves positively from the competition, strengthen their market position, and boost employment in the region.

Digital solutions

In its research program, OnePlanet draws on both technology suppliers and end users of digital and chip technology. Sensor specialists and app-makers, for example, but also greenhouse builders, gardeners, food manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. Partners come together in projects in which the testing and development of technological innovations is central. The goal is to deliver innovations that are already functional, allowing businesses to rapidly integrate them into their products and services, and bring them to market. The projects fit closely with OnePlanet’s two main innovation areas: Precision Health, Nutrition & Behavior, and Precision Agriculture, Food & Environment.

Sharing knowledge and experience

OnePlanet arranges meetings where knowledge and experience is exchanged between experts and businesses. These are organized around key OnePlanet focus themes such as nutrition and cognition; measuring animal behavior; health and welfare. Field Labs and Competence Centers will be available to test and validate the innovations, which will be made available to industry through, for example, licensing agreements. Companies can, through the OnePlanet OpenEducation Program, also participate in projects in which students are tasked with doing benchmark research, testing prototypes or developing new applications. OnePlanet also has representation in all the important SME and start-up networks in the region. These include initiatives such as Foodvalley NL, Regio Foodvalley, Health Valley, Oost NL, FME and The Economic Board, as well as accelerator programs such as StartLife, Scale Up Food and Briskr.

From fruit quality to mental health

Several projects are already underway. Indoor Autonomous Farming sees OnePlanet working with companies on an advanced network for monitoring plant health and growth in greenhouses, linked to an integrated data platform; innovative applications that will eventually enable fully controlled vertical cultivation. Another example is the development of a digital platform for measuring mental health (INGE3), a collaboration with Noldus and Ivido.

Interested?

Want to work together with OnePlanet and forward-thinking SMEs on innovative, distinctive applications for digital and sensor technology? Please contact Thomas van Uden.

Interested?

Want to work together with OnePlanet Research Center and forward-thinking SMEs on innovative, distinctive applications for digital and sensor technology?