Description
Powered by the SEARCA innovEIGhts Model of open collaboration with the academe-industry-government interconnectivity, the Emerging Innovation for Growth (EIG) is the new flagship program of SEARCA to ATTAIN Agriculture 4.0.
Drawing together on the component tools of INDEX, SERVES, iDEATES, BLOCKS, A4LIFE and SPACE, the SEARCA innovEIGhts model of open collaboration focuses on agribusiness incubation and technology transfer to engage brilliant minds in transformational innovation for elevating the quality of life of farmers and farming families.
- INDEX reports on innovations baseline and transformational impact to farmers
- SERVES or Specialists and Experts for Rural Viable Emerging Solutions provides farming communities with innovation enablers
- IDEATES Emerging iDEAS competition conducts innovation challenges for youth
- BLOCKS or Building Linkages and Open Collaboration for Knowledge System provides prototyping avenues, technology banks and maker space facilities for agri-innovation
- A4LIFE or Agriculture 4.0 Livelihood Integration towards Farming Enterprises promotes innovation through incubation support for agripreneurs and farming community businesses.
- SPACE or Southeast Asia Platform to ATTAIN AGRi 4.0 Collaboration and Empowerment cultivates an international open collaboration platform for agri-innovation networks, knowledge exchange and communities of practice.
Launched in October 2020, the SEARCA innovEIGhts Model has paved inroads to agricultural innovation through collaborative initiatives and agreements. Highlights are showcased below.
Design Thinking: The Solver’s Tool to Innovation. SEARCA innovEIGhts promotes design thinking as an effective approach to solving persistent problems in farming communities. At the heart of successful design thinking is empathy: the ability of the solver to walk in the boots and view with the eyes of the solution seeker.
Innovation Olympics 2.0. SEARCA, in partnership with UPLB and industry players East-West Seed and Sensient Colors, launches the nationwide race Innovation Olympics 2.0. Students across the country vie to create the most innovative precision agriculture technologies and business models to answer real-world challenges of smallholder vegetable farmers, with the goal of ensuring profitability while protecting environmental sustainability.
Oggun: The ‘REDical’ Carabao. The strength of a carabao, the speed of a horse, the genius of humans . . . think Oggun tractor, designed for anyone who wants to build affordably from scratch or assemble with standard off-the shelf-parts, giving the farmer flexibility to choose a vendor and service provider. In partnership with state universities and the farm machinery industry, SEARCA introduces and facilitates the entry of the Oggun technology for smallholder farmers as the first and only locally built tractor right at the farmer’s field.
Digital Agriculture Exchange Platform: In partnership with social technopreneur startup APPGeese, SEARCA co-pilots AgriEx, the country’s first comprehensive agri-digital platform, enabling farmers to deliver fresh produce to consumers directly, and opening business opportunities for eAgriventurists. Backed by a cloud infrastructure network and cutting edge systems for the last-mile connectivity, AgriEx ushers farmers into the digital age of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IOT), as well as the power of machine and deep learning for better farming.
