About us
The plant sector is strategic for the economy and has a very significant potential for national and international development in the years to come. In order to seize these future opportunities, it is essential to master the digital technologies at the heart of developments in the agricultural and agri-food sectors and to ensure their promotion by federating all the players in the chain.
The AgreenTech Valley cluster
AgreenTech Valley is a cluster (association under the law of 1901) created in 2015 in Orléans, in the heart of the leading agricultural region for the variety of its crops. Dedicated to digital technologies for plant sectors, AgreenTech Valley aims to develop an AgTech Hub in the Centre Val de Loire region, with an international vocation.
With more than ninety-five members, the cluster brings together producers, solution providers, academic partners, skills centres and training providers along the entire value chain. Our objective is to develop the potential of digital solutions to respond to agronomic problems, by integrating a field approach as close as possible to the needs.
By “digital technologies” we mean:
- Sensors - Sensor networks - IoT
- Agricultural Big Data - Data analysis - AI
- Modelling - AOD - Crop management software
- Robotics - Automation - Embedded computing
AgreenTech Valley: digital and new technologies for innovative and sustainable agriculture
Our values
- Quality sustainable agriculture
- Agro-ecological transition
- Better sharing of value
- Field approach
- Innovation for all
Our goals
- Bring together all digital and agricultural players to decompartmentalize and identify needs
- Developing the potential of digital technologies for the benefit of plant sector players
- Integrate 4/1000 (carbon storage) in the management of crops
- Protect crops through eco-responsible solutions
- Developing resilient agriculture in the face of climate change
- Innovate, develop collaborative R&D projects,
- Broadcast the results of the projects
- Increase the skills of all stakeholders
The 3 thematic priorities
- Axis 1: Energy transition
Agriculture as a consumer and producer of renewable energies
→ agrivoltaics, methanisation, biomass energy, solar thermal energy, hydrogen, etc.
- Axis 2: Optimisation of inputs
Digital technologies at the service of environmentally friendly agriculture that creates value
→ smart irrigation, biocontrol, digital entomology, fertilisers, precision sowing, varieties, water treatment, etc.
- Area 3: Innovative sensors
Strategic and cross-cutting technological theme in data acquisition in agriculture/forestry
→ linked to the areas of expertise of the territory and the network
The driving forces behind the creation of AgreenTech Valley
1. Agricultural challenges based on vegetal
- FOOD PRODUCTION : producing both quantity and quality
- ENVIRONMENTAL: reduce the environmental impact, preserve natural resources, anticipate climate change
- ECONOMIC : ensure sustainable agricultural sectors
- SOCIETAL : acceptability and business transformations
2. The potential of digital solutions
Faced with these challenges, digital technologies provide a set of tools and methods capable of delivering innovative and effective solutions.
- Big-Data, data acquisition and processing: sensor networks, drones, Internet of Things, etc. Qualified data is the basis for the development and reliability of various tools and services.
- Modeling, simulation and artificial intelligence provide effective tools for forecasting and decision support, in support of the farmer's expertise.
- Agricultural robotics and automation, to reduce the use of pesticides, for harvesting, to reduce drudgery and to make agricultural jobs more attractive.
- Service platforms and on-board computing, for easy and wide access for all farmers.
3. The assests of the Center region
The Centre Val de Loire region is the leading agricultural region in France and a leader in many plant species (field crops, market gardening, horticulture, arboriculture, viticulture, forestry). It is an ideal playground for developing solutions and tools for the agriculture of tomorrow. Moreover, the region benefits from a representative climate, which is conducive to modeling work, and access to irrigation for most crops.