FBK and FEM: An even more synergistic collaboration

The framework agreement between Fondazione Bruno Kessler  and Fondazione Edmund Mach to increase opportunities for collaboration in areas of research and experimentation of joint interest was signed in the Hall of Mirrors of the former Augustinian monastery of San Michele.

The objective of the five-year agreement, signed today by the two presidents Francesco Spagnolli and Ferruccio Resta, is to proceed with the development of research and experimentation activities that bring together the scientific and technological skills present in the two institutions and lead to new developments in the collaboration relationships already in place. Also present at the signing of the agreement were the deputy director general of FEM, Maurizio Bottura, the secretary general of FBK, Andrea Simoni, and the head of the FEM legal support office, Arturo Pironti.

FEM and FBK thus intend to strengthen their activity in support of the growth of human capital, the development of the business system and the quality and competitiveness of the local area, giving further testimony to the cohesion of the Trentino research system.

The specific activities of common interest will be regulated, within the scope of the framework agreement, through specific application agreements.

“Our Foundations – explains FEM President Francesco Spagnolli – play an important role within the Trentino system of research and innovation. An even stronger synergy will allow our entities, in their respective areas of operation, to be even more competitive in scientific research and strengthen their role in the regional context by optimizing the available resources “. 

“The agreement with the Edmund Mach Foundation – highlights FBK President Ferruccio Resta –  represents a system change that enhances the scientific capital of the territory and increases its competitiveness at national and European level. FBK, already active in agritech with artificial intelligence applications and platforms for testing and field trials, finds in FEM a natural partner to accelerate the trajectory that leads from research to the adoption of operational solutions. Thanks to this agreement, joint projects, advanced training courses and effective technology transfer tools will be activated, benefiting the dissemination of innovation throughout the entire agri-food chain. “

Some joint projects in the areas of digital agriculture and agri-food innovation are already active, such as IRRITRE, dedicated to the improvement of precision irrigation systems, and the Testing and Experimentation Facilities project promoted by the European Commission , AgrifoodTEF, focused on the testing of advanced digital technologies for agriculture and food processing. The synergy between the two Foundations is now also extending to the fields of aquaculture and oenological processes, with the aim of developing solutions based on data, sensors and artificial intelligence for a more sustainable and high-tech production.