Meet the FeedInov CoLAB

The FeedInov CoLab is an interface infrastructure between the industrial community and R&D entities; it focuses on promoting innovation, technology dissemination, design and growth of new businesses part of the animal production industry, thus promoting their competitiveness.

Name of the organisation: FeedInov CoLAB
Business area: Collaborative Laboratory – interface structure in animal production 
Name: Ana Sofia Santos
Position in the organisation: Director for Science and Innovation
INESC TEC centre with which organisation collaborated: Centre for Telecommunications and Multimedia (CTM), Centre for Industrial Engineering and Management (CEGI), Centre for Robotics in Industry and Intelligent Systems (CRIIS), Centre for Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (CITE) and TEC4AGRO-FOOD
Project name: InsectEra Mobilising Agenda
Project managers at INESC TEC: Pedro Miguel Carvalho and André Sá

What is the connection between FeedInov and INESC TEC?

INESC TEC is one of the members of FeedInov CoLAB.

What are the main results of this collaboration?

FeedInov completed two years of effective operation in October 2022. After the initial phase of installing CoLAB and hiring human resources, FeedInov launched the creative activities related to the collaborative model of interface structures – in particular, all that’s expected of a Collaborative Laboratory: a space that fosters ideas and their implementation, in order to address the industry’s challenges; in our case, we focus on animal production and on introducing products into the market, namely those who meet the sector’s needs. In this sense, the area of Precision Animal Science has significant potential since there is a gap in terms of solutions to address the sector’s requirements. Hence, FeedInov CoLAB, in close collaboration with INESC TEC, aims to address said challenges and anticipate the responses that target the sector’s needs.

In addition to the already approved projects in which we are partners e.g., InsectEra Mobilising Agenda, we’ve submitted competitive collaborative projects and joint actions involving undergraduate and master’s students in both animal science and other technology areas, favouring mutual collaboration in ongoing projects. We’re constantly challenged with new and various ideas and requests, and we’re exploring the best ways to address them.

How do you rate your experience with INESC TEC?

Fantastic! Our collaboration is fluid, efficient and proactive. There is a great complementarity between the two entities, which promotes a prolific and dynamic collaboration.

What do you value the most in this collaboration?

The ease of communication and the constant mutual challenges, as well as the way both entities complement each other’s technical and scientific knowledge. Our joint work is effective, efficient, and straightforward.

What can we expect from AgroInsider in the upcoming years?

I believe that we can expect tangible results very soon, namely in Precision Animal Science applied to animal farms and the development of solutions for compound feed manufacturing units. As I mentioned, we face many ideas and requests, and we’re now dedicated to their implementation.