COMMECT Engages Brazilian Living Labs to Advance Rural Connectivity
COMMECT has launched a strategic collaboration with two leading initiatives in Brazil. To foster a two-way exchange of expertise, COMMECT’s coordinator, Maria Rita Palattella, traveled to Rio Grande do Sul to work alongside local stakeholders, explore existing Living Labs and co-design solutions that blend terrestrial networks, satellite links and IoT platforms.
Agro Digital Competence Center: Bridging Hardware and Data
In Porto Alegre, the delegation visited the Agro Digital Competence Center, established through a partnership between the SENAI-RS network of Institutes of Technology & Innovation and the Brazilian Innovation Agency Embrapii. This Center serves as a hub for R&D in precision agriculture, integrating sensor hardware, data-analytics pipelines and AI-driven decision-support tools to boost crop monitoring and yield forecasting.
TEC4B Programme: Multi-Platform Living Labs for Innovation
At the State Secretariat for Innovation, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul (SICT-RS), the team engaged with the TEC4B “Technology for Business” programme. Instituted by state decree, TEC4B fosters collaborative, multi-platform Living Labs that enable public-private consortia to develop proofs of concept and high-value business models using cutting-edge ICT in high-connectivity testbeds.
Field Insights: From Vineyards to Co-Creation
Moving into the heart of Rio Grande do Sul’s wine country, COMMECT joined a municipal forum in Flores da Cunha hosted by Vinícola Molardi. In Bento Gonçalves, at Embrapa Uva e Vinho, the visit discussed European pilot tools with panel discussions.
Toward a Global Learning Network
This Brazilian engagement represents COMMECT’s first Living Lab collaboration beyond Europe, creating a dynamic feedback loop between two leading agro-digital ecosystems. COMMECT hopes that the collaboration will help with lessons learned for all partners.
