The DFE Ecosystem Approach
DFE collocates itself in the context of the digital revolution of the productive-manufactured activities, commonly known as Industry 4.0 (I4.0). The term refers to the fourth phase of the Industrial Revolution, enabled by the convergence of digital technologies, which highlight its disruptive and transformative power compared to the precedent revolutions (mechanization, electrification, computerization).
Dfe specifically addressed to the agrifood sector
The DFE initiative is specifically addressed to the agri-food sector as the latter results to have an actual and prospective relevance. The field of agri-food is located as the third department in Europe, and the second department in Italy, characterized by stable growth. The Italian image in the world is considered unique in terms of quality (for its wide range of DOC/PDO products) and security. However, the powerful position of the country results to be of low competitiveness due to several issues usually present in the sector. Some of them are high logistic costs, counterfeiting and imitation issues, poor technological innovation – especially for PMI, the difficulty for obtaining access to the global market, pulverized sector.
One of the effects of particular significance inherent to the digital transformation I4.0 is the emergence of cyber-physical systems. With the latter is intended the connection of real objects, with the end to combine and collaborate also with virtual objects and components. The disruptive effect of the digital revolution is indeed the fusion of two sectors Information Technology and Operational Technology. The main characteristics of this fusion, that render the entire concept unique, are the representation of a digital language, the connectivity, and the computing power.
Into this perspective of convergency, the concept of IT-OT DFE makes its data-driven vision. Here, the experimental descriptive data of a specific phenomenon or process can be transformed through adequate algorithmic components in support of the decisional and the control capacities. Into this operandum chain which is called ‘data to action’, the physic reality provides useful information to a numerical-digital representation (data-driven digital twin) that enables improvement actions on the reality itself. The possibilities of innovation, inherent to the ‘data to action’ approach, are disruptive.
Not surprisingly, according to the main entities and the standards I4.0 on a global scale, the level of digital maturity is directly correlated with the capacity of transformation and elaboration of the data. A major algorithmic elegance allows obtaining operative benefits that gradually will result more relevant. Such as monitoring, simulation, and estimation of the optimization of the operation process, or its subsystem.
Artificial Intelligence methods are determined in responding to the needs in question. Moreover, they are a distinctive section of the digital transformation, thus the DFE proposal. The digital revolution has as a founding feature the interconnection of components, interpreted in a pervasive view. In this way, the aim is to arrive at the concept of the Internet of Anything. This characteristic is implemented as well to other players embedded into the value chain, and substantially on the entire system.
The DFE initiative is specifically addressed to the agri-food sector as the latter results to have an actual and prospective relevance. The field of agri-food is located as the third department in Europe, and the second department in Italy, characterized by stable growth. The Italian image in the world is considered unique in terms of quality (for its wide range of DOC/PDO products) and security. However, the powerful position of the country results to be of low competitiveness due to several issues usually present in the sector. Some of them are high logistic costs, counterfeiting and imitation issues, poor technological innovation – especially for PMI, the difficulty for obtaining access to the global market, pulverized sector.
One of the effects of particular significance inherent to the digital transformation I4.0 is the emergence of cyber-physical systems. With the latter is intended the connection of real objects, with the end to combine and collaborate also with virtual objects and components. The disruptive effect of the digital revolution is indeed the fusion of two sectors Information Technology and Operational Technology. The main characteristics of this fusion, that render the entire concept unique, are the representation of a digital language, the connectivity, and the computing power.
Into this perspective of convergency, the concept of IT-OT DFE makes its data-driven vision. Here, the experimental descriptive data of a specific phenomenon or process can be transformed through adequate algorithmic components in support of the decisional and the control capacities. Into this operandum chain which is called ‘data to action’, the physic reality provides useful information to a numerical-digital representation (data-driven digital twin) that enables improvement actions on the reality itself. The possibilities of innovation, inherent to the ‘data to action’ approach, are disruptive.
Not surprisingly, according to the main entities and the standards I4.0 on a global scale, the level of digital maturity is directly correlated with the capacity of transformation and elaboration of the data. A major algorithmic elegance allows obtaining operative benefits that gradually will result more relevant. Such as monitoring, simulation, and estimation of the optimization of the operation process, or its subsystem.
Artificial Intelligence methods are determined in responding to the needs in question. Moreover, they are a distinctive section of the digital transformation, thus the DFE proposal. The digital revolution has as a founding feature the interconnection of components, interpreted in a pervasive view. In this way, the aim is to arrive at the concept of the Internet of Anything. This characteristic is implemented as well to other players embedded into the value chain, and substantially on the entire system.
From challenge to solution
Digital Food Ecosystem offers several solutions that respond to the different challenges and the precise needs of the companies, about the business, methodologies, and technologies domains.
Business: the business model is redesigned from the company by functioning changes in the value chain, and in the processes, allowing the evolution and revisitation, sometimes also total.
Methodologies: new methods and new approaches are identified on one or more sections of the process, designing and applying out the implementation.
Technologies: are developed, applied, and implemented technological solutions based on the integration of IT and OT components. Those have a direct impact on the business operations at different levels of pervasiveness and extension.
The capacity of the DFE proposal is born from the experience and the results obtained from the research program Food Digital Monitoring (FDM).
DFE is an ecosystem that offers a specific and distinctive capacity of digital innovation to the agricultural chain production, in a complete way in terms of approach, methods, instruments, and technologies.
By capitalizing on the FDM experience, the Digital Food Ecosystem method proposes to valorise and transform as industrial practice the approach to an ecosystem, which became a fundamental basis of applied research projects.
DFE key points
INDUSTRY 4.0 FOR AGRIFOOD
DFE collocates itself in the context of the digital revolution of the productive-manufactured activities ‘Industry 4.0’. The latter is considered the fourth phase of the Industrial Revolution, enabled by the convergence of IT and OT into a digital unicum. In this way, this phase results to be the more disruptive of the Industrial Revolution.
ECOSYSTEM APPROACH
The digital revolution can only happen through a network system between more entities, in the form of a genuine ecosystem. Indeed, DFE adopts an ecosystem view, as it is based on fusion itself with different partnerships – with universities, research facilities, and enterprises of technology and consultancy. Moreover, DFE is able to cover the entire value chain for the digital transformation of the agri-food sector.
SINGLE INTERLOCUTOR
DFE is a new and single interlocutor that places itself as a point of access for the Client in the dimension of an ecosystem – an essential factor for a successful digital transformation and instrument of competitive advantage. DFE leads the Client into the entire problem-solving process, from the sensor to the decision, by providing an entire supply chain of methods, competencies, and technologies.
INNOVATION MENTOR
DFE, as it is an ecosystem composed of subjects with different competencies, can take action on every technological maturity level; from the research activities to the operative implementation of the solutions. By leading the Client into a personal and progressive path, in terms of applied innovation, it is possible to create the basis to transform the innovation to a natural mindset besides reducing burdens and risks.
CUSTOMER ORIENTED
DFE adopts a working method that optimizes business problem sharing, by integrating natively its Clients into a planning ecosystem. In this way, the Client becomes the major character of the change, promoting the knowledge shift and the full valorisation of the benefits, linked to the solution, efficiency, food safety, brand reputation, and competitiveness.
DATA DRIVEN APPROACH
According to the I4.0 principal standards at a global state, the level of digital maturity is directly correlated with the elaboration capacity and data transformation. In this way, DFE makes its data-driven vision: where the experimental descriptive data of a phenomenon or process can be transformed through adequate algorithmic components in support of the decisional and of the control capacities. This, with the end of enabling better actions to the productive reality.
ENHANCEMENT OF TERRITORIES
In the world, the Italian image is unique in terms of quality and security. However, the competitiveness of the country is inferior compared to its potential value. DFE puts itself as a goal the one of protecting and valorise the local excellence of the territories, by contributing to the market visibility and position. DFE is specifically dedicated to the agri-food sector for its impressive, actual and prospective, relevance to the country.
The DFE offer
DFE takes inspiration from the strategies presented by Agenda 2030, Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan, made up of integral solutions that meet specific needs and challenges of companies, combining methodological approaches with technological components and business evolutions processes.
Each solution enables one or more benefits in terms of quality, process efficiency, food safety, brand reputation, traceability, competitiveness.
DFE leads the Clients into an overview – placing the own view into a multi-dimensional context, mutually connected which consents to the valorisation of the dimensions’ contiguity. The DFE proposal is dedicated indeed to the themes of quality and sustainability, factors of particular importance for the agri-food sector since these are:
- unifying concepts that can be regarded according to the different sector / process / product as healthiness, integrity, originality, etc…
- Distinctive elements and characterized by a brand
- Major perceived elements by the final consumer
- Key component into the value generation with low points regarding the implant’s general efficiency
- Influence of the images and the reputation of a brand
DFE value proposition
DFE valorises and transfers the industrial approach to an ecosystem, which is founded by applied research projects and focuses its proposal capacity on the experience and results obtained from the Food Digital Monitoring Research (FDM) program. FDM is a research and development project worth 12 million euros. It has been concluded on March 2020, sustained by the Piedmont Region in the field of the platform “Fabbrica Intelligente” and finalised by the digitalisation of productive processes in the field of Food. The FDM activities have been addressed to specific applicative thematics and concretized in five industrial demonstrators in response to the DFE proposal goals.
Realization of an intelligent,
extended and inclusive food factory
Preservation of health, safety, and
high-quality food products
Improve the efficiency
process
Promotion of the collective welfare
in respect of the personal lifestyle
Support the digital positioning
of the brands
Digital platform
DFE concretizes its applied innovation pat through the realization of a digital platform that integrates the fundamental elements to enable the data to action approach.
- Devices and solutions for the monitoring of chemical, physical, and microbiological food’s parameters
- Architecture IoT for the collection of data and information about the production field – raw materials, transformation, final product, distribution, consumer
- Software components of algorithmic transformation (including Artificial Intelligence methods) for the restitution of useful information to the monitoring of the productive process, the decisions’ support, or advance control
- Graphic component of user interaction
Participate actively in the digital transformation in the agri-food sector regarding the sustainability exigencies, healthiness, and affability – distinctive factors for the competitive advantage and the companies’ resiliency.
Protect and valorise the local excellence of the territories contributing to the market visibility and position, the creation of new business opportunities, and engagement of high specializations from new planning activities. Access to new R&D projects and implementations tools to raise the level of excellence of propositional ability.
Finally, there is an increasing demand from the ‘citizen-consumers’, aware and sensible to a healthier lifestyle by having a better relationship with the industry, which has to guarantee its choices concerned to welfare and health.
