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The green transition of agriculture starts with the soil: less chemical burden, more circular solutions, a healthier food system.

One of the big questions in sustainable agriculture is how to reduce environmental impact while keeping production competitive, making the soil healthier, and making the food system more resilient. The I3-4-BIOFERTILIZERS The project supports the development, demonstration and market rollout of biofertilisers, biostimulants and circular agricultural solutions through cooperation among European regions. The project is not just about research: it links concrete investment and business cases with support opportunities available for SMEs. The KDRIÜ as a Hungarian partner, helps ensure that domestic agri-food and innovation actors can also connect to these opportunities.

Who is it useful for?

I3-4-BIOFERTILIZERS is aimed at those who see sustainable agriculture also as a technological, business and innovation opportunity.

  • For agri-food SMEs and start-ups
    The project offers support and professional networking opportunities for developments related to bio fertilisers, biostimulants, soil management, or circular agricultural solutions.
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  • For agricultural producers
    It demonstrates new solutions on how to make production more soil-friendly, resource-efficient and sustainable.
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  • For tech businesses
    The project also provides a connection point for digital nutrient management, sensor-based, decision support or precision farming solutions.
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  • For research institutes and universities
    It provides an opportunity for testing, demonstration, agronomic trials and technological validation.
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  • For clusters and innovation organisations
    The project builds European value chains, professional networks and new collaborations in the field of sustainable agricultural innovation.
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  • For policymakers
    It can provide lessons on how to better support soil health, circular agriculture and bio-based value chains at a regional level.

Why is this needed?

Agriculture is simultaneously under productivity, climate adaptation, and environmental pressure. The question is how to achieve more sustainable production with less burden.

Producers need stable yields, predictable input materials and economical operation, whilst reducing negative impacts on soil, water, air and biodiversity. Bio-based alternatives — such as biofertilisers and biostimulants made from compost, biomass, biochar, vermicompost or microbiological solutions — can provide new opportunities for more sustainable nutrient management. I3-4-BIOFERTILIZERS offers a practical response to this challenge: it supports the testing, demonstration and market introduction of technologies that are close to market-ready. For Central Transdanubia, this is important because the region possesses agri-food potential, an industrial-technological background and experience in innovation services. The project adds European connectivity, financing and market entry opportunities to these.

How does the project help?

The project is not developing a single agritech solution, but building a complete innovation pathway: from the idea through testing to market entry.

The I3-4-BIOFERTILIZERS supports interregional innovation investments related to biofertilisers and circular bioeconomy solutions. The aim of the project is to:

  • reduce the environmental footprint of agriculture;
  • improve soil health and nutrient management;
  • help bring biofertiliser and biostimulant solutions to market;
  • turn agricultural and food industry by-products into valuable raw materials;
  • support sustainable agricultural innovations by SMEs;
  • strengthen the European biofertiliser value chain.
The project supports 8 specific investment and business cases, including biochar, compost, microbial biofertiliser, biostimulant and digital decision support solutions. In addition, the project operates a financial support scheme for third parties, which can provide an opportunity for 30 SMEs and startups to develop new agri-food solutions.

Practical application

The project becomes tangible when a Hungarian agri-food SME wants to build a market-ready sustainable solution from its own by-product, technology or idea.

Let us imagine a business working on the utilisation of agricultural or food industry by-products. For it, organic waste, biomass, compost or fermentation residue is not merely a problem to be managed, but a potential raw material for a new bio-based product. However, market entry also requires technological validation, agronomic testing, regulatory compliance, a business model and international connections. I3-4-BIOFERTILIZERS can help the business gain access to European good practices, professional mentoring, demonstration sites and market-entry knowledge. Thus, the project supports not only technological development, but the entire journey of sustainable agricultural innovation: from the idea through validation to market entry.

Our role

The role of KDRIÜ is to make European opportunities related to biofertilisers and sustainable agricultural innovations understandable and accessible to domestic SMEs.

KDRIÜ is involved as a Hungarian project partner in the I3-4-BIOFERTILIZERS cooperation. Its main task is to make the support, development and international networking opportunities available within the project visible to domestic agri-food and innovation actors. It plays a prominent role in communicating the open call for proposals in Hungary, informing SMEs and involving relevant regional actors. The project fits well with KDRIÜ's experience in agri-food, sustainability and business development, particularly with the HIGHFIVE, FutureFoodS and food-scalEUp projects. One of the greatest added values of the project for KDRIÜ is that it connects direct SME support and market entry opportunities with sustainable agricultural innovation.

Partnership

The project partnership connects research organisations, universities, clusters, technology businesses, development companies, agricultural innovation actors and regional development organisations within a European value chain. 18 organisations from 7 European countries are participating in the project.

Managing partner:

  • Fundació Universitària Balmes / University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia – Spain
Project partners:
  • Vegepolys Valley – France
  • Hellenic Agricultural Organization – DIMITRA – Greece
  • Agrienergia SpA – Italy (investment project promoter)
  • Desarrollos Agroquímicos, S.A. – DASA – Spain (investment project promoter)
  • University of Coimbra – Portugal
  • Agrifood Clust-ER – Italy
  • FEMAC – Catalan Cluster of Agricultural Production Means – Spain
  • Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre – Portugal
  • Central Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency Nonprofit Ltd. – Hungary
  • N-Fix NV – Belgium (investment project promoter)
  • Uniovo – Eggs and Egg Products, PLC Portugália (investment project promoter)
  • Carbonloop SAS – France (investment project promoter)
  • Agricultural & Environmental Solutions – AGENSO – Greece (investment project promoter)
  • VERAGROW – France (investment project promoter)
  • BGT Consulting Group – Belgium
  • TRADIRED, S.L. / FERTIEBRO – Spain (investment project promoter)
  • Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government of the Azores / DRCT – Portugal

Are you interested in the project?

For further information, please visit the official project page or contact the project manager.

Official project page

Programme

  • I3 – Interregional Innovation Investments

Full project title

  • I3-4-BIOFERTILIZERS - Interregional innovation investments for biofertilizers and circular bioeconomy solutions for a sustainable agriculture

Status

  • Under implementation

Maturity period

  • 1 September 2024 – 31 August 2027.

Project
ID

  • 101161143

Project participants

Dr Gabriella Baráth, lead project coordinator of KDRIÜ

Dr Gabriella Baráth

lead project coordinator

View profile

Results and related knowledge base materials

The results of I3-4-BIOFERTILIZERS are truly valuable when bio-based agricultural solutions become tested, demonstrable and market-ready solutions. The results are continuously expanding as the project progresses.

  • Open call information and application documents
    Documents, guides and deadlines for support schemes available to SMEs and startups.
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  • Presentation of 8 investment / business cases
    Presentation of the biofertiliser, biostimulant, biochar and digital decision support solutions developed within the project.
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  • market entry and investment readiness materials
    Business models, go-to-market roadmaps, pitch decks and investment lessons.
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  • Capacity-building workshop materials
    Summaries of technical, business, innovation and sustainability training courses.
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  • Living lab and demonstration results
    Experiences with sustainable agricultural solutions tested in real-world environments.
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  • Policy recommendations
    Proposals for the regional support of biofertilisers, soil health and circular agricultural innovation.
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  • Communication materials
    Project brochure, newsletters, videos, infographics, partner presentations and social media content.

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