The agricultural sector in Europe employs 9.7 million people in agriculture and occupied an agricultural area of 157 million hectares in 2020. However, the agricultural sector faces environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and the sustainable use of resources. During the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the introduction of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, high-performance computing (HPC), blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT), with the possibility this offers of greater access to information, offered new opportunities to improve farm performance and efficiency, contributing to economic, environmental and social sustainability. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Against this backdrop, the PERSONA project aims to revolutionise vocational education and training in agriculture (TVET – technical and vocational, education and training) through the integration of these advanced technologies, the adoption of microcredentials (short learning experiences that facilitate the updating and perfecting of skills needed to adapt to the needs of a changing market) and the use of AI technology to personalise vocational training paths. Translated with DeepL.com (free version) The aim is to provide farmers and industry professionals with the necessary skills to face current and future challenges, improving productivity and promoting sustainability.
The PERSONA project aims to create a microcredentials programme on managing innovation processes in agriculture, targeting students from TVET institutions of partner organisations. A hybrid artificial intelligence system will support the creation of customised learning paths, allowing students to acquire specific skills in a flexible and modular way.
The PERSONA project is funded by the European Union.
The project partners are:
- BC NAKLO (Slovenia),
- University of Perugia – Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences,
- Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development (CESAR),
- Coordinating Committee of Farmers’ Organisation (COAG) (Spain),
- University College Dublin School of Agriculture and Food Science (Ireland),
- Center for the Advancement of Research & Development in Educational Technology (CARDET) (Cipro),
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Asociace soukromého zemědělství ČR (ASZ) (Czech Republic),
- Institut Inpro (Czech Republic),
- European Vocational Training Association (EVTA) (Belgio)