Agriculture 4.0

In our expert interview "Smart Region: What makes a region smart?" with Willi Steincke, we have already illustrated to you which criteria make a region smart. In the following interview, Christian Metz, head of the Competence Network Digital Agriculture Bavaria, explains to you what influence smart regions have on agriculture.

Christian, what advantages do smart regions bring to a Bavarian farmer?

Christian Metz: Smart regions bring smart applications . These are important for farmers to make their work efficient and meet the challenges of the future. For example, smart applications give a farmer the opportunity to equip his animals with sensors. These transmit information about the animals' health and state of mind directly to the tablet at home. This enables farmers to intervene in good time if, for example, they notice that an animal is becoming ill. Another example concerns the environment. It is possible to dispense with pesticides and have robots remove weeds automatically. That can be a real labor-saver!

What role does job security play?

Christian Metz: A big one! It's about making jobs in the countryside and in agriculture more attractive and sustainable. That's why a WLAN connection and fast mobile phone connections are a basic requirement in a smart region, so that farmers can work with digital tools on the farm and in their fields without restrictions.

Why are you currently working on a study on the topic of e-commerce in agriculture?

Christian Metz: In smart regions, the topic of direct marketing of food via online platforms also plays a major role. Not only in the current Corona time, digital shopping is important for many people. There will be life after Corona, and looking to the future, the general question is: "Is e-commerce a way for Bavarian agriculture to sell products differently and generate another mainstay?"

Can you already reveal initial results?

Christian Metz: No, I am still at the very beginning. With my study, I would like to answer the following questions:

• Where are groceries already sold via stores?
• What are the major challenges here?
• What potential for improvement is there?
• What ultimately looks like a sustainable e-commerce solution in rural areas?

Who can provide input on this topic, please contact me directly. I look forward to any support to jointly develop options for Bavarian agriculture. I am confident that we will publish our results in mid-2021.

The interview was conducted by Dr. Kord Pannkoke, Head of Business Development at Bayern Innovativ GmbH.

Listen to the full interview as a podcast: