A CONSORTIUM of Scots research partners has been awarded funding of £250,000 to develop a new digital platform that could revolutionise the aquaculture sector.
Glasgow-based satellite communications start-up – R3-IoT – will lead the development of a software system to automatically capture large volumes of sensor data across aquaculture sites securely in one place, where it can be processed, stored and actioned.
The digital platform will be developed in parallel with R3-IoT’s satellite communications solution, seamless connecting to remote and rural areas – enabling organisations to digitise operations across multiple sites.
Funded by the Seafood Innovation Fund, the project is being supported by the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), aquaculture consultancy Northern Light, The Data Lab, Censis, Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture and the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO).
Covid-19 has accelerated various trends across the aquaculture sector, primarily the need for timely access to information – from environmental metrics such as oxygen, temperature and salinity, to operational datapoints such as wave height and strength.
R3-IoT’s platform will automate the collection of data from a range of sensing technologies already in place, allowing fish farms to use this information to remotely manage operations more efficiently.
Once developed, the new platform will enable organisations to regularly share environmental and operational data with regulators and others to enhance efficiency and transparency, while reducing risks and associated costs. The technology could also be equally beneficial to forestry, agriculture and other sectors with a remote or rural aspect.
Allan Cannon, CEO and co-founder of R3-IoT, said: “The technology will help fish farmers understand operations across different sites and locations wherever they are ... The concept behind our data platform has been informed by the research we conducted as part of the initial feasibility study, interviewing more than 30 senior members of the fish farming sector – it will closely reflect what the sector has told us it needs.
“We have a great consortium working on this project, taking in a range of expertise and skills, and – having demonstrated the high reliability of the platform during a trial with a major salmon producer – we believe the results could be very high-impact.”
SAIC’s CEO, Heather Jones, said: “This digital tool could bring another level of intelligence to aquaculture, allowing site teams to understand conditions on site even if they are working remotely.
“Using sensor data they could, for instance, identify issues with a particular area of the farm being affected by tidal influx with increased levels of plankton and chlorophyll.
“Fish farmers will be able to decide the metrics and parameters that matter to them. When industry professionals see this in action, they may want to take it further and could even explore concepts such as preventative maintenance type models.”
Professor Bill Buchanan, from Napier University, added: “A core part of this project is not just to collect, interpret and use fish farm data, but also to understand the security risks involved in data gathering, processing, analysis and storage. We are thus proud to collaborate on this project, and aim to make sure the system is secure, trustworthy and resilient, by design and in its implementation.”
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