Agriculture 4.0 is already a reality. The hi-tech revolution in the fields sees an innovative startup based in Niscemi at the forefront. The young company has put on the market a proprietary platform that includes robots and software to manage crops thanks to a targeted use of technology. The company is called SmartIsland and the initial idea came in 2014 to Maria Luisa Cinquerrui, now a graduate in computer engineering and CEO of the company, «working in the family business in Gela, while I was in university». The startup was founded in 2016.
The young team won the StartCup Sicilia award, the competition for the innovative business plans of university students, gaining access to the National Innovation Award, where it was ranked among the finalists. Then he started an acceleration path with Digital Magics, a certified incubator of innovative startups.
The technological product developed by SmartIsland sees the “Daiki” robots positioned in the fields, among the crops. “These are modular robots, made with different modules, which allow interaction with analytical and visual data collected on site – explains Cinquerrui – The system collects them and performs an analysis giving the farmer information on what to do: for for example, it indicates whether irrigation is needed where and when, then optimizes resources by saving; in addition it allows to manage and prevent diseases and plant diseases. In short, it offers a 360-degree view of cultivation, even on a visual level ». The Daiki daily extrapolate data from portions of land subject to monitoring, transmitting them through a transmission technology called “LoRa” to the software system that processes them and provides a whole series of information on agricultural yield, state of fertigation and fertilization levels, state of plant health.
In the development stage of the product, the SmartIsland team met with StMicroelectronics. A meeting that took place at Smau in Milan, where the young startup was invited as one of the ten most hi-tech Sicilian companies. «Just St – says Cinquerrui – supported us to arrive at the industrial prototype and helped us so that the project was managed in the production phase, with reliable suppliers and technology. Some of the ST products (micro-controllers, connectivity, motion and environmental sensors) are part of the technology developed by SmartIsland. Together we work on an evolution of the system with new automation and detection services in different environments. It is already in the pipeline, the Daiki themselves will be able to move independently between the fields.
Growth, however, it is already evident. In the last year, we have gone from a turnover of 20-30 thousand euros per month to 50 thousand. The reference market is mainly Italian, especially the South and Sicily, «where there is a great demand from farmers in the Ragusa and Catanese areas. Now we are closing agreements with companies in Piedmont », reveals the CEO of SmartIsland. But to grow, to offer a complete kit of advanced products and services (for example the mobile Daiki), funds are needed to support the necessary investments. «Until now – reveals the young CEO of the startup – we have done everything in the form of self-enterprise. But now we are looking for new capital. Within six months we would like to raise 500,000 euros, then take a second “step” for 1 million and a half. And study the market well, to be able to look abroad. 2022 could be the year of internationalization for us ».