A ceremonial conference was held at the Institute of Marine Biology in Kotor, marking the launch of the Smart AgriTech Connect (SATECON – Smart, Innovative, and Sustainable Agriculture) project within the Interreg VI-A IPA Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2021-2027 program, in the presence of partners and officials from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.
The project aims to increase the competitiveness of agricultural producers and involves two units of the University of Montenegro – the Institute of Marine Biology and the Biotechnical Faculty – as well as the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management.
The total project value is €6.4 million, with Montenegrin partners having around €1.6 million available for implementing activities, 85% of which comes from EU grants.
“Agricultural producers in our region, especially small-scale ones, still largely rely on traditional production methods. At the same time, climate change, limited resources, and growing market demands pose challenges for domestic farmers to remain competitive. The SATECON project aims to develop strategies and tools that will enable the introduction of smart solutions in agriculture and accelerate the transition to sustainable production models,” said Biljana Papović, State Secretary at the Ministry of European Affairs.
She highlighted her pride that Montenegrin partners will make a strong contribution to the project.
“The University of Montenegro will be responsible for developing, testing, and integrating smart agricultural technologies in areas such as fruit growing, viticulture, olive cultivation, livestock, and innovative aquaculture production. Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management will play a key role in shaping joint strategies and action plans to ensure that smart agriculture becomes an integral part of regional development policies,” Papović stated, expressing the expectation that the project will pave the way for a more resilient and competitive agricultural sector based on modern knowledge, innovation, and technology.
Through this strategic project, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management of Montenegro will procure valuable equipment for technological packages that introduce smart agricultural technologies in relevant areas to improve data collection, analysis, monitoring, and the application of precision farming practices. This includes drones, smart agricultural measurement devices for livestock production, pheromone traps, and agrometeorological stations.
In addition to Montenegrin partners, project implementation involves: the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the University of Zagreb as the lead partner, the Croatian Agency for Agriculture and Food, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management of the Republika Srpska, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Water Management, and Forestry, the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Banja Luka, the Agronomy and Food Technology Faculty at the University of Mostar, and the Agromediterranean Faculty at the University of “Džemal Bijedić” in Mostar.
SATECON is one of three strategic projects implemented with the support of the Interreg IPA Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2021-2027 program.