Light to Insight

Title: Light To Insight "Novel Sensor Technology for Sustainable Agriculture"

Researchers: Simona M. Cristescu
Cost estimate: 6.1 M€ (1.2 M€ TDLab)
Funding: Province of Gelderland, Ministry of of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature
Project partners: One Planet Research Centre

The collaborative research project From Light to Insight “Van Licht naar Inzicht” has officially kicked off. This project showcases the strength of OnePlanet Research Center, a collaboration of imec, Wageningen University & Research and Radboud University & Raboudumc. Photonic chips from imec, tested and validated by the Trace Detection Laboratory at Radboud University (Faculty of Science, IMM) will be further developed into an innovative photonics-based gas sensor for monitoring agricultural emissions, that will be evaluated at the sensor test location of Wageningen Livestock Research. All with the ambition to extend the technology into broader environmental monitoring applications.

Supported by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) and the Province of Gelderland, the project aims to develop technology to support farmers in the context of the goal-oriented steering “doelsturing”, enabling targeted interventions and adaptive management for a more sustainable agricultural future.

Remco Suer, Program Manager Environmental Sensing Program at OnePlanet, commented: “This project accelerates integrated photonics as sensing technology. I really believe this technology has the potential to make a major contribution to goal-oriented steering for many environmental challenges in agriculture and other sectors.”

Simona Cristescu, Head of the Trace Detection Laboratory at Radboud University added: “This partnership embodies the power of interdisciplinary research. We are excited to bring this technology from laboratory development to the real-world field applications, supporting the agricultural sector’s transitions towards sustainability.”

The project’s technology roadmap includes the integration of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) to enhance versatility and scalability. Future phases will extend monitoring capabilities to nature areas and explore applications in additional domains, such as food technology and health.