Artificial intelligence that will make it possible to feed the animal and supply it with the right dose of medicinal plants to achieve sustainable and higher quality milk production. This is what the farm of the future will be like, which is being launched Substrate AI, the former Zonavalueat its research center and R&D laboratory for the development of Livestock 4.0 in Amarante, 60 kilometers from Porto, Portugal.
Artificial intelligence will thus be one of the main pillars of this bovine technology laboratory which will monitor the activity of the animals by means of a chip that will record data which, in turn, will pass through an agent based on the patented Reforcing Learning technology capable of managing the animal's feeding and health autonomously, with recommendations that can then be executed automatically After this process, and based on the data extracted, it will generate promising results thanks to the productive improvements that have been achieved.
To develop this software, Substrate AI will work in the field, monitoring the real cases that animals face throughout their lives and training the agent to be able to adopt the best solutions. In short, they will create a highly technological dairy farm that will simulate all the possibilities of intervention in the fields of nutrition, animal health, reproduction...
Farm 4.0 will thus facilitate, among other things, constant access to milking and milk quality data (fat and protein levels, somatic cells); incorporate individualized dietary changes proposed by the agent; implement animal health improvements - based on real-time analysis of milk quality and animal health in relation to feed; and generate reports based on technical-economic data to evaluate the improvements brought about by the system.
Objective: to extend this model
With this system, Substrate AI seeks to optimizing milk production (whether cattle, sheep or goats). In addition, it will create a SAAS service that will be used in the facilities to increase their management and profitability and, subsequently, extend these services from the Amarante headquarters to other locations. The company's intention is to commercialize its system in a first phase in the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain), as well as in northern and central Europe (France, Holland, Germany and Switzerland).
In its business development plan, Substrate AI has considered the development potential of this industry, which currently has a low degree of digitalization. The high price at the time of acquiring the technology and the lack of knowledge of the possibilities of improving the systems associated with milking and feeding technology or the use of medicinal plants, have been among the main causes of its low implementation until now.
However, in the words of the veterinarian and technical director of Substrate AI's Livestock Area, Álvaro Fernández-Blanco Barreto, "the creation of a pilot model of a high-tech farm, accompanied by artificial intelligence and veterinary phytotherapy will be a quick way to obtain data that demonstrate the efficiency of technology to improve current production and the quality of life of livestock farmers".
In this way, the creation of the 4.0 farm in Amarante will also contribute to the creation of a technological hub that will will support the startups that help Substrate AI to improve all animal handling and welfare processes, contribute to efficient feeding, offer therapeutic alternatives through veterinary phytotherapy or promote the young talent that also surrounds the artificial intelligence sector.
With this commitment to the farm of the future, Substrate AI will boost its Agritech vertical before its stock market landing, scheduled for the end of the year, along with other areas such as fintech, renewables, human resources or training. The goal of the company chaired by Lorenzo Serratosa is to serve more than 3,000 companies with its Artificial Intelligence solutions in 2024, which will allow them to reap a turnover of more than 24 million that year.
Care for the environment
The implementation of on-farm AI will also enable more sustainable, less polluting and much more efficient livestock production. The company's mission will be to reduce the carbon footprint by rationalizing decisions and improving nutritional efficiency. In addition to all this, there is the potential effect of reducing the environmental residues of bacterial resistance resulting from the inefficient administration of synthetic drugs (antimicrobials). Therefore, it will produce healthier food with fewer resources.
In this way, the production of milk with high biological value and reduced environmental cost will contribute to improving the sustainability of farms and the dairy industry, which demands better quality milk to satisfy customers who are increasingly aware of their health and care for the planet.
In addition, Substrate AI will enable the industry to supply products under cost-efficient production and sanitary standards. In addition, the implementation of the software will significantly improve food traceability, contributing positively to food safety in the coming decades.
As the director of the livestock area of Substrate AI concludes "this technology could place Spain at the forefront of AI companies in Europe, not only meeting the objectives of sustainable development but also exploring the possibility of its application to various fields in which we can develop solutions that improve people's lives".
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