Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Hungry EcoCities (AI enabled artistic solutions for sustainable food systems)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2023-08-31
Hungry EcoCities puts forward a high-level alliance between science, technology, and the arts, to effectively explore how digital technologies & applications can lead in turn to reduced food waste, more sustainable value chains, eco-friendly attitudes, and a more ethical food consumption. How can we develop ways of creating a more healthy, sustainable, and affordable agri-food system for all? In Hungry EcoCities, studios, universities, growers, and agricultural specialists team up with, artists and creative thinkers to come up with new ideas for the future food system. Hungry EcoCities will host 20 S+T+ARTS residencies and for 42 months will be working towards defining, designing, and developing AI-enabled responsible, art-driven solutions for the end-users in the agri-food industries.
The project Hungry EcoCities departs from the question how do we feed a city?. Our approach to explore this question and develop (parts of) possible answers is based on building new ideas for the future food systems in collaborative projects involving artists, scientists, creative thinkers, technologists, growers, agricultural specialists and entrepreneurs. Digital technologies are our tools on this journey, art-driven innovation is our method, 20 S+T+ARTS residencies are our pool of potential.
The food system consists of many layers and levels, therefor we decided to define a total of three directions for experimentation to channel our ambitions and objectives. Each direction for experimentation has been mostly defined by one of the partner studio’s and is carried by them throughout the project lifetime. The directions are Mega Scale, Local Conditions and City+Farming Synergies. All three directions and their corresponding fields of investigation are explained in the directions booklet and introduced by the studio’s themselves in short video’s which can be found on www.starts.eu/hungryecocities
With the directions for experimentation as our content-driver and the technical toolbox brought together by the three technical research partners in the project as our set of development tools (AI tools, Biotech tools and Digital tools), we have the building blocks in place to run art-driven innovation experiments, of which the 10 Humanizing Technology Experiments which have started on September 1st 2023 is the first batch.
This first periodic technical report covers the first year of the project; the period of preparing for the residency experiments basically. It starts with the cross-disciplinary partners building the infrastructure for collaboration (WP1) and running the first open call (WP3). Furthermore, in this period the execution of the experiments have been prepared (WP4) and the ideas on how to use and develop the outcomes have been shaped (WP2).
Hungry EcoCities keeps in mind three main objectives throughout the project:
1) Develop novel products and services in line with a human-centred & sustainability approach to innovation through dedicated art-industry collaboration in R&D projects
2) Stimulate uptake of digital technologies across the Agricultural sector through art-driven experiments to address social, business and sustainability challenges
3) Increase trust in and acceptance of digital technologies in society through art-driven design and development of digital technologies while explicitly acknowledging human values and needs and thereby enabling social inclusion and environmentally friendly innovation
The project Hungry EcoCities departs from the question how do we feed a city?. Our approach to explore this question and develop (parts of) possible answers is based on building new ideas for the future food systems in collaborative projects involving artists, scientists, creative thinkers, technologists, growers, agricultural specialists and entrepreneurs. Digital technologies are our tools on this journey, art-driven innovation is our method, 20 S+T+ARTS residencies are our pool of potential.
The food system consists of many layers and levels, therefor we decided to define a total of three directions for experimentation to channel our ambitions and objectives. Each direction for experimentation has been mostly defined by one of the partner studio’s and is carried by them throughout the project lifetime. The directions are Mega Scale, Local Conditions and City+Farming Synergies. All three directions and their corresponding fields of investigation are explained in the directions booklet and introduced by the studio’s themselves in short video’s which can be found on www.starts.eu/hungryecocities
With the directions for experimentation as our content-driver and the technical toolbox brought together by the three technical research partners in the project as our set of development tools (AI tools, Biotech tools and Digital tools), we have the building blocks in place to run art-driven innovation experiments, of which the 10 Humanizing Technology Experiments which have started on September 1st 2023 is the first batch.
This first periodic technical report covers the first year of the project; the period of preparing for the residency experiments basically. It starts with the cross-disciplinary partners building the infrastructure for collaboration (WP1) and running the first open call (WP3). Furthermore, in this period the execution of the experiments have been prepared (WP4) and the ideas on how to use and develop the outcomes have been shaped (WP2).
Hungry EcoCities keeps in mind three main objectives throughout the project:
1) Develop novel products and services in line with a human-centred & sustainability approach to innovation through dedicated art-industry collaboration in R&D projects
2) Stimulate uptake of digital technologies across the Agricultural sector through art-driven experiments to address social, business and sustainability challenges
3) Increase trust in and acceptance of digital technologies in society through art-driven design and development of digital technologies while explicitly acknowledging human values and needs and thereby enabling social inclusion and environmentally friendly innovation
WP 1 Thematic Expert Group program
- The set up of the knowledge hubs with thematic experts has been completed (objective 1). The three hubs have all chosen a different approach; in Germany, SOS has chosen to establish a pool of experts from food, academic, science and arts including top chefs and known food writers which they consult on a regular basis. In Italy, CRA has chosen to establish a pool of internal experts, complemented with existing clients and relations. In the Netherlands, NethWork (known as EatThis) has chosen to establish a pool of willing companies whom they inform and receive feedback from on a regular basis. In addition, the group of external experts selected for the open call evaluation can be seen as an addition to the thematic experts pool, since many of them are still involved in the execution of the experiments.
- The contemporary urgencies have been identified and elaborated upon in the Directions Booklet (objective 2).
- The matchmaking space for collaboration within and after the project duration (objective 3) will be developed as part of the HEClab and will be tested for the first time when the matchmaking for the second call, the Paths to Progress experiments, will be conducted in 2024.
WP 2 - Hungry EcoCities Virtual Fab Lab
- This WP evolves around building a virtual fab lab to conceive, explore and prototype AI enabled agri-food industrial use scenarios. The main objectives are to specify requirements (D2.1) this objective has been completed. The process to translate the requirements into a design and built the environment (objective 2) has started in September 2023 and will complete in steps throughout 2024. The framework for art-driven AI usability and use case experimentation (objective 3) will be an integral element throughout the process of creating the HEC lab.
WP 3 - Open Calls and Matchmaking
For the first 12 months of the project, the following objectives within WP3 were attained:
- 1st Open Call launched and closed;
- Evaluation completed;
- Sub Grant Agreements signed for the selected beneficiaries;
- WP3 related deliverables completed and submitted.
WP4 - Hungry EcoCities Studios Fellowships Program
For the first 12 months of the project, the following objectives within WP4 were attained:
- Allocate mentors and accommodate the experiments into the HEC network
- Start the execution of the HTEs under the supervision of the fellowship studios and supported by the mentors
- Set-up and planning of the residences
- Prepare for the kick-off
WP 5 - Business Development and Sustainability
For the first 12 months of the project, the following objectives within WP5 were attained:
- Hungry EcoCities identity, website and project announcement messages;
- Communication and dissemination strategy;
- Project leaflet
- Start network overview and scouting;
- WP5 related deliverables completed and submitted.
WP 6 - Project Management
The following objectives have been attained / worked on in the first project year:
- Productive communication with the EC, the consortium and external bodies
- Quality assurance
- Risk Management
- Financial, legal and administrative management
- Data management
- IPR management
- The set up of the knowledge hubs with thematic experts has been completed (objective 1). The three hubs have all chosen a different approach; in Germany, SOS has chosen to establish a pool of experts from food, academic, science and arts including top chefs and known food writers which they consult on a regular basis. In Italy, CRA has chosen to establish a pool of internal experts, complemented with existing clients and relations. In the Netherlands, NethWork (known as EatThis) has chosen to establish a pool of willing companies whom they inform and receive feedback from on a regular basis. In addition, the group of external experts selected for the open call evaluation can be seen as an addition to the thematic experts pool, since many of them are still involved in the execution of the experiments.
- The contemporary urgencies have been identified and elaborated upon in the Directions Booklet (objective 2).
- The matchmaking space for collaboration within and after the project duration (objective 3) will be developed as part of the HEClab and will be tested for the first time when the matchmaking for the second call, the Paths to Progress experiments, will be conducted in 2024.
WP 2 - Hungry EcoCities Virtual Fab Lab
- This WP evolves around building a virtual fab lab to conceive, explore and prototype AI enabled agri-food industrial use scenarios. The main objectives are to specify requirements (D2.1) this objective has been completed. The process to translate the requirements into a design and built the environment (objective 2) has started in September 2023 and will complete in steps throughout 2024. The framework for art-driven AI usability and use case experimentation (objective 3) will be an integral element throughout the process of creating the HEC lab.
WP 3 - Open Calls and Matchmaking
For the first 12 months of the project, the following objectives within WP3 were attained:
- 1st Open Call launched and closed;
- Evaluation completed;
- Sub Grant Agreements signed for the selected beneficiaries;
- WP3 related deliverables completed and submitted.
WP4 - Hungry EcoCities Studios Fellowships Program
For the first 12 months of the project, the following objectives within WP4 were attained:
- Allocate mentors and accommodate the experiments into the HEC network
- Start the execution of the HTEs under the supervision of the fellowship studios and supported by the mentors
- Set-up and planning of the residences
- Prepare for the kick-off
WP 5 - Business Development and Sustainability
For the first 12 months of the project, the following objectives within WP5 were attained:
- Hungry EcoCities identity, website and project announcement messages;
- Communication and dissemination strategy;
- Project leaflet
- Start network overview and scouting;
- WP5 related deliverables completed and submitted.
WP 6 - Project Management
The following objectives have been attained / worked on in the first project year:
- Productive communication with the EC, the consortium and external bodies
- Quality assurance
- Risk Management
- Financial, legal and administrative management
- Data management
- IPR management