The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine and the National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of digital transformation. The memorandum was signed during the X Festival of Innovation Projects "Sikorsky Challenge 2021: Ukraine and the World".

Taras Dzioba, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitization, said: "Modern agro-industrial complex is a multifunctional sector that is developing very strongly in terms of technology. Here, the usual tools from the 18th-19th centuries and the drones for spraying, which you control from your smartphone, coexist harmoniously."

The Ministry notes that currently in Ukraine there is a great demand for digitalization in the agricultural sector. The first is the creation of digital duplicates of agricultural enterprises and business processes, visual analytical systems of geospatial modules using artificial intelligence for planning, analysis, forecasting solutions based on data synthesis from fields, local weather stations, satellite data and market analysis.

"The transition to "smart farms" will ensure the switch from precision farming to fully automated management systems based on big data," said Taras Dzioba.

The next stage is the creation of innovative ecosystems, where advanced new developments can be picked up by financial institutions, banks and leading companies.

"Farmers can feel comfortable with suppliers, with contractors, with infrastructure, logistics, regulatory authorities, the state. Such ecosystems are already evolving. Here in Ukraine we are creating a SAR (State Agrarian Register) platform, the only digital platform for cooperation between the state and agribusiness," the Deputy Minister stressed.

For the state it is important to trace products - a chain from field to table. Application of blockchain technologies for deliveries, digital passports of products, introduction of new parameters of quality of products, for display of purity and naturalness of products.

"The development of technology today allows the robotization of the agricultural process, on the one hand - the replacement of manual labor, on the other hand - opportunities for creative industries (programming, engineering, materials science) to develop," said Taras Dzioba.

Every year, the Sikorsky Challenge receives about 200 innovative startup projects. This year, the anniversary festival was marked by a record number of applications - 320 people willing to participate.

130 startup projects and scientific and technical solutions in six areas were selected for the finals in 6 directions:

• defense and security;
• industrial high-tech and space;
• green energy, hydrogen economy, ecology;
• biomedical engineering and human health;
• agricultural engineering;
• information technology, digital country, cybersecurity.

The event lasted from 12 to 14 August. An international jury and investors selected the winners who received financial support for the projects.

So, the winners in the nomination "Agricultural Engineering" were the following projects:

• The best business model is the project "Mr.Seaweed. Organic growth stimulant for plants from the seaweed of the Sea of Azov ";
• The best idea is the project "Automated laser irradiator for incubation of poultry egg Poultry";
• The best startup solution to the client's problems is the project "Production of new generation humic-organo-mineral fertilizers";
• The best technological solution of the startup is the project "Information and telecommunication system of monitoring and irrigation management "IPoliv".

The festival of innovative projects "Sikorsky Challenge 2021: Ukraine and the World" is attended by representatives of state authorities of Ukraine, Innovation Clusters of Regions, members of international offices of the innovation ecosystem "Sikorsky Challenge Ukraine", representatives of Ukrainian and international investment funds.