Living Lab West Drone

Innovation and collaboration for the development of agriculture and commercial cultivation

Digitalization and technology have become an increasingly important part of agriculture, but many feel that the step toward starting to use new tools is a big one. Living Lab West Drone will therefore serve as a shared development environment where farmers, researchers, advisors, and technology developers work together to turn ideas into practical solutions.

– With Living Lab West Drone, we are taking a major step toward a more data-driven agriculture where both technology and people are at the center, says Håkan Cajander, project manager at the Hushållningssällskapet Halland, and continues:

– It’s not just about drones and data, but about ensuring that more farmers feel confident using new technology. And that more women and young people have a natural role in shaping future development.

Social acceptance – an equally important part

The project is not only about technology. An important component is understanding the needs of the target group and how digital tools can be made accessible to more people. Through a comprehensive target group analysis, methods are being developed to enable more farmers—women, men, and young people—to participate in the development process and benefit from digital technology. This includes training initiatives and workshops, as well as practical field trials.

Drones providing better insight into crops, water, and wildlife

The project focuses on three areas where drone-based precision diagnostics can make a significant difference:

Cultivation: Early detection of damage, weeds, and diseases, as well as improved decision-making support for irrigation and fertilization, for example.

Water: Mapping of drainage systems, flooding, and the ability to monitor water flows across the landscape.

Wildlife: Deterrence measures, more efficient wildlife inventories, and better data for managing wildlife damage—an increasing problem for many farmers.

The collected data will be analyzed within a shared platform being developed by the project, where images and measurements from drones can be transformed into actionable information for farmers and advisors.

Purpose & Goals

The purpose of Living Lab West Drone is to increase the use of drone technology and data-driven precision diagnostics in agriculture and professional cultivation. By testing the technology together with farmers and experts, the project aims to lower the barriers to digitalization, improve cultivation precision, and contribute to more sustainable and competitive production.

The goal is to develop working methods and solutions that function effectively in practice. This means:

• Developing an operational diagnostics loop that makes it easier to move from prototype to practice within cultivation, water, and wildlife
• Establishing a platform for data management and AI
• Creating social and organizational innovations that enable more people—especially women, young people, and students in agricultural and natural resource programs—to participate in the digital development of agriculture
• Building a long-term collaborative structure to ensure that Living Lab West Drone continues beyond the end of the project

A national partnership

Living Lab West Drone is built on broad collaboration between companies, researchers, and stakeholders in agriculture and tech. Together, the partners will contribute development, test environments, and expertise from different parts of Sweden.

The project is carried out in close cooperation between researchers, advisors, tech companies, and farmers:

• Nudgd AB
• Munkagårdsgymnasiet / Region Halland
• Skyforest AB
• Together Tech
• Flox Robotics AB
• HH Innovation AB
• Trönninge Plantskola
• Lonfield C&D
• Unius Subtilitas AB
• Hushållningssällskapet Halland (project owner)

The project runs from 2025 to 2027 and is co-funded by the EU’s Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy. The total project budget amounts to just over SEK 11.5 million.