Research project Enhancing Competitiveness, Resilience and Sustainability of Remote Farming, Forestry and Rural Areas

General introduction

XGain has demonstrated that advanced connectivity and edge computing solutions are feasible and effective in bridging the digital divide, even in remote rural and island communities. One tangible result was the creation of a decision-support Knowledge Facilitation Tool (KFT). Across Europe, rural areas often have limited access to high-quality digital infrastructure, with consequences for business operations, education, healthcare, and agriculture. XGain wanted to reduce this digital divide by demonstrating that smart combinations of network and edge technology can also be deployed outside urban centers, despite commercial obstacles such as low population density and complex landscapes. Over a period of three years, practical solutions were implemented and validated in six pilot regions with different characteristics. Digital connectivity was approached as a lever for competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability in agricultural, forestry, and rural areas.

Research approach

The project combined field experiments with tool development to understand how digital solutions can effectively support rural and remote communities. In six pilot locations (Spain, Greece, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Croatia, and Belgium), the consortium tested concrete setups, from 5G drones and precision farming tools to IoT systems for aquaculture and livestock monitoring. In Belgium, ILVO designed, built, and validated a "digital shepherd," integrating computer vision, edge AI, and 4G/5G connectivity for monitoring livestock in the pasture; this provided extensive datasets for the XGain evaluation framework. The insights from all field trials formed the basis for the design, development, and validation of the KFT, a platform that recommends optimal combinations of connectivity, edge processing, and business models for services in rural areas. By integrating technical performance data, cost modeling, and impact assessments, the KFT was ensured to closely reflect the reality on the ground.

Relevance/Valorization

The practical results from the six pilot sites directly determined the final version of the KFT, one of the core outputs of XGain. The tool translates lessons learned from diverse rural contexts into a practical guide for communities, farmers, governments, and service providers who want to choose suitable solutions for connectivity and edge computing. ILVO's work specifically illustrated how advanced sensors, cameras, and edge AI can reduce workload, improve pasture management, and increase the reliability of monitoring in remote agricultural environments. These findings reinforced the modeling within the KFT and underscored its relevance for agriculture-focused applications. By providing technological insights, validated business models, and concrete guidelines, XGain enables rural regions to plan and achieve sustainable digital transformation, making advanced connectivity more accessible, efficient, and future-proof.

Financing

EU Horizon Europe