Within the framework of the 9.966 billion HUF GINOP-3.1.1-VEKOP-15-2016-00001 priority project, the Smart Farm of Széchenyi István University in Mosonmagyaróvár was completed and inaugurated on 21 April.The development contributes to the institution's modern training, research and service activities by incorporating the technological elements necessary for digital agriculture and precision farming, while keeping sustainability in mind. The gross amount of the Smart Farm's construction and equipment acquisition was HUF 951.04 million.

The main goal of Széchenyi István University is to promote environmental sustainability, which the institution keeps in mind in its training, research and development activities. This is also served by the institution's latest investment, the Smart Farm at the Albert Kázmér Mosonmagyaróvár Faculty.

Dr. Bálint Filep, President of Széchenyi István University, Dr. István Nagy, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Károly Balázs Solymár, Deputy State Secretary for Energy Infocommunication, Dr. Éva Szalka, Dean of the Albert Kázmér Mosonmagyaróvár Faculty of Széchenyi István University and Prof. László Palkovics, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Széchenyi István University Foundation inaugurated the investment.

At the handover ceremony, Dr. István Nagy, Minister of Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Mosonmagyaróvár, said that agriculture is facing many challenges, which can only be answered by using the latest research knowledge, and this is exactly what Smart Farm serves. "Technological modernisation is taking place in Hungarian agriculture. More than anything else, the need to support investments that increase efficiency and competitiveness, and the need to switch to digital technologies are crucial. The current development will enable students to learn about the latest tools in a practice-oriented educational environment. The training courses will also be available to farmers, farm businesses and extension services," he said.

He thanked the Széchenyi István University for paying special attention to the fate of the Albert Kázmér Mosonmagyaróvár Faculty.

According to the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. István Nagy, the development will enable students to learn in a practice-oriented educational environment, using state-of-the-art equipment. (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

The President of the Board of Trustees of the Széchenyi István University Foundation, Prof. Dr. László Palkovics, emphasized that the university has focused not only on the external but also on the internal renewal of the faculty. „This process includes the development of our Smart Farm, which will contribute to the modern training, research and service activities of the institution by incorporating the technological elements necessary for the implementation of digital agriculture and precision farming", he said, thanking Dr. Károly Solymár, Deputy State Secretary, the Governmental IT Development Agency and the contractor Szabó & Társa Ltd. for their assistance in the implementation of the investment. "With the renovation of the buildings and the acquisition of modern equipment and machinery, a truly 21st century infrastructure has been created, backed by modern technologies such as 5G and drones.
The Smart Farm is another platform to expand our cooperation with the agricultural sector and to play an even more prominent role in linking the economic and scientific spheres," he added.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Széchenyi István University Foundation, Prof. Dr. László Palkovics emphasized that the renovation of the buildings and the acquisition of modern equipment and machinery have created a truly 21st century infrastructure. (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Dr. Károly Balázs Solymár, Deputy State Secretary for Energy Infocommunications, said: Smart Farm was established in the programme called Program the Future!  in which the Digital Development Centre of Széchenyi István University played a major role. He stressed that the establishment of the centre with an infocommunication image has elevated this area alongside the traditionally strong automotive pillar at Széchenyi University. He was pleased to note that the centre has been able to build real partnerships with companies in recent years and is well prepared to work with other disciplines.

Dr. Károly Balázs Solymár, Deputy State Secretary for Energy Infocommunications, introducing the programme called"Program the Future!” (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Dr. Tamás Tóth, Head of the University's Agricultural and Food Research Centre, emphasized in his presentation that Széchenyi István University has decades of experience in precision agriculture, the automotive industry, robotics, digitalization and automation, which is also the basis of the Smart Experimental Farm.

"We want to develop sustainable precision agriculture with automated data-driven production management"

- he set out the goal, noting that Smart Farm would be developed in four steps until 2030.

Dr. Tamás Tóth, Head of the Agricultural and Food Research Centre of Széchenyi István University (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Dr. István Drotár, Head of the University's Digital Development Centre, called the investment a joint success, in the implementation of which various faculties and departments of the institution worked together. He stressed that they want to fill the Smart Farm with real content, citing as examples the research and development related to digitally controllable power machines, ground-to-air collaborative systems for agricultural production, spraying drones tailored to farmers' needs, self-propelled robots and wildlife damage prevention systems.

Dr. István Drotár, Head of the Digital Development Centre at Széchenyi István University (Photo: Csaba József Májer)

Széchenyi István University has already signed a cooperation agreement with Agrotec Hungary Ltd., one of the suppliers of Smart Farm, in May 2022. At the recent handover ceremony, Dr. Bálint Filep, President of the University, and Dr. Éva Szalka, Dean of the Albert Kázmér Mosonmagyaróvár Faculty, on behalf of the University, and Zsolt Pintér, Managing Director of Axiál Kft. signed the agreement, which also covers training and research areas.

Dr. Éva Szalka, Dean of the Albert Kázmér Mosonmagyaróvár Faculty of the Széchenyi István University, Zsolt Pintér, CEO of Axiál Kft. and Dr. Bálint Filep, President of the Széchenyi István University after the signing of the cooperation agreement (Photo: Csaba Májer József Májer)

For more information on the EU-funded project Program your Future! GINOP-3.1.1-VEKOP-15-2016-00001:

- "Program your future!” Facebook page:: https://www.facebook.com/311GINOP/ a

 - Program your future! website: http://programozdajovod.hu/