Autonomous Environmental Sampling for Enhanced Synergies and Scaled Impact

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Northern Periphery and Arctic

Date of latest update: 2026-05-22

Description

Description (EN):

AUTOsense brings together unique experts and knowledge about digital solutions for agricultural purposes. Monitoring agricultural fields and gathering cohesive, reliable data is crucial to optimize processes and adapt to climate change induced phenomena, e.g. extreme weather events, in rural areas. OATFRONTIERS works with farmers to gather data about the possibilities of oat farming in new locations. AUTONOMIC develops robotized solutions for environmental monitoring and RoboDemo connects industry and end users to bring possibilities to utilize robotics to wider audiences for higher acceptability. AUTOsense combines outputs and best practices for broader transnational dissemination to target groups in rural areas, especially end users like farmers, providing institutional capacity building and opportunities for cooperation. AUTOsense organizes engaging workshops on innovative digital solutions, real use cases in agriculture and the environment, and policy implications for authorities.

Expected Achievements (EN):

Running the length of the project, WP1's specific objective is to build institutional capacity and raise awareness of autonomous environmental monitoring technologies across NPA regions. This is achieved by organizing three hybrid workshops that bring together stakeholders via partner networks from public authorities, SMEs, research/educational institutions, farmers, and sectoral agencies, especially reaching underrepresented groups in rural areas. Workshops showcase at least four results, outputs, innovations, and lessons learned from previous/ongoing projects (AUTONOMIC, RoboDemo, and OATFRONTIERS). WP1 fosters transnational knowledge exchange, promote cross-sectoral dialogue, and support the long-term uptake of digital and green solutions. WP1 contributes to increased awareness, stronger networks, and improved readiness for innovation adoption in participating regions. Workshop themes aim to spark follow-up interest in at least 50% of participants, measured though gathered feedback. WP2 supports the transfer of autonomous monitoring technologies into new regional and sectoral contexts through desk-based studies, expert consultations, and stakeholder meetings to generate a base of evidence. It explores how robotic environmental sampling (AUTONOMIC), rapid deployment methods (RoboDemo), and IoT frameworks and data sources (OATFRONTIERS) can be adapted to diverse environments and needs. No physical pilots are required; instead, the focus is on mapping opportunities, identifying barriers, and assessing readiness for uptake. Outputs include thematic transfer studies, consultation reports, and a jointly developed cross-sectoral action plan based on opportunities to guide future implementation. WP3 ensures long-term impact and institutional uptake by developing harmonized protocols, data standards, and policy recommendations. Drawing on insights from AUTONOMIC, RoboDemo, and OATFRONTIERS, it delivers sampling and data collection templates, cybersecurity and interoperability guidelines, and procurement models tailored to rural innovation systems. Expert workshops and policy alignment meetings support integration into regional and EU frameworks. Outputs include joint protocol documents, governance briefs, and practical guidance for public authorities and SMEs adopting autonomous technologies.

Project outputs: Key organizations transnationally cooperating in workshops/webinars and stakeholder consultations(EN)
Jointly developed cross-sectoral action plan based on stakeholder consultations and feedback(EN)
Website: https://www.interreg-npa.eu/projects/autosense/

Thematic information

ICT and digital society Agriculture and fisheries and forestry Knowledge and technology transfer

Priority: (VI-B_NPaA_ISO1) Strengthening the organisational capacity among NPA communities to make use of cooperation opportunities

Priority specific objective: ISO6.4. Enhance institutional capacity of public authorities and stakeholders to implement macro-regional strategies and sea-basin strategies, as well as other territorial strategies (all strands)

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO6 (ISO1) A better cooperation governance

Type of intervention: 079 Nature and biodiversity protection, natural heritage and resources, green and blue infrastructure

Partners (4)

Lead Partner: Savonia-ammattikorkeakoulu oy

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 934620221

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FI26294633

Department: Water Safety Research Area

Address: Microkatu, 70201 Kuopio, Finland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.savonia.fi/en

Total budget: EUR 62 176.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 40 414.40

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 21 761.60

Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands

Name: Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands

Department: HARC

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 988542036

Partner’s ID if not PIC: IS85121

Address: Hvanneyri, 311 Borgarbyggð, Iceland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: https://www.lbhi.is

Total budget: EUR 52 645.47

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 34 219.55

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 18 425.92

Teagasc- the Agriculture and Food Development Authority

Name: Teagasc- the Agriculture and Food Development Authority

Department: Crop Science Department

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999466952

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 0650202O

Address: Oak Park Rd, R93 XE12 Carlow, Ireland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Sectoral agency

Website: http://www.teagasc.ie

Total budget: EUR 41 702.84

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 27 106.84

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 14 596.00

Luleå tekniska universitet

Name: Luleå tekniska universitet

Department: Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering/ Signals and Systems/ Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 999876874

Partner’s ID if not PIC: SE202100284101

Address: Regnbagsallen, 97187 Luleå, Sweden

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.ltu.se

Total budget: EUR 43 473.80

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 28 257.97

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 65.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 15 215.83

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Agricultural University of Iceland

Autonomous Environmental Sampling for Enhanced Synergies and Scaled Impact

Partners and Projects info

Teagasc- the Agriculture and Food Development Authority

Autonomous Environmental Sampling for Enhanced Synergies and Scaled Impact

Partners and Projects info

Luleå tekniska universitet, Hälsovetenskap

Autonomous Environmental Sampling for Enhanced Synergies and Scaled Impact

Partners and Projects info

Savonia University of Applied Sciences

Autonomous Environmental Sampling for Enhanced Synergies and Scaled Impact

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Operation of strategic importance (OSI) or above EUR 5 million

Project name (EN): Autonomous Environmental Sampling for Enhanced Synergies and Scaled Impact

Project acronym: AUTOsense

Project ID: NPA0900255

Project start date: 2026-03-01

Project end date: 2027-02-28

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

SMARGI – Climate-Smart Agriculture (EN) | Improving agricultural water management for climate change adaptation. The project, coordinated by Savonia, focused on developing climate-smart agriculture through improved water management in field cultivation. It integrated expertise from environmental engineering, natural resources, and digital technologies to pilot automated subsurface drainage systems on real farmland. It also included international benchmarking, such as study visits to the Netherlands and Germany, to explore advanced agricultural water solutions and technologies. (EN), AI-MaSi - Autonomous Heavy Machinery Innovation Environment Project (EN) | This initiative supports the development and testing of autonomous and semi-autonomous heavy machinery, particularly for industrial and construction use. It provides a real-world innovation environment for companies and researchers to co-develop robotics solutions. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, coordinated by Savonia, and runs until mid-2026. (EN), Healthy Oats (EN) | Healthy Oats (funded by Interreg Ireland-Wales program) was a research project promoting the development of oats as a healthy food product and a climate-resistant crop in Wales and Ireland (EN), Co-Centre (EN) | Co-Centre (funded by Research Ireland): this project aims to optimize the phosphorus and potassium use in oat production by understanding the soil physical and chemical properties and bioavailability of the nutrients. This project’s outcome is directly aligned to EU’s Green Deal strategy. (EN), Bi-Orbic (EN) | Bi-Orbic (funded by Research Ireland): this project is built upon the concept of bioeconomy and circularity. In this project, intercropping of cereal-legume is examined to reduce chemical fertilizer dependencies which aligns with Grean Deal and Farm to Fork strategies. (EN), QUICOats (EN) | QUICOats (national fund: SERD): this project was designed to optimize the N application in oat cultivation while looking into varietal differences for N uptake and utilizations. (EN), Vala plant breeding program (EN) | Vala plant breeding program, financed by the government of Iceland. The program has the underlying aim to increase grain cultivation in Iceland using sustainable agronomy practices. (EN), RobOat (EN) | RobOat (funded by the Nordic council of ministers) the aim of the project is to identify genetic diversity in pre-breeding material for adaption to climate change (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 199 998.11

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 95 779.21

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 65.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 95 779.21. Co-financing rate, 65.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Strategic and operational management mechanisms kit
WS#1 engaging workshop video/shorts and infographics
WS#2 engaging workshop video/shorts and infographics
WS#3 engaging workshop video/shorts and infographics
Summary report of solutions from AUTONOMIC, OATFRONTIERS, and RoboDemo
Transfer readiness assessment infographic
Joint protocol documents for sampling, data collection, and platform integration
Cybersecurity and interoperability guidelines tailored to rural innovation systems
Procurement and governance policy briefs for public authorities

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyBalticSeaRegion AUTOsense contributes to all three objectives of the Baltic Strategy:
-Saving the sea: Through autonomous environmental sampling and monitoring, the project supports pollution tracking, nutrient flow analysis, and ecosystem health assessments, which are essential for protecting marine and freshwater bodies.
-Connecting the region: The project fosters transnational cooperation between Finland, Sweden, Ireland, and Iceland, enhancing knowledge exchange and innovation across borders.
-Increasing prosperity: By supporting SMEs and public authorities with digital tools and capacity building, AUTOsense promotes smart specialization and regional innovation.
SeaBasinStrategyArcticOcean AUTOsense directly supports the Arctic Strategy’s goals by:
-Promoting peaceful cooperation through transnational clustering of projects and partners committed to collaborating for the greater good.
-Addressing climate change impacts via sharing information about data gathering, impact on the environment and agriculture systems, predictive ecosystem mapping and digital solutions like digital twins.
-Supporting sustainable development in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions through tailored technologies for remote and rural areas, benefiting local communities and decision-makers.
AtlanticStrategy While not coastal in all partner regions, AUTOsense contributes to the blue economy and climate adaptation by:
-Enhancing environmental intelligence in agricultural and aquatic systems.
-Supporting data-driven decision-making for sustainable land and water use.
-Sharing best practices and technologies that can be adapted to Atlantic coastal contexts, especially through Irish partners.
EuropeanGreenDeal AUTOsense supports the Green Deal by:
-Accelerating the digital and green transition in rural and remote regions, for example, sharing good practices of project results that can be taken up in hard to reach areas.
-Promoting sustainable agriculture through data-driven crop monitoring and soil sampling.
-Enabling evidence-based environmental governance through shared protocols, open data, and digital twin platforms.
TerritorialAgenda2030 AUTOsense contributes to the principles of territorial cohesion by:
-Recognizing and responding to the diversity of places in the Northern Periphery and Arctic.
-Supporting place-based innovation through tailored technology transfer and stakeholder engagement, especially supporting farmers and end users who might not have a strong voice in other platforms.
-Strengthening institutional capacity in less-connected regions through clustering, knowledge sharing, and policy guidance, contributing to long-term opportunities for cross-border collaboration.
Other EU Climate Adaptation Strategy
AUTOsense supports climate adaptation by enabling autonomous environmental monitoring, predictive ecosystem mapping, and data-driven decision-making. These tools help regions anticipate and respond to climate-related risks such as nutrient leaching, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss.
Other EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030
By improving environmental data collection and analysis, AUTOsense contributes to biodiversity monitoring and protection. The project’s focus on rural and Arctic ecosystems supports the strategy’s goals of restoring nature and enhancing ecosystem resilience.
Other EU Digital Strategy – Shaping Europe’s Digital Future
AUTOsense promotes digital transformation in rural and remote areas through the use of autonomous robotics, IoT platforms, and digital twins. It supports the uptake of smart technologies by public authorities and SMEs, contributing to a more inclusive digital Europe.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:
RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSBSR

EUSBSR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSBSR Degree of compliance:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Northern Periphery and Arctic

Latest month of project-partner-call data publication

2026-05

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

70 / 70 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

332 / 332 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Autonomous Environmental Sampling for Enhanced Synergies and Scaled Impact

Description

Thematic information

Partners (4)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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