agrifoodtech.cofund@upct.es
5G mesh networks for smart and resilient agriculture
Research Code: C1-5G MESH
| What are we looking for
We are seeking innovative research proposals that address connectivity challenges in rural and agricultural environments through the development and integration of advanced 5G and beyond mesh networking technologies. From an open and interdisciplinary perspective, the aim is to enable smart, resilient and energy-integrated farming applications, including agrivoltaic systems.
Keep in mind that supervisors are not allowed to get involved in the project proposal preparation.
The Context:
Agricultural systems are increasingly shaped by digitalization and the growing reliance on distributed sensing, automation and data exchange to support productivity, sustainability and resilience. In many agricultural settings, particularly in rural and remote areas, communication and connectivity remain critical constraints, influenced by geographic dispersion, environmental variability and limited infrastructure. These challenges are especially pronounced in large-scale or heterogeneous farming systems, where reliable information flows are essential to understand and manage complex interactions between crops, soils, climate and farming practices.
In parallel, emerging agricultural configurations such as agrivoltaic systems, which combine food production with renewable energy generation, are introducing new forms of infrastructural integration and system complexity. The co-location of agricultural and energy infrastructures creates novel contexts in which communication, connectivity and energy-related constraints are tightly interlinked, raising scientific questions about how information networks interact with environmental dynamics, energy availability and system resilience across agricultural landscapes.
The problem to address:
The increasing integration of digital communication infrastructures into agricultural systems has highlighted significant gaps in understanding how connectivity influences resilience, adaptability and resource management in complex and heterogeneous farming environments. While communication networks are increasingly present in agricultural contexts, their interaction with environmental variability, spatial dispersion and dynamic system conditions remains insufficiently understood.
In emerging configurations such as agrivoltaic systems, where agricultural production and energy generation are co-located, additional scientific challenges arise from the coupling of information flows, energy availability and environmental dynamics. Key open questions relate to how communication networks respond to and interact with these coupled constraints, and how such interactions shape system robustness and resilience across agricultural landscapes.
Objectives:
Advancing understanding of communication and connectivity challenges in complex and heterogeneous agricultural environments, including rural contexts.
Exploration of how connectivity, environmental variability and system dynamics influence resilience and robustness in agricultural systems.
Investigation of interactions between communication infrastructures and energy-integrated agricultural configurations, including agrivoltaic systems.
Analysis of approaches for linking distributed information flows with agricultural system needs across different spatial and temporal scales.
Examination of cross-cutting considerations relevant to connectivity in agricultural systems, such as security, reliability and adaptability under variable conditions.
Expected Outcomes:
Research conducted under this line may contribute to advancing understanding of communication and connectivity in smart, resilient and energy-integrated agricultural systems. Possible outcomes may include:
- Contributions to improved understanding of how connectivity influences resilience, robustness and adaptability in complex and heterogeneous agricultural environments.
- Conceptual insights into interactions between communication infrastructures, environmental variability and system dynamics in agricultural landscapes.
- Improved understanding of how information flows and spatial dispersion shape the performance and reliability of agricultural systems.
- Exploratory perspectives on communication-related challenges arising in energy-integrated agricultural configurations, including agrivoltaic systems.
- Broader scientific perspectives on cross-cutting considerations such as security, reliability and adaptability of communication in agricultural contexts.
Candidate Qualifications (if any):
Candidates may come from a broad range of disciplines relevant to communication and connectivity in agricultural systems, including telecommunications, wireless communications, computer engineering, or other related scientific or engineering fields. Experience or familiarity with research areas such as distributed communication networks, rural connectivity, digitalization in agricultural systems, energy-integrated infrastructures (e.g., agrivoltaics), or network resilience and security may be considered an asset.