MAKÜ will lead the Horizon Europe project worth 765 thousand Euros to strengthen climate resilience in Africa

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ) will begin to lead pioneering scientific studies as the coordinator institution in the project “Climate-Resilient Agrivoltaics Empowered by AI and Community for Sustainable African Agriculture (PV-AgroCycle)” accepted to be supported under the European Union Horizon Europe – LEAP-SE program. In the project, MAKÜ will manage digital twin, agronomy, social impact research, and coordination processes.

In the project, where INELSO and NeviSoft from Turkey participate in the technological infrastructure field; partners from Germany, Algeria, and Morocco will carry out pilot sites, module development, and data analysis studies.

Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, as the coordinator of the Horizon Europe project with a budget of 765 thousand Euros, will develop integrated solutions to water, energy, and agriculture problems in Africa. In this context, it is aimed to use renewable energy in agriculture and water management with innovative methods and to create social impact and women's labor in agriculture with related applications. 

In the project, semi-transparent perovskite solar panels that enable both agriculture and renewable energy production on the same land, rainwater harvesting infrastructure, and AI-supported agricultural management software are brought together in an integrated structure. PV-AgroCycle aims to develop a new agrivoltaic system applicable in the semi-arid regions of Africa, which are under the pressure of climate change, water scarcity, and food security.

Within the scope of the project;

• Semi-transparent perovskite PV modules with 30% light transmittance,
• 30% increase in water efficiency by storing rainwater,
• Agricultural yield estimation with AI-supported digital twin models,
• Community participation and social cohesion programs

such innovative solutions are planned to be validated with field applications.

Social Impact, Agri-innovative Women's Presence, Digital Agriculture Awareness

The project also aims to increase awareness of women in agricultural practices, ensure active participation of women in production processes in renewable energy and agriculture improvement stages, and thereby increase the place and contributions of women in renewable energy production, in line with the European Union's social impact and contribution priorities. In this way, the project includes goals of creating social change and awareness far beyond being merely an energy project in agriculture. Additionally, the increase in farmers' income through innovative projects, women taking on a more active innovative role in agriculture, digital agriculture awareness, empowerment of women producers, and the preparation of an “Agrivoltaic Policy White Paper” for policymakers make the project's social impact work package extremely prioritized and important. 

About the Project and Consortium;

The project, with a total budget of €765,897 and a duration of 36 months; brings together a total of 7 institutional partners including MAKÜ, INELSO, and NEVİSOFT from Turkey, the Photovoltaic Institute of the University of Stuttgart from Germany, the Renewable Energies Research and Development Center from Algeria, Rabat V. Mohammed University and VI. Mohammed Polytechnic University from Morocco. The project budget allocated to MAKÜ is accepted as €154,597.