VINNEA

UPC research groups involved: Industrial Equipment Design Centre - CDEI-UPC and Agrotech-UPC
Project: Digital innovation to improve training, decision-making and viticultural practices in the POCTEFA region through advanced virtual reality, artificial intelligence and immersive technologies.
Project website: www.vinnea-poctefa.eu

Who is the project aimed at?

The VINNEA project is primarily aimed at key stakeholders in the cross-border wine-growing ecosystem:

• Winegrowers and companies in the wine sector.

• Students and teaching staff in agricultural and university education.

• Vocational and technical training centres.

• Digital innovation and technology transfer stakeholders.

• Professional organisations and networks in the wine sector across the POCTEFA region.

Project objective

The main objective of VINNEA is to transform teaching, vocational training and decision-making in the wine sector. To achieve this, it focuses on developing, validating and transferring cutting-edge digital tools: 3D modelling, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, sensors and robotics.

The project aims to accelerate the adoption of digital technologies in a strategic sector of the POCTEFA region, where their use in training and technical management remains limited.

Description

Viticulture is a strategic pillar in the cross-border region between Spain and France, but it faces the challenge of limited digital integration. VINNEA addresses this need through a collaborative approach combining research, teaching, field experience and technological innovation.

The project is structured around four pillars:

Diagnosis: Identifying critical needs and existing technological solutions.

Digital development in three key areas:

1. • Vine pruning.

   • Root system architecture.

   • Technical practices and comprehensive vineyard management.

Pilot testing: Validation with students, teachers and winegrowers to assess and optimise the impact of the tools.

Knowledge transfer: Disseminating results through a cross-border network, demonstration events and educational audiovisual materials.

The adaptability of these tools to different viticultural contexts ensures their long-term application beyond the consortium.

Main partners

• UPNA – Public University of Navarre (Navarre): Lead partner and coordinator; experts in viticulture and training engineering.
• INRAE-EGFV (New Aquitaine): Specialists in grapevine ecophysiology and genetics to address climate change.
• Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya:
  • CDEI-UPC – Development of embedded technologies, sensors and robotics for vineyard monitoring.
  • Agrotech-UPC - Dissemination coordination
• Purpan Engineering School (Occitania): Design of innovative educational modules and virtual reality.
• Julian Palacios - Viticultura Viva (Navarre): Validation and dissemination of tools under real growing conditions.
• WiDiD (Occitania): Design of immersive educational materials.

Associated partners

The Association of Vineyards and Wineries of San Martín de Unx (Navarre), the Wine Technology Platform, the Spanish Wine Federation, the Catalan INNOVI cluster and, in France, the French Institute of Vine and Wine (IFV), VINOVALIE R&D, the Fronton AOP Wine Syndicate and AgroCampus 64 – the Vocational Training and Agricultural Promotion Centre (CFPPA) of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, which will contribute to the validation and transfer of results.

Scientific output of the group
View publications

Interested in the project?
Contact info.agrotech@upc.edu

The VINNEA project (EFA 214/06) has a budget of €1,893,327.93 and is co-financed at 65% by the European Union through the Interreg VI-A Spain-France-Andorra (POCTEFA 2021-2027) programme. The objective of POCTEFA is to strengthen the economic and social integration of the Spain-France-Andorra border area.

Duration: 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028