The Spanish Wine Federation (FEV) and the technology company JIG presented this Monday the National Center for Digitalization and Wine, a platform that has just been created to promote the digitalization of the wine industry. Specifically, it is a shared space where the technology needs of the sector can be shared with technology providers, focusing in particular on identifying and analyzing needs, accelerating digitalization processes, capturing technology trends, training and dissemination.
Image courtesy of: Penin Guide Spain
Jos Luis Bentez, President of FEV, explained: the idea was proposed long before the coronavirus outbreak and was one of the objectives included in the 2019-24 FEV Plan, only for the outbreak to accelerate the wine industry"s need for digitalization. The platform was therefore created to respond to the current dilemmas and specific business needs faced by the wine industry.
In the first phase, the management board of the central sector will be composed of the wineries Familia Torres, Ramn Bilbao, Ravents Codorniu, Pernod Ricard, Pago de Carraovejas, Osborne, Gonzlez Byass and Franco-Espanolas The technical area will be a collaboration between Hipatec, Arsys, Satec and UAV Enterprice Project.
As far as the platform itself is concerned, in terms of horizontal development, the main needs lie in management simplification, digitization of documents, telecommuting and cost control, and traceability of the production process. With the exception of the areas temporarily related to the coronavirus outbreak, the remaining needs have been divided into four main areas of the wine business: vineyards, winemaking and production, commercialization and distribution, for which short-term solutions are being sought.
Finally, Isabel Bombal, Director General of the Ministry of Agricultural Development, Innovation and Training, said: the platform was created at an ideal moment, with the assistance of the new Common Agricultural Policy (PAC) and EU funding, where innovation and digitalization will be a priority for the development of the agri-food sector.
