Faculty of Engineering:
Most important international research projects (From 2012)
Project scheme: 7th Framework Programme
Project title: Animal Welfare Research in an Enlargerd Europe (AWARE)
Project number: GA 265686
Project description: The goal of AWARE is to promote integration and increase the impact of European research on farm animal welfare (FAW). It will do so through the development of Europe-wide networks of scientists, lecturers and students, and by establishing a network of stakeholders active in FAW knowledge transfer and implementation. AWARE actions will be organised in 3 mutually supportive work packages: 1. Research, 2. Education and 3. Awareness and Implementation. All 3 work packages proceed in 4 steps: 1. Mapping, 2. Establishing networks, 3. Improving skills and 4. Developing strategies for ongoing integration. AWARE will increase the European research capacity in FAW activities, through integrating the underutilized human and knowledge potential in the new and candidate countries.
Coordinator: Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czech Republic
Coordinator at the SUA in Nitra: prof. Ing. Štefan Mihina, PhD. (Faculty of Engineering)
Project period: 1. 3. 2011 – 28. 2. 2014
Webpage: http://www.aware-welfare.eu/aware
Project scheme: COST
Project title: Ammonia and Greenhouse Gases Emissions from Animal Production Buildings
Project number: CA 16106
Project description: According to the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO), world food production must increase by 50% within the next 20 years, while 80% of that increase must come from the intensification of agricultural production. The global livestock sector is growing faster than any other agricultural sub-sector. While livestock production forms one of the pillars of the EU food industry it faces many societal challenges, not least from the rising demand for meat protein, increasingly stringent environmental regulations, coupled with the falling numbers of young farmers entering the industry. Modern farm animal production is increasingly regarded as a source of solid, liquid and gaseous and dusts emissions which can be both a nuisance and environmentally harmful. The main objective of LivAGE Action is to enhance international discipline cooperation for exchanging ideas and knowledge, sharing good practices, assess technologies that could result in reducing the emissions of GHGs and ammonia from livestock buildings and thus to lead to a more environmental friendly and sustainable livestock production. The role of nutrition and productivity will be also taken under consideration. The results will be made readily available in order to significantly enhance awareness in the livestock sector of the current hazard level and the perspectives related to the future. Some secondary objectives are the estimation of emission factors, the impact of the applied diets, prevailing microclimate and ventilation schemes on emissions, the assessment of integrated monitoring systems, the improvement of CFD applications, the assessment of mitigation techniques and the environmental analysis of the proposed techniques and solution.
Coordinator: Aarhus University, Denmark
Coordinator at the SUA in Nitra: prof. Ing. Štefan Mihina, PhD. (Faculty of Engineering)
Project period: 17. 3. 2017 – 16. 3. 2021
Webpage: http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/ca/CA16106
Project scheme: Interreg Danube Transnational Programme
Project title: Mobilising Institutional Learning for Better Exploitation of Research and Innovation for the Circular Economy (MOVECO)
Project number: DTP1-349-1.1
Project description: MOVECO responds to circular economy challenge and sets its objective to improve the framework conditions and policy instruments for eco innovation and the transition to a circular economy, fostering smart and sustainable growth and reducing disparities among the regions in the Danube Region (DR). MOVECO results include a strong transnational partnership competent to implement the circular economy and meet its targets. Based on a research on inefficiencies in innovation in current Extended Producer Responsibility schemes and related R[&]D services, we will develop a transnational strategy for the transition to the circular economy (identification of possible materials streams for the DR) and roadmaps for their implementation in the different innovation regions.
Coordinator: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia
Coordinator at the SUA in Nitra: doc. Ing. Zuzana Palková, PhD. (Faculty of Engineering)
Project period: 1. 12. 2016 – 31. 5. 2019
Webpage: http://www.interreg-danube.eu/approved-projects/moveco
Project scheme: Flagship Grants
Project title: Mechanization and Energy Use in Selected Arable Farms in Central and South Eastern Europe
Project identification: CASEE – BOKU Wien, Austria
Project description: The objective of the project is to identify energy balance for arable farms in participating countries. The LCA, regarding energy and environmental impact, first of all CO2 emission is analyzed. This will enable identification of possible improvements, reduction of energy inputs and mitigation of GHG.
Coordinator: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna
Coordinator at the SUA in Nitra: prof. Ing. Ladislav Nozdrovický, PhD. (Faculty of Engineering)
Project period: 1. 3. 2012 – 15. 5. 2013
Project scheme: CASEE Fund 2015-3 for Incentives
Project title: Machinery Induced Compaction of Agricultural Soil and Mitigation Strategies in Danube Region
Project identification: CASEE – BOKU Wien, Austria
Project description: The soil is a main resource in agricultural production and should be protected. Due to cultivation with farm machinery, soils are physically stressed. The main purpose of the project is to increase the awareness of farm machinery-induced soil compaction with the knowledge transfer to relevant stakeholders (agricultural students, farmers, farm machinery companies and farm advisory system). Besides that, selected farm machineries are analysed regarding to soil compaction risk with an Excel-based software tool (TASC V3. 2013). The technical solutions for soil protecting traffic (increased contact area between tyre/soil, Controlled Traffic Farming - CTF, etc.) and other mitigation options are developed.
Coordinator at the SUA in Nitra: prof. Ing. Ladislav Nozdrovický, PhD. (Faculty of Engineering)
Project period: 1. 7. 2015 – 1. 7. 2016