Celebrating Excellence: Meijer Potato Computable Award Nomination at the 2024 Computable Awards

Emixa proudly announces the nomination of the Meijer Potato – Crossing Potatoes project in the "Best Digital Innovation Projects in ICT" category at the 2024 Computable Awards. This recognition underscores the collaborative efforts between Emixa, Meijer Potato, and technology partners in revolutionising potato breeding through digital innovation.

Revolutionizing Potato Breeding with Digital Innovation

Traditionally, developing new potato varieties has been a labor-intensive process, relying heavily on human expertise to select optimal parent potatoes based on desired traits such as soil adaptability, temperature tolerance, starch content, and size. The Crossing Potatoes project transforms this approach by integrating an advanced data model with a user-friendly application, automating the selection process and enhancing efficiency.

The application interacts with a modern data platform via the Boomi iPaaS platform in conjunction with Solace, achieving an optimal event-driven architecture. It incorporates the Boomi Master Data Hub (MDH) as the single source of truth, housing comprehensive data on current and potential new varieties. Advanced models calculate the 'perfect cross' based on the desired genetic characteristics of the final variety. Additionally, Meijer Potato can now establish a High-Performance Compute (HPC) centre in the cloud, enabling complex DNA calculations that previously relied on external research partners.

Addressing Complexity and Risks in Implementation

Developing new potato varieties is a mission-critical process for breeding companies, with each breeding cycle lasting nearly a decade. The complexity and extensive experience required make this a high-risk endeavour vital to customers' operations.

Automating and standardising this complex process reduces the risk of error and improves overall efficiency. Previously reliant on individual creativity, the process is now harmonised into a complex data model aligned with desired outcomes. The accompanying cloud-based data platform ensures structured data storage throughout the breeding cycle, facilitating continuous optimisation and integration of disparate data sources such as drone imagery and temperature sensors. It also provides a robust foundation for progress towards AI-driven applications, essential for developing future potato varieties.

Originality and Innovation

The solution's security, scalability, and cloud-based nature reflect its innovative approach. It seamlessly integrates best-of-breed technologies (Mendix, Boomi, Solace, Databricks) and offers capabilities such as Azure-based HPC for sophisticated DNA analysis, typically costly and specialised but now accessible through cloud solutions. The Databricks data platform also enables analysts to leverage insights from HPC analysis and other data sources.

Emixa guided Meijer Potato from inception to implementation, determining optimal architecture and fostering step-by-step collaboration. Beyond technical aspects, Emixa aligned with the client's strategic vision across process, organisational, and system levels. They continue to serve as a knowledge and technology partner, providing IT strategic guidance and project management under a collaborative approach.

Impact & Reactions

The Crossing Potatoes project has garnered significant attention, reflecting the public's recognition of Emixa's innovative capabilities and the dedication of the talented team. The nomination at the 2024 Computable Awards highlights the project's impact in the field of digital innovation in agriculture.

This achievement underscores the importance of integrating advanced technologies in traditional industries to drive efficiency and innovation. The collaborative efforts between Emixa, Meijer Potato, and technology partners set a precedent for future digital transformation projects in the agricultural sector.

Conclusion

The nomination of the Meijer Potato – Crossing Potatoes project at the 2024 Computable Awards is a testament to the power of digital transformation in agriculture. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and collaborative expertise, the project has set new standards in potato breeding, paving the way for future innovations in the industry.