An ambitious interdisciplinary project of the Universidad Austral It seeks to connect science, inclusive innovation and sustainability to solve one of the country's major structural problems: low agro-industrial productivity.
In a country where agribusiness accounts for more than 60% of exports and more than 15% of GDP, low productivity is not just a technical challenge: it is a structural problem with profound social, economic, and environmental consequences. Faced with this situation, a team of researchers from the Universidad Austral It launches an ambitious project: to provide solutions that drive the digital transformation of the Argentine agro-industrial chain in an inclusive and sustainable way.
The project “Accelerating Inclusive and Sustainable Digital Transformation of the Agro-industrial Sector” was selected in the first Internal Competition for Interdisciplinary Research Projects on Structural Problems in Argentina (2024). The initiative is being developed by a team comprised of researchers from the Center for Innovation and Social Communication (Faculty of Communication), the Center for Industry 4.0 (Faculty of Engineering), and the Center for Agribusiness and Food (Rosario) and Center for Sustainability and Social Innovation Studies of the Universidad Austral.
The objective: to contribute to the design of strategies to promote and advance the evolution of digital transformation in agribusiness value chains, focusing on economic value creation, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Far from proposing a purely technological vision of digital transformation, the approach is holistic, also recognizing the central role of people, the quality of management, and the importance of communication in this transformation process.
And while the potential of digital transformation is enormous—greater efficiency, traceability, waste reduction, access to new markets—the obstacles are equally significant. Among the main challenges identified are:
The team proposes to overcome these limitations through integrated communication strategies and social marketing, training models, and solid fieldwork.
From theory to action
The research combines case studies, data analysis, participatory workshops, and interviews with producers, companies, and experts. It will focus particularly on stakeholders in the primary sector to understand the true motivations, resistance, and opportunities surrounding the digitalization of the agribusiness industry, including its distribution channels.
Furthermore, the project aligns with two United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure). It's not just about producing more, but about doing so inclusively, with a focus on sustainability, and generating quality employment.
One of the conceptual pillars of this work is inclusive productivity, a model where innovation doesn't displace, but rather retrains and empowers the workforce, generating skilled and formal employment. Thus, digital transformation is understood as a catalyst for holistic human development, in addition to economic development.
Among the expected results is a practical guide for designing public policies and business strategies that promote the sustainable digital transformation of Argentine agriculture. The publication of scientific and outreach articles is also planned, including a "White Paper on Digital Transformation in the Agro-industrial Sector."
This project demonstrates that applied research can be much more than an academic exercise: it can be a bridge between science and reality, between universities and the field, between diagnosis and change.
