Funding Source:

Life+ European Project

Project Title:

FreshBox, a sustainable transport solution conserving quality of fresh produce, reducing waste and fuel consumption

Profile Of Company:

The Life+ consortium comprises six partners. . Aitiip is the innovation and technology centre for the development of plastic components. . IMaR provides an open access point to industry for the provision of applied research and technical expertise. . KOLLA is a globally operating full service provider of logistics, quality assurance and fruit and vegetable marketing. . Lafuente Tomey is a major distributor of fresh specialising in stone fruit . Transfer helps European SMEs to enter the Spanish market through market studies, legal advice marketing and export support etc. . PCTAD is a Spanish science foundation with instituions in the food, agriculture and environmental industries.

Problem To Be Solved:

The project introduces Fresh Box container which represents a solution to extend shelf life of fresh produce and also contributes to the reduction of fuel/energy used within the supply chain. The project requires the development of an Integrated Sensor Kit to be applied in the container during transportation and storage. The kit monitors vital indicators of the fresh produce with sensors, leading to a “smart container” concept. The project has decided to use sensors with the capability to autonomously monitor key parameters, CO2, O2, temperature and humidity. The obtained data will be read using a smart phone via an app specially designed for thee project using wireless technology.

How IMaR plan to Deliver a Solution For Industry:

Design, development, testing and deployment of Integrated Sensor Kits for use within the FreshBox container. Development of a smart phone application to read the stored sensor data via a Bluetooth Low Energy (B.L.E) wireless link.

Impact For Company:

The sensor kits developed by IMaR will enable the consortium to monitor environmental conditions for different produce and will assist in the activation ethylene absorbers when required. As an integral part of the FreshBox the sensor kit will help to increase the shelf life of fresh produce by approximately 30%.