Technology and the primary sector go hand in hand in the Galician startup Innogando, an innovative project born in the university campus of Lugo and driven by the computer scientist Daniel Pardo and the veterinarian Elio López, first on the left in the image, whom we interviewed about the project.

How did the idea come up?

As a veterinarian and livestock farmer, I had the need to keep animals under control. In addition to this, the technological part was added with Daniel Pardo, who is a computer engineer.

At Innogando we develop the necessary technologies so that farmers can improve the profitability of their farms and the quality of life of both the animals and their owners. We are part of the Smart Farming sector, with a staff made up of farmers, veterinarians and computer and electronic engineers. Technology and data are the key to our model, with the permanent objective of solving the farmer's needs, also worrying about animal welfare and the environment.

Your technological device Rumi allows you to monitor a farm in real time. What does it consist of and how does it impact a farmer's day-to-day life?

Rumi is a GPS tracking system for cattle that monitors in real time the status of the animal, providing the information needed by the farmer. It is complemented with Rumi Partos to know the exact time of calving. Our technology allows to increase the profitability of farms and the quality of life of farmers, always guaranteeing animal welfare. It is a solution for geolocation and detection of relevant animal events without the farmer having to physically see the animals, a circumstance that substantially improves their quality of life.

In which markets is Rumi already present?

Rumi has been operating for two years now in organic dairy farms and in grazing and meat farms, both in Galicia and outside the community. We already have more than 3,000 devices installed throughout Spain: Galicia, Extremadura, Navarra, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha and the Valencian Community. Several of them are located in research centers, such as the CIAM (Agricultural Research Center of Mabegondo), in the Experimental Dairy Farm of the University of Santiago or in reference cattle farms such as those of the cooperative A Carqueixa (Os Ancares).

In addition, the great versatility of this device, useful for the management and location of cattle in small small farms in Galicia, but also in large extensions of land, has already attracted the attention of companies in Andalucía and Extremadura. Rumi adapts to all cattle breeds, from Friesian to Galician Blonde, Limousin, Angus, Wagyu or other breeds.

We are also entering the international market with Portugal, Ireland and Latin America.

What are Innogando's future challenges?

Innogando was born with an international ambition. After verifying that we respond to a need of Spanish farms, we see that it is something that can be extrapolated to other countries. We now have a staff of 16 people that will continue to grow in order to scale our project internationally.