"Connected Researches" in "Smart Lab Bubble": A Lifeline for Commercial Agriculture in "New Normal"

TL;DR

This paper proposes a digital transformation model called 'Smart Lab Bubble' to connect research institutes in commercial agriculture, enhancing resilience and continuity of research during disruptions like the Covid-19 pandemic.

Contribution

It introduces a novel conceptual framework for digitally connected research labs and performance evaluation to sustain agricultural research amidst pandemic challenges.

Findings

Conceptual model for connected research labs proposed

Digital performance monitoring framework developed

Potential for broader application in life sciences identified

Abstract

Research in commercial agriculture is the best strategy that can be adopted by a country to keep on track of the second sustainable goal -- zero hunger by 2030. Analyzing the drawbacks of present research environment and find solutions through digital intervention would be ideal solution to de-isolate the research out come in light of disruptions caused by the Covid pandemic. The performance of the research institutes is not expected to remain the same and would prefer to be stagnated at a lower level. The right evacuation plan that could be worked out by establishing connected research through the digital solution and followed by digitally endorsed performance monitoring and evaluation would be saviour for keeping the research in commercial agriculture live at this pandemic. This paper will discuss what are the problems in carrying out research in commercial agriculture and propose a conceptual model to connect research beyond physical presence by digital transformations in organization design of research institutes in light of Covid-19. Further, digitally endorsed performance measurements and evaluation is envisaged in a digitally empowered connected lab complex -- "Smart Lab Bubble" that is further facilitated through policy measures. The connected lab complex called the "Smart Lab Bubble" concept we present here could be viewed or applied in different perspectives to engineer the real need of the time for the sustainability of research in commercial agriculture. Further, it could be adopted in research in other life science areas.