Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

Global food systems are under immense pressure to increase output sustainably while minimizing environmental impact and combating rising input costs. Consumer demand for traceable and ethically produced food is also growing. This technology directly addresses these trends by enabling data-driven optimization of feed crop production, enhancing transparency across the supply chain, and reducing waste, which is crucial for both economic viability and environmental stewardship in modern agriculture.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Optimizes Productivity through Crop-Livestock Integration

02

Enables High-Precision Supply-Demand Forecasting and Planning

03

Enhances Full Supply Chain Visibility

Market Opportunity
Agricultural Production Corporations
$10B–$15B globally (AI est.)
As farm operations scale and corporatize, data-driven management efficiency and productivity improvements are critical. This technology directly enhances business sophistication.
Large-scale agribusinesses Corporate farming operations Agricultural cooperatives
Livestock Production Enterprises
$8B–$12B globally (AI est.)
With rising feed costs and demands for reduced environmental impact, optimizing feed procurement and ensuring traceability are crucial. This technology addresses these challenges.
Integrated livestock producers Dairy and beef farming enterprises Animal feed manufacturers
Food Processing and Distribution
$150B–$250B globally (AI est.)
Stabilizing upstream feed production contributes to stable supply and cost reduction for the food processing and distribution industry, while also improving traceability.
Major food processors Food distribution and logistics companies Retail food chains with private labels
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects a production management system and information processing apparatus that integrates crop and livestock data for optimized feed crop planning. Its rapid grant without rejections indicates strong novelty and inventiveness, providing a stable and robust intellectual property foundation.

Competitive White Space

This patent primarily covers the system architecture for crop-livestock data integration and production planning. White space exists in developing novel sensor technologies for real-time crop/animal health monitoring, advanced robotics for automated feed distribution, or specialized AI for predictive analytics beyond demand forecasting.

Economic Impact
~$1M/year estimated cost reduction per facility (est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

Implementing this technology could reduce waste and additional purchase costs from feed crop overproduction or shortages by an average of 15%. For example, a company with annual feed costs of $6.5M (AI est.) could see a reduction of $1M (AI est.) ($6.5M × 15%). Further economic benefits are anticipated from improved operational efficiency due to optimized production planning.

Speed to Market
4× faster than in-house development
This technology, developed by a national R&D institution, has established core algorithms and system architecture. In-house development of a comparable system could take ~3.5 years, requiring significant investment in data infrastructure and complex integration logic. Licensing this proven technology allows for market deployment in as little as 10 months by focusing on integration with existing agricultural ICT and production management platforms.
Competitive Positioning

X: Production Efficiency via Crop-Livestock Integration
Y: High-Precision Supply-Demand Optimization

Business Models & Applications
☁️ SaaS Platform Offering
Provide this production management system as a cloud service, collecting monthly or annual usage fees. A billing structure based on data volume or number of linked terminals could also be considered.
🔑 Technology Licensing Model
License the software or algorithms of this technology to specific agricultural machinery manufacturers or system integrators for incorporation into their products and services. Initial setup fees and royalty income are expected.
📊 Data Integration & Analytics Service
Utilize the production history and demand forecast data collected and analyzed by this system to offer high-value services such as advanced business strategy consulting or market forecast reports.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🐟 漁業・養殖業
Aquatic Resource Production & Demand Forecasting
This system could be applied to link fish and shellfish catch/aquaculture production history with market demand data. By incorporating weather and water temperature information, it could formulate optimal catch/shipping plans and aquaculture management strategies, potentially reducing waste by 10-20%.
🌳 林業
Timber Production & Processing Integration
This technology could integrate forest growth history and logging plans with demand from sawmills and wood processors. It could resolve timber supply imbalances, optimize logging and distribution plans, and support sustainable forestry management, potentially improving resource utilization by ~15%.
💊 医薬品・バイオ
Cell Culture & Production Process Optimization
This system could link production history data of cultured cells or microorganisms with demand forecasts for pharmaceutical manufacturing processes. It has the potential to optimize everything from raw material procurement to final product production, contributing to quality stability and cost reduction by 5-10%.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 12-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Requirements Definition & System Design
Duration: 3 months
Detailed definition of integration specifications with the licensee's existing systems (agricultural ICT, livestock management, etc.) and architectural design for incorporating this technology.
Phase 2: System Development, Data Integration & Testing
Duration: 6 months
Implementation of the core technology system and API integration with existing systems based on the design. Functional testing and performance evaluation using simulated and real data.
Phase 3: Production Deployment & Operation Optimization
Duration: 3 months
Deployment of the developed and tested system into a production environment, initiating pilot operations. Fine-tuning system settings and optimizing operational processes based on field feedback.
Technical Feasibility
This technology is based on general-purpose terminals and network-connected information processing devices, suggesting high compatibility with existing agricultural ICT and livestock management systems. The functions described for each terminal in the patent claims can be implemented using existing sensor data collection devices, mobile devices, and cloud servers. This indicates a high probability of technical implementation through software updates and API integration, without requiring significant new capital investment.
Success Scenario
Upon adoption, this technology could enable real-time data sharing between crop and livestock divisions, potentially automating the optimization of feed crop production plans. This would shift supply-demand adjustments from experience-based to data-driven, estimated to significantly reduce feed overproduction or shortages. Consequently, annual feed costs could be reduced by 10-20%, and labor input could be ~15% more efficient, potentially improving overall business profitability.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2021-041314
REGISTRATION NO.
7569556
FILING DATE
2021/03/15
GRANT DATE
2024/10/09
EXPIRATION DATE
2041/03/15
PATENT HOLDER
国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構
Examination History
2024年01月05日
出願審査請求書
2024年09月24日
特許査定