An Innovative Management Framework for Smart Horticulture—The Integration of Hype Cycle Paradigm

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to identify the possibilities of the implementation of the Innovative Management Framework for Intelligent Horticulture (IMFIH) by farmers with the aim of deepening the dynamics of innovation and technologic transfer processes related to the integration of the aerial work capability offered by mini UAV systems in precision horticulture. Starting from an aerial system for intelligent monitoring and smart horticulture applications, the research methodology is designed to understand the specific processes of this transfer of innovation in a field characterized by evolutionary dynamics and in the context of a lack of data. Thus, it is considered to be a mix of both quantitative and qualitative methods used in order to identify the needs and opinions of farmers regarding the possible use of the capabilities of mini UAV systems and especially how to access this capability. The obtained results showed the profile of the farmers interested in mini UAV systems for monitoring field crops and also the relevant factors for initiating/accessing them: specialized education, entrepreneurial education, area owned, ability to create partnerships, intention to access/develop mini UAV systems, and the existence of an integrated framework for analyzing the opportunities and restrictions of implementing mini UAV systems in precision horticulture applications. The integration of the Hype Cycle Paradigm (HCP) into the proposal of IMFIH led to the creation of the IMFIH-HCP as an innovative framework capable of stimulating the dissemination and transfer of knowledge and technology in the case of future horticultural applications of precision in an emerging market.

1. Introduction

Modern drones (regardless of their general architecture, rotary wing or fixed wing) are well known for their ability to provide various aerial work solutions such as high-resolution aerial images or accurate data collection. Recent developments confer efficiency and scalability, and superior performances open up new capabilities for the execution of emerging missions. The equipment has also evolved to allow scalability and miniaturization, which, in addition to performance, offers more economy and quality. The UAV market could reach USD 21.8 billion in 2027 [1], but some segments, such as those related to commercial activities, are expected to have even more spectacular growth.

1.1. Related Work

Researchers and practitioners around the world have developed various innovative approaches and technologies encouraging agricultural enterprises to adopt an intelligent way of approaching specific activities oriented towards precision agriculture. This uses numerous tools for precise monitoring of crops and is an important current approach that every farmer must move towards. Among these tools, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are considered a viable technology for the sustainable development of agricultural enterprises under conditions of efficiency and effectiveness, as evidenced by the numerous studies that attest to the usefulness and efficiency of mini UAVs for the following applications:

• Soil texture mapping by monitoring its properties [2,3];
• The implementation in good conditions of soil resource conservation practices by monitoring the degree of soil coverage with plant residues [4];
• Planning crop irrigation activities by monitoring a set of four factors involved in determining the need for irrigation: soil water availability, plant water need, rainfall amount, and irrigation system efficiency [5];
• Detection and recognition of diseases and pests by processing collected images with the help of unmanned vehicles equipped with different sensors, using techniques such as K-Means clustering [6], decision trees [7], computer vision and artificial intelligence [8,9], deep convolution neural networks [10,11], Markov algorithms [12], fuzzy inference systems [13], convolutional neural networks [14,15], and Bayesian networks [16];
• Precise planning of the equipment needed for harvesting production, its transport, and storage through crop monitoring and image processing, leading to an accurate estimate of the amount of biomass [17,18,19];
• The correct assessment of the optimal harvesting moment by monitoring the maturity of the crops [20];
• Tracking illegal activities, forest fires, and other natural disasters [21];
• Tracking abusive practices (abusive grazing) [22];

The field of mini UAV technologies is developing extremely fast and attracts young people, and these technologies’ adoption at the agricultural enterprise level has a positive impact on their maintenance in rural areas, even in emerging countries [23].

Recent studies highlight the usefulness of autonomous ground and aerial vehicles (UGVs and UAVs) in agricultural or horticultural missions, with an increased interest in the use of unmanned autonomous systems in real-time agricultural data management and crop monitoring [24].

The integration of mini UAV systems into precision horticulture is a dynamic process subject to the uncertainty associated with the development and adoption of emerging technologies. To reduce uncertainty, many researchers have developed models to guide the decisions to adopt these technologies (product life cycle [25]; industry life cycle [26]; technology life cycle [27]), significantly improving the forecasting of the development and adoption of new technologies/products. It is essential to understand the technological path with a focus on both performance and diffusion rate.

1.2. Hype Cycle Model

An attractive framework that significantly improves forecasting of the development and adoption of new technologies/products is the Hype Cycle model. It was developed by Gartner Inc. (1995) and highlights the general path a technology takes in terms of expectations or the viability of the technology’s value over time [28]. The model (Figure 1) is based on two equations: the first is human-centered, has the shape of a hype level curve, and describes expectations; the second is technology-centered, has an S shape, and describes technological maturity based on the notion of technical performance [29].

The hype level curve of expectations results from the sudden, laudatory, and irrational reaction to new technologies that, against the background of exaggerated promotion campaigns in the mass media, causes decision-makers to subscribe to this trend to the detriment of the relevant assessment of the new technology’s potential. This enthusiastic growth is often countered by reality and evidenced by the sometimes sudden decline of the hype curve. The engineering or business maturity curve results from the maturity of the technology, which, according to the specialists, begins timidly, after which it registers an increase up to a point defined by the limits of the technology, which is maintained as long as it produces positive effects for the respective field.

The Hype Cycle is made up of five successive stages, as presented in Figure 2, that mark the progress of the development process and adoption of new technologies, as is evident from their name: the start of innovation, the peak of inflated expectations, disappointment, the slope of enlightenment, and the plateau of productivity [29]. The period between the peak of inflated expectations and the plateau of productivity has been called the “time-to-value lag” and varies from one technology to another, ranging from 2 to 20 years. The optimum of this gap is considered to be between 5 and 8 years, but there are also shorter periods for so-called fast technologies, as well as situations when the Hype Cycle catches more hype and troughs. The representation of this Hype Cycle provides an overview of the dynamics of expectations resulting from movements in new markets of innovative technology products. The same initially spectacular dynamics are anticipated with a peak that will be achieved quite easily, but problems may arise in the disillusionment portion, i.e., possible problems and uncertainties in operation, missed performance targets, possible legislative changes. Further attempts are made to launch new versions, with superior performance depending on the efficiency of new funding rounds, the limitation coming from the proximity of the critical mass of end-users willing to adopt the new capability.

Figure 2 presents the Hype Cycle Paradigm (HCP) modified in order to capture the typical dynamics of aerial work of a drone capability. There are some essential elements also adapted for Romanian end-users in this case:

(a)

The adapted expectations are expressed in this case by using an additional axis that take into account the implications of the uncertainty regarding the end-user expectations with focus not only on the path of technological progress but also the dynamics driven by the uncertainty on the effective integration of this capability; this aspect could be evidenced by the tilt of the vertical axis, which allows flexible dynamic adaptation of expectations;

(b)

The typical phases of the Hype Cycle are also modified in order to capture the typical stages of our research: there are three stages of the project maturity development according to technological readiness levels, i.e., TRL 2–4, TRL 4–6, and TRL 7–8, very close to Series 1/Generation 1 of the innovative product; next, we expect two rounds of early adopters and a possible early majority distribution; next, there are two phases, i.e., disillusionment and recovery, with implications on the next series, i.e., Series 2/Generation 2 and maybe Series 3/Generation 3, of the innovative product and which are characterized by deep uncertainties;

(c)

Finally, we highlight the deep uncertainty related to the market saturation, depending on a large number of factors and on the synergies of producer–end-users communication related to the behavior of new generation products in an expression that highlights a diversity of variants of long-term evolution.

1.3. Innovative Management Framework for Intelligent Horticulture

Nowadays, companies are facing a series of challenges in the field of technologies, methods, and people, i.e., knowledge. Among the technologies, we note the emerging information and communication technologies related to Industry 4.0, the adoption of which determines entry into a new stage of agricultural management in the sense of integration and adaptation to the specifics of the analyzed place [31]. Moreover, the trends in this field are oriented towards development, which calls for agility and responsiveness on the part of businesses to implement innovative technologies whose challenges must be understood and adopted based on business strategy and market demand [32]. The fusion between horticulture and Industry 4.0 determines the creation of a sustainable and intelligent agroecosystem—horticulture 4.0. Its sustainable management takes place in an innovative management framework for intelligent horticulture (IMFIH) and is mediated by the adoption of integrated and intelligent management based on strategic thinking and decisions made predominantly under conditions of certainty as a result of increasing the degree of knowledge of the issues identified in the horticultural agroecosystem [22] due to the data collected, processed, and analyzed in real time. Thus, the premises for obtaining improved yields under conditions of judicious allocation of resources and protection of the environment are created. Figure 3 presents IMFIH.

The identification of a model well-adapted to the dynamics of the evolution of innovation implementation processes based on the integration of mini UAV systems in precision horticulture applications in emerging markets is essential in the context of the lack of initial data. Thus, we identify a framework that provides the analogy of the processes of interest in the presented research and thus compensates for the lack of initial quantitative data. IMFIH enables the achievement of performance because it approaches each technological link as part of an integrated and intelligent system that achieves monitoring of soil properties, early detection of diseases and pests, efficient management of irrigation water, fertilizers, and plant protection products, assessment of maturity of production, assessment of optimal harvesting time, planning of machinery for harvesting and transport of production, marketing and supply chains, etc. The particularity of the adoption of IMFIH resides in the development of activities within the farm, starting from the retrospective technical-economic analysis at the level of each parcel, taking into account the structure of the crops, the culture system, and the environmental factors, which, supplemented with the analysis of the information collected with the help of drones, leads to the realization of predictive analytics and the accumulation of knowledge about prospects for improving performance.

It is obvious that early and accurate diagnosis is decisive in mitigating losses caused by different stress factors, i.e., diseases, pests, weeds, etc., and the IMFIH framework and emerging technologies, i.e., the use of unmanned vehicles and sensors, has an important role in obtaining information in real time about the state of plant vegetation. Later, by means of precision technology, the intervention is prompt, efficient, and effective. Given that the damage caused by diseases and pests to horticultural production is very high, it is of great interest to improve not only the early signaling of attacks but also the precise intervention to control them, emphasizing that the detection of diseases and pests at the right time improves their management systems [33].

This article contributes to the improvement of the effectiveness of the emerging technologies adoption such as the identification of vulnerabilities in the horticultural ecosystem due to diseases and pests and combating them through phytosanitary treatments using mini UAVs, by developing an aerial platform for monitoring intelligent and precision agriculture applications dedicated to horticultural crops (IASIMPAH), as well as by improving the forecasting of the development and adoption of new technologies/products by means of the Hype Cycle model.

Despite the obvious market opportunities, the literature does not present aspects related to the processes and mechanisms necessary for the effective dissemination and integration of technological innovation. There is virtually no reference to the size and contribution of institutional elements or partnership architectures that could amplify innovation in this area. Research on the decision-making process and implementation strategies of new mini UAV applications in the field of precision horticulture would thus be welcome.

The aim of this study was to present the dynamics of innovation processes related to the integration of mini UAV systems in precision horticulture, respectively the conception of institutional development strategies for a scalable sustainable ecosystem of mini UAVs for precision horticulture in Romania.

In order to achieve the goal, five specific objectives were developed that constitute stages in its achievement: critical analysis of the specialized literature relevant to aerial work applications offered by mini UAV systems and their role in the development and sustainable management of horticultural ecosystems; presenting IMFIH; development of IASMIPAH; identification of the needs and opinions of farmers regarding the possible use of the capabilities of mini UAV systems and especially how to access this capability; understanding the mechanisms regarding the effective dissemination and integration of technology innovation highlighting HCP.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Methods

The present research is part of the exploratory category and is particularly useful in anticipating solutions for efficient integration of mini UAV systems in precision horticulture applications. The study also provides an image of the evolution trajectory of the capability, respectively the duration of reaching the maturity plateau of this type of capability. Although technological progress has democratized the use of aerial work capabilities in precision agriculture and horticulture, this type of research has not been conducted in emerging markets.

In order to fulfill the proposed objectives, the study was organized according to a methodology adapted to the case study in a way that illustrates the concrete situation and allows us to obtain a clear image of the integration processes of the aerial work capability correlated with an understanding of the causes and obstacles [34]. It is presented in Figure 4.

The methodology included both quantitative and qualitative methods from the field of strategic management recommended for their positive impact on obtaining a relevant overall picture regarding the purpose of the research.

After the research problem was identified, the authors proceeded with critical analysis of the relevant specialized literature. IASIMPAH was presented to potentially interested users, and we also developed and implemented a questionnaire for quantitative data collection in order to assess farmers’ level of knowledge of mini UAV systems and especially their desire to access/adopt this capability. This phase fulfills the role of a middle function because it allows an understanding of the specific motivation and commitment to the adoption and integration of the new technological capability in a very conservative field. After this phase, a focus group was carried out and results were compared.

The obtained results were integrated into IMFIH, which is capable of stimulating the dissemination and transfer of knowledge and technology, i.e., future applications specific to precision horticulture; HCP was also integrated (IMFIH-HCP).

2.2. Materials

IASIMPAH [35], presented in Figure 5, is an innovative system that combines the collection of data in different electromagnetic spectra, their automatic processing, and flight plan generation so that the application of phytosanitary treatment can be carried out only in problem areas. The data collection is carried out with a microcopter-type platform capable of simultaneously transporting the three sensors (multispectral, VIS, and thermo). Image localization is based on the RTK (real-time kinematics) GPS system, which receives position correction data as well as 3D terrain model information from the topographic cloud. The collected images are transferred in real time to the command and control station.

After image processing by means of vegetative indices, areas suspected of having problems are determined. These areas are identified by geolocation, subsequently generating the flight plan for the spraying drone. Identifying the type of problem in the culture will implicitly lead to the choice of the spray solution to be applied. The sensor system in the tank of the spraying drone, as well as the electropneumatic application nozzles, ensure the distribution of a uniform amount of solution, punctually, without affecting the neighboring plants.

IASIMPAH has the capability of early detection and control of diseases and pests (relevant activity for obtaining healthier production and ensuring the sustainability of the agroecosystem).

The IASIMPAH system was developed to make phytosanitary treatments more efficient that those applied at the level of horticultural farms. Hence, it uses image analysis techniques and multispectral data collected by satellite or UAVs. Processing this data provides an overview of areas affected by various diseases or pests. The results of this data are transposed into an action plan by means of a multicopter for the application of phytosanitary treatments, which will be applied punctually and only on the applied areas. This will lead to a reduction in production costs and implicitly to the realization of products with a reduced consistency of residual content.

The use of the IASIMPAH system involves the completion of four well-defined stages, namely geographical definition of the flight area, collection and processing of multispectral data, the planning of flight missions, and treatment application in the affected areas.

2.3. Participants

The methodology included both quantitative and qualitative methods for obtaining a relevant overall picture regarding the dynamics of innovation and technologic transfer processes related to the integration of the aerial work capability offered by mini UAV systems in precision horticulture. The quantitative method was based on a relatively large sample of people, who were farmers in Sibiu County, Romania. GPower software (version 3.1.9.4, University of Düusseldorf, Germany) was used to calculate the sample size, considering a small effect size of 0.249 [36,37], power (1–β) of 0.85, and α level of 0.1. Accordingly, 82 participants would be required as a necessary sample size.

As such, 85 participants, male farmers in Sibiu County, were recruited to participate in this study. The inclusion and exclusion criteria for participation in the study were (a) being a farmer in Sibiu County and (b) having at least one plot of owned land.

Five participants were excluded due to a loss of interest and personal issues, and the final sample included 80 participants (40.2 ± 14.1 years) from Sibiu County.

The qualitative method involved a focus group meeting to which nine people were invited, representing key local factors (mayor), specialists concerned with the development of sustainable and intelligent horticultural ecosystems (agricultural enterprise administrator, agronomist engineer), and representatives of institutions with concerns in this field (engineer representing local action group, engineer representing the Direction for Agriculture, engineer representing the payment and intervention agency for agriculture, and research engineer representing a research institute), and two professors, representatives of Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu.

The subjects were informed of the research procedure and gave their consent.

2.4. Data Analysis

The data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The results are presented as frequency and percent. The association between variables was performed using Phi coefficient (φ) between two categorial variables in a 2 × 2 contingency table and Cramer’s V in tables bigger than 2 × 2 tabulation. A correlational value between 0.25 and 1 was considered to be very strong, values between 0.15 and 0.25 were considered strong, above 0.1 were considered moderate, and above 0.05 were considered weak [36]. The significance level for all correlations was p < 0.05.

3. Results

The research methodology allowed us to obtain information that attests to the confidence of Romanian farmers in accessing the emerging technological capabilities of aerial work and the fruition of the advantages offered by sustainable and intelligent horticultural ecosystems as a result of the merger between horticulture and Industry 4.0. The result is the need to create a critical level of understanding and even trust in the capabilities of aerial work in precision horticulture in the context of an innovative management that brings to fruition intelligent thinking at the level of each strategic activity unit in relation to the specific conditions of each plot.

3.1. Quantitative Analysis

At the level of Sibiu county (a hilly mountainous area located in the south and southeast of Transylvania—a region in the center of Romania) a field study was carried out using a questionnaire to collect information regarding their knowledge of mini UAV systems and the possibility of their use in monitoring air culture, respectively their intention of adopting/accessing such services.

The questionnaire was completed by 80 farmers, with an average age of 40.2 ± 14.1 years, after a presentation of the IASIMPAH demonstrator concept (Figure 6). Their level of education was primarily around high school education (68.7%); 12 have higher education (15%), and the rest 8 classes (16.3%). The areas owned by them are generally classified as 5–50 ha (63.8% of farmers); 23.7% own under 5 ha, and 12.5% own 51–100 ha. A total of 51.2% represent the mixed sector, 36.3% the livestock sector, and 12.5% the vegetal sector, as the results in

Table 1. Analysis of variables.

Variable		Frequency	Percent
Studies	Secondary	13	16.3
	High school	55	68.7
	Higher	12	15
Owned surface	Under 5 ha	19	23.7
	5–50 ha	51	63.8
	51–100 ha	20	12.5
Activity sector	Vegetal	10	12.5
	Zootechnic	29	36.3
	Mixed	41	51.2
Monitoring knowledge	Yes	55	68.8
	No	25	31.2
Development intent	Access to services	27	33.8
	System development	29	36.2
	No	24	30
Partnership_Interest	Yes	62	77.5
	No	18	22.5

show.

A total of 68.8% of the respondents are familiar with mini UAV systems and how to use them, 36.2% intend to develop such a system, 33.8% intend to access specialized services, and 77.5% are open to the conclusion of partnerships that ensure access, respectively the exploitation of such aerial work capabilities for precision horticulture.

Table 2. The critical correlations.

Variable	Parameters	Partnership_Interest	Parameters	Development Intent
Monitoring knowledge	φ	0.541	Cramer’s V	0.754
	p	≤0.001	p	≤0.001

φ—Phi coefficient, p—significant level of probability.

presents the connections between certain variables. Only relevant correlations were taken into consideration, considering the significant level of probability (p). There are a number of very interesting aspects about the future behavior of end-users, especially in the context of the low level of education and the fact that studies have been conducted in the case of an emerging market. We obtained a very strong correlation between monitoring knowledge and intention to develop partnerships, as well as between monitoring knowledge and the intention to develop mini UAV systems used for horticulture in Romania as an emerging market.

There were no correlation between owned surface and development intent or partnership interest.

From the analysis of quantitative data, the profile of the farmer interested in mini UAV systems for monitoring field crops and relevant factors for initiating/accessing them are outlined: specialized education, entrepreneurial education, area owned, the ability to create partnerships, the intention to access/develop mini UAV systems, and the existence of an integrated framework for analyzing the opportunities and restrictions of implementing mini UAV systems in precision horticulture applications. The intention to access/develop mini UAV systems and the existence of an integrated framework for their implementation were elements in determining the factors with relevant influence in accessing/developing mini UAV systems.

Specialized education, entrepreneurial education, the area owned, and the ability to create partnerships are the direct determinants of accessing/developing mini UAV systems. The integrated framework for analyzing the opportunities and restrictions of the implementation of mini UAV systems is inspired by the HCP paradigm and attests to the existence of different perspectives and different speeds or trajectories of progress. Hence, we felt the need to organize a focus group meeting to analyze the impact of relevant factors that contribute or inhibit the technological diffusion specific to mini UAV missions in precision horticulture and their hierarchy.

3.2. Qualitative Analysis

The qualitative feature of the study involved conducting a focus group with the participation of nine people representing key local factors (mayor, deputy mayor), specialists concerned with the development of sustainable and intelligent horticultural ecosystems (agricultural enterprise administrator, agronomist engineer), representatives of institutions with concerns in this field (engineer representing local action group, engineer representing the Directorate for Agriculture, engineer representing the Agency for Payments and Intervention for Agriculture, and research engineer representing the research institute), and two professors, representatives of Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu.

The focus group meeting was guided by six questions that examined relevant factors for materializing the intention to access/develop mini UAV systems and assessed their hierarchy, i.e., specialized education, entrepreneurial education, area owned, ability to create partnerships, intention to access/develop mini UAV systems, and existence of an integrated framework for analyzing opportunities and restrictions of implementing mini UAV systems in precision horticulture. Specifically, tables were completed based on the results of quantitative data analysis with relevant factors for accessing/developing mini UAV systems and the existence of an integrated framework for their adoption and implementation. The obtained tables were distributed to the participants in the focus-group meeting with the request to note (on a scale from 0—unimportant to 3—very important) the relevance of the determining factors for accessing/developing mini UAV systems (

Table 3. The relevance of the determining factors for accessing/developing mini UAV systems and for developing an integrated management framework.

Relevant Factors	Objectives			Score Relevance Factor/ Objection
	Accessing Mini UAV Systems Services	Development of Mini UAV Systems Services	Integrated Management Framework
Specialized education	21	25	24	70
Entrepreneurial education	15	18	19	52
Area owned	14	15	9	38
Ability to create partnerships	21	22	23	66
Intention to access/develop mini UAV systems	15	21	18	54
Score relevance factor/ objection	86	101	93	280

).

The analysis of the relevance of the determining factors for accessing/developing mini UAV systems at agricultural enterprise level in Sibiu County, respectively the relevance of IMFIH for their adoption, highlights in the foreground the importance of specialized education and farmers’ desire to use mini UAV systems. Secondly, the role of practical experience, the ability to develop partnerships, and entrepreneurial education are highlighted. Interestingly, specialists believe that the land area owned by the farmer does not influence the process of accessing/developing mini UAV systems, which have the ability to monitor larger or smaller areas of land with the same ease, and that the ability to develop partnerships, respectively entrepreneurial education, reduces the possible impact of costs on small businesses. This result is in accordance with the results obtained from the quantitative method, where it was observed that there was no correlation between the area owned and development intent or partnership interest.

We also noted the relevance of the six factors for achieving access to services with mini UAVs and development of services with mini UAVs, respectively their relevance for creating a performance management framework.

As follows from the conclusions of the specialists, there are a number of elements that contribute or inhibit the diffusion of mini UAV technology in the horticultural field. Farmers show an increased interest in adopting mini UAV technology and creating partnerships, which leads to the achievement of the assumed objectives, but also to increasing the attractiveness of the sector for young people with higher education and ICT skills. This leads, in time, to stopping the negative impact currently manifested by the lack of specialist available to analyze, interpret, and propose effective solutions to correct the vulnerabilities identified with the help of mini UAV technology.

4. Discussion

Mini UAV systems contain a series of emerging technologies that have different levels of evolution and progress. In the specialized literature, there are no data or references regarding the dynamics of acceptance levels by a critical mass of users, nor on a level of market saturation of this capability. The diffusion of innovation and the rate of adoption depend on technological developments, i.e., price, performance, and quality factors in the exploitation process, but psycho-social factors also are also relevant.

HCP highlights the accelerating role of innovation and exaggerated initial expectations in a complex mechanism in which early adopters can become skeptical, influencing the processes of technological capability evolution with an impact on investments in the later rounds.

Through the socialization mechanism of innovative technologies, an acceleration of the implementation of the technological innovation is created with a recovery of the trend until it reaches a plateau at the level of expectations corresponding to an innovation adoption rate of 20–30% [1]. This rate anticipates the limits of expectations regarding the adoption of a new capability in the precision agriculture/horticulture sector in the presence of classical or complementary technologies, but also taking into account the typical aspects of Romania as an emerging market; in this case, there was an especially unfavorable age distribution, but there is confidence in the advance of young farmers in their courageous adaptation of the new technology.

Thus, the IMFIH concept aims to create a unique integrated framework for analyzing the opportunities, expectations, and restrictions of the scalable implementation of mini UAV systems in the context of the fructification of disruptive innovations specific to this emerging field in the context of Romania.

IMFIH brings to fruition the advantages of geospatial information integration services in a concept that includes financial aspects, innovation aspects, legislation, standards and policies, databases, institutions, and partnership architectures, as well as safety aspects. Previous research [1,28] has shown the possibility of analyzing different progress paths on various HCP-Gartner phases, which is why it is viable to apply a quantitative and qualitative analysis in order to present the opportunities and restrictions of the implementation of mini UAV systems and relevant factors that contribute to or inhibit the technological diffusion specific to mini UAV missions in precision horticulture.

The integration of HCP in IMFIH is justified by the disruptive technological progress at the level of mini UAVs in the context of finding solutions to amplify farmers’ experience in increasing the efficiency of missions of interest in the context of Romania. Thus, it highlights the following particular aspects related to the specifics of the horticultural field and the opinions of the interviewed subjects.

The first phase of HCP—the triggering of innovation—illustrates the enthusiasm of farmers based on the positive influence of specialists in the field, materialized by the numerous projects and studies regarding UAVs and their use in agriculture [19,38,39,40]. Also, the manner and content of UAV technology promotion campaigns [41,42,43] are success factors causing overestimated expectations, generally compared to the initial investment in these continuously evolving systems. Also, regarding innovation, we mention that the use of mini UAVs is at an early stage because, despite the technological progress at the level of mini UAV system components, battery development does not yet allow increases in the maximum take-off weight, with implications on the maximal payload, specifically affecting active work in precision horticulture missions. However, there are future expectations of an increase in the performance of the propulsion systems and batteries, with impacts on the payloads. However, this aspect is compensated by the advantage of increasing the precision of the mini UAV autopilots and the quality of the data. Innovation is at a level that allows further growth.

Interviewees are aware of the use of mini UAV systems in agriculture, and expectations regarding access to these technologies are high. Specifically, users expect technological maturity for this type of application and a reduction in initial costs.

In the second phase of HCP, the peak of inflated expectations is more difficult to define and is based on the precision and accuracy offered by mini UAV systems, especially the diversity of applications, which are ensured from a technological point of view but not from an institutional and legislative point of view where transformations are still needed. This leads us to discuss the emergence of signs of skepticism or disillusionment considering the existence of use restrictions and safety issues. Legitimizing the use of mini UAVs is essential in a rather confusing legislative context, but the benefits of the specialists’ previous work on other sets of mini UAV applications and missions are relevant. Surprisingly, no reference is made to the cost of use because the idea of integrating the mini UAVs in precision horticulture takes into account the use for small plots of land and complex geometric configurations. From the responses of the participating farmers to the survey, the idea emerges that the implementation of mini UAV systems in the specific technology encounters problems attributed to specialized education, entrepreneurial education and the low capacity for creating partnerships for the joint use of aerial platforms for monitoring and analysis and interpretation of results.

The third stage of the HCP—the trough of disillusionment—reflects the disappointment and skepticism instilled among many farmers as a result of the previously stated problems causing a freefall in interest in this technology among many farmers. However, the tenacity of those who understood the usefulness of technology for the creation of sustainable and intelligent ecosystems and their success in the implementation of mini UAV systems materialized through early detection of vulnerabilities, intervention focused exclusively on them, reduced consumption of resources, highlighting the true potential and offering effective solutions of adoption and implementation to regain farmers’ interest in implementing this technology.

The fourth HCP stage—the lighting slope—represents the accumulated confidence in mini UAV systems and the opportunities offered by them in the efficiency of specific activities. It is a very important stage in the current context because there is already a critical mass of actors interested in mini UAV applications in precision horticulture and the funding of TRL 4–6 projects (technology validated in the laboratory, technology validated in the relevant environment, technology demonstrated in a relevant environment) has experienced a significant growth rate, leading to TRL 6–8 projects (technology demonstrated in a relevant environment, system prototype demonstration in the operational environment, complete and qualified system actually being preparing), with a focus on profitability [44,45]. Companies will adopt mini UAVs in their business portfolios and better understand the progress they offer in the context of sustainability. Although there are still a number of uncertainties and risks, significant cost reductions and increased performance will favor the recovery phase that will expand sustainably.

The last stage of the HCP—the productivity plateau—is defined by the consolidation of the ability to use mini UAV systems and to develop and customize missions according to the specifics of the plot. The productivity plateau that would theoretically correspond to a critical mass of 20–30% [1] of the audience, and a confirmation of the success and acceptance of mini UAV technology applied to precision horticulture missions cannot be seen in the medium term because the adoption of this technology will continue at comfortable. rates Users, despite not having specialized education, surprisingly become gradually more sophisticated and demand superior performance without deeply understanding the aspects of technological leaps. This aspect must be taken into account through institutional incursions and through more partnerships.

Returning to IMFIH, the experts mentioned the unique advantage of using an integrated framework to analyze the opportunities and restrictions of implementing mini UAV systems in precision horticulture applications through a holistic vision. Legal, standards, and safety aspects are essential in mini UAV applications. These actually represent conditions specific to flight regulations and currently have a scalable implementation. Standardization is essential as the share of users increases. This leads to possible uncertainties and risks related to limiting the use of mini UAVs in the future. Once the legitimacy issues are resolved, the importance of these issues will fade into the background and the mini UAV market will experience a new growth rally.

This study has certain limitations and constraints that should be taken into account in future research. These are related to the following: the ambition to provide a deep understanding of the specific processes of innovation transfer in a domain characterized by unknown evolutionary dynamics and a lack of relevant data regarding aerial scanning and precision applications in horticulture; the high level of proposed objectives in relation to the early stage of development in the emerging market in Romania concerning aerial scanning and precision applications in horticulture; the understanding of the capacity of reliability aspects, digital footprint, and the influence of innovation dynamics in the field on the performance of aerial scanning and precision applications in horticulture; highlighting, in the profile of farmers interested in adopting miniature aerial monitoring systems, the elements of specialized education, entrepreneurial education, and the ability to establish partnerships—elements that lead to modern and sustainable agriculture; the accuracy of qualitative approaches being affected by the influence of numerous biases.

Highlighting these constraints and limitations does not mark the end of our research in the field of mini UAVs and precision applications in horticulture but opens up new opportunities that will be capitalized on in future research. These will effectively leverage the results obtained in previous projects (TRL 2–6) and disseminate them to farmers in Romania interested in this innovative system, its concrete implementation methods, and specific technical and managerial aspects. The motivation to continue this research is also driven by the fact that the proposed systems work very well technically and have the advantage of being easy to use by inexperienced end-users, a factor that encourages the left side of the Hype Cycle. Also, challenges related to digitization footprint will be approached further in order to increase the competitiveness of the agricultural sector.

Furthermore, the analysis and interpretation of data collected through the questionnaire highlights the current stage of interest and future evolution dynamics—elements that will be continued in future studies based on experience in using systems with TLR 7, providing an understanding of the creative construction elements necessary to move to TLR 8, a crucial aspect for current mini UAV missions. Subsequent research will address the establishment of partnerships, entrepreneurial education, and specialized education. These, along with the innovative management framework adopted at the level of agricultural enterprises, are capable of accelerating the implementation and future development of mini UAV systems.

5. Conclusions

The present study was focused on identifying the dynamics of innovation processes related to the integration of mini UAV systems in precision horticulture, particularly the design of institutional development strategies for a scalable sustainable eco-system of mini UAVs for precision horticulture.

Based on the findings outlined in Section 3 and the discussions, the following conclusions can be drawn:

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Farmers are enthusiastic about the applicability of mini UAVs technology in the field of horticulture. Specialized education, entrepreneurial education, the area owned, and the ability to create partnerships are the direct determinants of accessing/developing mini UAV systems.

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Developing IMFIH is useful in creating the premises for the effective adoption of aerial work capability with modular and scalable mini UAV systems in technology specific to horticultural crops;

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The integration of the Hype Cycle paradigm highlighted particular aspects related to the specifics of the horticultural field and the opinions of the interviewed subjects which are key for understanding the process of diffusion and adoption of aerial work capabilities in precision horticulture in Romania as an emerging market;

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The IMFIH-HPC framework offers multiple advantages for evaluating the dynamics of evolution and implementation, starting from the understanding of the processes at the intersection between high-speed technological innovation, the transfer to new applications, and missions of precision horticulture. It also offers the necessary generality to understand how to reach the critical mass and the productivity plateau specific to the field under attention, with strategic implications.

We consider that this paper contributes to the development of the research area with respect to implementing IMFIH, as well as the use of aerial platforms for monitoring intelligent and precision agriculture applications dedicated to horticultural crops by the farmers. The research provides both specialists in aerial work systems and end-users, as well as governmental institutions, with an understanding of the actual implementation processes in direct practical applications. Additionally, this foundation offers technology transfer strategies from TRL6 to TRL8, impacting the evolution of essential performance levels in the case of mini UAV systems.