Synergy Days 2025
21 & 22 October 2025 – Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Join the most important conference connecting the digital innovators of the European agri-food sector.

When
Join us on 21- 22 October 2025 at De Doelen in Rotterdam for this year's edition!
For the fourth year in a row, bringing our community together to meet, debate, and exchange knowledge.
Contact: event@synergydays.eu
How can my project join?
Boost your project's visibility with 5 free tickets, logo placement on event marketing, GDPR-approved contacts, a project pitch, an exhibition spot, and opportunities for workshops and interviews!
Previous editions
Curious about the previous editions of the Synergy Days? Follow these links to find the agendas, participating projects and other related content of the previous years.
Rotterdam Edition
The Synergy Days is the most important conference connecting the digital innovators of the European agri-food sector.
Hosted by the SmartAgriHubs Community and supported by the AgData partnership, the Synergy Days is your gateway to the latest insights, strategies, and collaborations shaping the digital future of agriculture.
From high-level policy discussions and cutting-edge tech showcases to hands-on workshops and inspiring success stories, the Synergy Days offers a unique platform to connect with EU policymakers, researchers, SMEs, digital innovation hubs, and agri-tech pioneers. Whether you're driving innovation, shaping policy, or scaling solutions, this is the place to be.
Let’s build a smarter, more sustainable agri-food ecosystem - together.

Programme
Day 1, 21 October
08:00 - 08:45
Registration
08:45 - 09.00
Welcome
By Sjaak Wolfert, SmartAgriHubs Community
09:00 - 10:15
Digital innovation ecosystem development in agri-food
This session focuses on building sustainable digital innovation ecosystems in the agri-food sector by reducing fragmentation and improving coordination among EU and national projects, European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), farmers, and other key stakeholders. It highlights how these ecosystems can drive the scaling of innovation for both farmers and enterprises across the agriculture and food industry. The discussion explores how policy, academia, clusters, SMEs, farmer representatives, and innovation hubs can align efforts to support effective resource use and ecosystem development. Through two panels - one offering policy and academic insights, and another showcasing practical responses from clusters, EDIHs, and farming perspectives - the session aims to identify strategies and successful practices that foster collaboration, empower farmers, and ensure long-term impact in agri-food digitalisation.
Moderators:
Adrien Guichaoua, Reframe.Food
Hazel Peavoy, Walton Institute
Invited speakers:
Doris Marquardt, European Commission - DG CONNECT
Patrick Pagani, Copa & Cogeca
James Cunningham, Newcastle University
Veerle de Graf, Flanders Food
10.15 - 10.45
Project pitches I
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You will be hearing from: AgData Partnership, EDIH DigiAgriFood, ENTIRE EDIH, HIGHFIVE, AgrifoodTEF, Farmtopia, OpenAgri, ALIANCE &Hungry EcoCities
10:45 - 11:15
Break
11:15 - 12:45
Synergy workshops I
The following workshops will take place in paralell:
• Multidisciplinary living labs for agro-food innovation by Hungry EcoCities & Valereco
• Data spaces as fuel for agri-food AI development: Ethical, legal, and social aspects by CEADS, Data4Food2030, AgriFoodTEF & AgData Partnership
• Value proposition of data sharing by NXTGEN HIGHTECH & Agrifood TEF
• Trust & trace – data governance for transparent food chains by FoodDataQuest, DIGIAGRIFOOD & OptiFish
• Closing the digital gaps (agrifood-focused EDIHs) by ENTIRE, Andalucía Agrotech DIH, EDIH Bretagne, DigiAgriFood EDIH
• Scaling innovation in agriculture through data, AI and federated learning by GEORGIA, ScaleAgData & AGRARIAN
• Impact workshop – food processing projects: Now and tomorrow by HIGHFIVE & SIXFOLD
Find out more details about them here.
12:45 - 14:00
Lunch break & Synergy market
Lunch will be served in the exhibition area where you can engage with the projects and other participants to create synergies.
14:00 - 15:00
How can professionalisation in European agriculture drive digitalisation? The role of stakeholders in supporting skills, organisational change, and trust in data governance.
This session explores how professionalisation in European agriculture can accelerate digitalisation by enhancing skills, organisational capacity, and trust in data governance. It highlights the role of stakeholders - policy-makers, advisors, tech providers, and farmers - in supporting continuous learning, ethical data use, and collaboration. Set within the context of EU policies like the CAP and Green Deal, the discussion aims to identify gaps and share best practices to ensure inclusive, human-centred digital transformation in the agri-food sector.
Moderator:
Jürgen Vangeyte, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture Fisheries and Food (ILVO)
Invited speakers:
- Koen Mondelaers, European Commision - DG AGRI
- Ivo Hostens, European Agricultural Machinery Association (CEMA)
15:00 - 15:30
Project pitches II
You will be hearing from: PoliRuralPlus, SIXFOLD, NXTGEN HIGHTECH, ScaleAgData, E-SPFdigit, Data4Food2030, FoodDataQuest & Bi0space.
15:30 - 16:00
Break
16:00 - 17:30
Synergy workshops II
The following workshops will take place in paralell:
• How to cross the valley of death in agrifood AI and robotics by AgrifoodTEF & 4Growth
• Data spaces in practice: Perspectives for scaled and inclusive innovation by Data4food2030, CEADS, 4Growth & ScaleAgData
• From Farm2Fork to Sea2Fork – empowering consumers through data by FoodDataQuest, OptiFish & DIGIAGRIFOOD
• Collaborative pathways for resilient & sustainable agri-food systems across regions by GEORGIA & AfroGrow
• Human rights and ethics considerations for tech tools in agriculture by E-SPF Digit & Farmtopia
• EDIH 2.0: Sustaining digital innovation ecosystems through strategic action and collaboration by ENTIRE & EDIH DataLife
• Business models for AI-powered platforms in bioeconomy and food chains by EFRA & ARGONAUT
• AgData workshop by AgData partnership
Day 2, 22 October
08:15 - 08:45
Registration
08:45 - 09:00
Looking back and ahead
By Sjaak Wolfert, SmartAgriHubs Community
09:00 - 10:15
Pooling resources: Strengthening the European competitiveness on the digital transformation in agri-food
This session will explore how Europe can pool its digital resources to enhance competitiveness in the global agri-food landscape. How can we align regional innovation with the EU’s strategic vision? What role can institutions like WUR and FAO play in scaling impact beyond borders? And how can Europe position itself as a global leader in sustainable, digitally-enabled agriculture? What will be the role of the AgData partnership?
Moderator:
- Prof. Dr. Joost de Laat, Director, Social Sciences Group, Wageningen University & Research, The Netherlands
Invited Speakers:
- Roald Lapperre, Secretary General, Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN)
Sjoukje Heimovaara, President, Wageningen University & Research - Jesper Stendal Sørensen, AgData Partnership
- Representative from FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization (to be confirmed)
10:15 - 10:45
Project pitches III
You will be hearing from: EDIH DATAlife, LiveNet, AGRARIAN, W3DS-Agro, OptiFish, VALERECO, FCI4Africa & GEORGIA.
10:45 - 11:15
Break
11:15 - 12:45
Synergy workshops III
The following workshops will take place in paralell:
• Data in agriculture: a treasure for a sustainable food value chain by AgrifoodTEF, EDIH TWG Agrifood & EDIH DATAlife
• Photonics 4 quality monitoring: Smart solutions driving the food industry forward by Phorward21, HIGHFIVE & SIXFOLD
• Co-creating climate-neutral food systems with living labs & food convergence innovation by FCI4Africa & AfroGrow
• Enhance biodiversity through financing agroecological innovation by BIOFIN-EU & VALERECO
• Lowering adoption barriers for Digital Product Passports by ARGONAUT & BIOSPACE
• GeoAI and GenAI in agriculture and rural development: Chatting with maps by ALLIANCE, PoliRuralPlus & Focal
• Open source services and a new technology Code of Conduct to support the green and digital transition of smallholders by OpenAgri & Farmtopia
• The new generation of Data Space – W3DS: No Data Silos by W3DS-Agro and NXTGEN
12:45 - 14:00
Lunch break & Synergy market
Lunch will be served in the exhibition area where you can engage with the projects and other participants to create synergies.
14:00 - 15:00
Data Spaces, Data Economy and Digital Twins, AI
This session explores how digital technologies - Data Spaces, Digital Twins, and Artificial Intelligence - are transforming agriculture. It emphasises the importance of cross-domain collaboration and integrating insights from diverse fields to create innovative, effective solutions. Beyond technology, the session highlights the vital role of people, farmers, researchers, and communities, in driving meaningful digital change. By adopting a holistic approach, the discussion aims to demonstrate how these advancements can boost productivity, support sustainability, and build a resilient agricultural ecosystem. The objective is to provide practical insights that align technological innovation with real-world agricultural needs and stakeholder engagement.
Moderator:
· Harald Sundmaeker, Institute for Applied System Technologies (ATB Bremen)
Invited speakers:
- · Jürgen Vangeyte, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture Fisheries and Food (ILVO)
- · Doris Marquardt, Programme Officer, European Commission, DG-CNECT
Francesco Iadecola, Research Programme Officer, European Commission, DG-AGRI - · Dolores Ordóñez, Coordinator of the Common European Data Space for Tourism (DEPLOYTOUR)
- · Slawi Stesny, Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF)
15:00 - 15:30
Cultivating change: the use of digital tech by female and young entrepreneurs in agri-food
This interactive session will explore how digital innovations are shaping the future of agri-food through the lenses of generational renewal and women’s entrepreneurship. Structured around three key questions, the session invites the audience to actively participate by using a “catch box” microphone, encouraging open dialogue and shared reflections between participants of this interactive plenary.
Moderator:
- Lorena van de Kolk, Gender Alliance for Innovation in Agriculture (GAIA)
Speakers:
Mark Ryan, Senior Digital Ethics Researcher at Wageningen Social & Economic Research
A female farmer (TBC)
A female entrepreneur focused on food-tech (TBC)
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15:30 - 16:00
Project pitches IV
You will be hearing from: BIOFIN-EU, ARGONAUT, EFRA, AFROGROW, Phorwards21, 4Growth, CEADS &. GAIA.