agrifoodTEF at Synergy Days 2025: Bridging innovation and farmer adoption

For the third consecutive year, agrifoodTEF joined the Synergy Days in Rotterdam, one of Europe’s leading gatherings for digital innovation in the agri-food sector. This year's edition brought together EU projects, policy-makers, European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), and digital innovators for two days of collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Throughout the event, a recurring message emerged: innovation must be embedded locally, with EDIHs and Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) acting as key connectors between regional realities and Europe's wider digital landscape. A central theme was how to turn research into market-ready solutions that reach farmers, while addressing the financial, regulatory, and operational barriers that often slow innovation from lab to field. 

Four workshops, one shared goal: making innovation work for farmers

This year, the agrifoodTEF team contributed to four workshops tackling data, ethics, and the real-world deployment of AI and robotics solutions in agriculture. 

• Data spaces as fuel for agri-food AI development: Ethical, legal, and social aspects
  Moderated by Jos Verstegen, Senior Researcher in Business Innovation at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), which leads the agrifoodTEF Dutch Node, this workshop explored how data spaces can drive responsible AI development in agriculture. Discussions focused on creating equitable ecosystems that reward data providers fairly and ensure transparent use of agricultural data for AI model training.
• Data spaces as fuel for agri-food AI development: Ethical, legal, and social aspects
  Organised by agrifoodTEF together with projects CEADS, Data4Food2030 and the AgData Partnership. The moderators from agrifoodTEF were Can Atik, from WUR and the Dutch Node, and Rosa Gil and Roberto García, from Universitat de Lleida (UdL) and the agrifoodTEF Spanish Node. This session addressed trust in data sharing. Participants examined how to define clear value propositions, align incentives, and leverage the EU Data Act to facilitate secure data exchanges across the agri-food value chain.
• Crossing the valley of death in agri-food AI and robotics
  Also moderated by Jos Verstegen, this workshop explored strategies to transform research prototypes into market-ready solutions. Discussions centred on overcoming investment risks, improving scalability, and fostering sustainable business models.
• Data in agriculture: A treasure for a sustainable food value chain
  Moderated by Raffaele Bini, Project Consultant at EDIH DATAlife and part of the agrifoodTEF Spanish Node, this session focused on how EDIHs and TEFs can help farmers and SMEs unlock the full potential of their data through secure, interoperable, and sustainable data ecosystems.

A space for collaboration and visibility

Beyond the workshops, agrifoodTEF was present in the exhibition area, where more than 30 initiatives showcased digital and data-driven solutions for the agri-food sector. The booth served as a hub for dialogue, and throughout the two days, agrifoodTEF strengthened its collaboration with EDIHs, SmartAgriHubs members, and other European initiatives, reaffirming its mission to bridge the gap between research and practical adoption by farmers.

The 2025 edition of Synergy Days confirmed the importance of collaboration across projects and communities to drive digital transformation in the agri-food sector. For agrifoodTEF, it was an opportunity to connect with innovators, policymakers, and practitioners, and explore new synergies for testing, validation, and market deployment.

Want to see the best moments from our sessions and community exchanges? Watch our video highlights from Synergy Days 2025.