D66 and CDA interim report places technology and scaling at the heart of agrifood
In their interim report for the coalition talks, D66 and CDA explicitly identify technologies such as AI, drones, sensors, robotics and biotechnology as building blocks for future food production, combined with the ambition to scale proven innovations together with agricultural businesses and knowledge clusters. That these themes already appear on the agenda at this early stage of the coalition process is encouraging. These are intentions and guiding principles rather than established policy, but they show that technology, collaboration and scaling are being considered in political course setting in a way that could prove favourable for the Handsfree Agrifood ecosystem.
Technology and scaling firmly on the agenda
In the interim report, D66 and CDA position technologies such as AI, drones, sensors, robotics and biotechnology explicitly as building blocks for future food production. They emphasise the scaling of proven innovations, in collaboration with agricultural companies and knowledge clusters. This combination of technology, practice and knowledge makes this part of the agenda particularly notable. It shows that innovation is not viewed as an isolated experiment, but as something that should move more quickly and purposefully towards real world application. These choices are guiding for the coalition talks and have not yet been translated into concrete policy, but they do send a clear signal.
Permits, capital and knowledge as enabling conditions
Alongside technology and scaling, D66 and CDA describe their intention to move permitting more towards goal based requirements, supported by additional capacity and further digitalisation. The aim is to shorten lead times, provided that conditions such as the nitrogen issue are addressed in a workable way. They also express the ambition to invest more in research, digitalisation and energy infrastructure, moving towards international R&D targets and a larger public share. Mentioned are increased resources for the national technology strategy, regional clusters and campuses, and better alignment between financing instruments. The proposed focus on a national investment institution and a stronger European financing landscape is presented as possible support for technologies with scaling potential, but still requires further political decision making.
What this direction could mean for NXTGEN partners
If this agenda is maintained during the remainder of the coalition talks and later translated into policy, it could have a positive impact for partners within NXTGEN Hightech Agrifood. Greater predictability in permitting could shorten the path from pilot to practice. The explicit focus on data driven technology, biology and scaling aligns well with the ambition to reduce resource use and increase precision. A broader emphasis on R&D and suitable financing could help bridge the development route from research to application.
Although this interim report does not yet contain decisions and mainly represents an initial marker in a fast moving process, it is encouraging that these themes are so clearly on the agenda. It shows growing attention for the serious use of technology and innovation in addressing complex challenges in the Agrifood sector, which gives cautious optimism for the next steps.