The step toward a shared practice
Sometimes you can feel that a sector is ready to do things differently. On October 21, Synergy Days 2025 brought together farmers, tech suppliers, researchers, EDIHs and DIHs, policymakers, and companies with one shared goal: connecting what already exists. Everywhere, the same question arose: how do we move from pilots to a shared practice that works on the farm and across the value chain? The answer took shape here. Interoperability, cross-project and cross-border collaboration, and trust in data sharing turned from buzzwords into concrete agreements. That created both direction and momentum.
One movement instead of separate projects
Conversations between projects naturally evolved into plans for connection. As a result, reuse and scaling came within reach, and the perspective shifted from individual solutions to a shared foundation. Time, budget, and knowledge are used more effectively, and what works can grow further.
The importance of trust became tangible
Nearly every session revolved around the same principle: data sharing only succeeds when governance, transparency, rights, and access are clear. Clear agreements make collaboration predictable and create the safety needed to join in. That shift moved the discussion from technology alone to the rules that allow technology to take root in practice.
The farmer as the starting point of the business case
In the workshop The value of data sharing by NXTGEN Hightech and AgrifoodTEF, Joep Tummers and Jos Verstegen from WUR, Will Kroot from VAA, and Marnik van Geelen from Borne Campus brought the use cases to life. The challenges were familiar: lack of trust, unclear value for farmers, and uncertainty about regulations. By starting with direct benefits on the farm—time, yield, and less hassle—the value became tangible, and the rest of the chain followed naturally.
Interoperability drives scaling
Interoperability became the key that connects everything. When systems and platforms align, silos disappear, and solutions become reusable in new contexts. Collaboration across projects and countries becomes logical, duplication fades, and progress accelerates.
What the pitches made clear
The same message resonated in the NXTGEN pitch. Linking, sharing, and scaling require organization—not just good intentions. The booth and the conversations around it showed that this works when it’s arranged together and when the farmer is part of the value proposition. Synergy Days thus became one story built on shared rules, shared data, and shared progress.
Synergy Days inspires us to keep building the NXTGEN Hightech Agrifood ecosystem together
The energy felt during Synergy Days 2025 aligns perfectly with what’s happening within the NXTGEN Hightech Agrifood ecosystem. Here, we work on smart data use, more efficient value chains, cross-sector collaboration, and removing regulatory barriers. Always grounded in practice and open to anyone who wants to join. The event offered a valuable mirror: we must keep connecting and strengthening trust within the sector so that real scaling can take place.