DUBLIN, 1 November 2018 – Centered in the hotbed for agtech R&D and early stage startups, Global AgInvesting’s AgTech Nexus Europe, 7 December at the Convention Centre Dublin, welcomes Phil Hogan, EU commissioner for agriculture and rural development, as keynote speaker.
Hogan, and featured speaker Liam Condon, president of the Crop Science division at Bayer, will address how EU ag policy helps or hinders innovation. “New technologies have the potential to make agriculture more sustainable, in every sense of the word,” said Hogan in an interview with GAI Gazette. “That is why we are making use of funding under Horizon 2020 and the CAP to invest strongly in research and innovation for agriculture and we should continue to do so in the coming years. We not only finance large-scale European innovation projects, but also stimulate innovation in a bottom-up approach.”
Condon is equally enthusiastic about the potential of technological innovation in agriculture, particularly with Bayer’s recent purchase of Monsanto. He said, in an interview with Successful Farming, that he hopes the combination [of the two companies] will create a customizable product portfolio with a comprehensive offering of seed and crop-protection products, a leading platform in digital farming, and leading innovation capabilities and R&D technology platforms. He noted that together, the companies will put $2.8 billion towards R&D to “shape agriculture through breakthrough innovation for the benefit of farmers, consumers and the planet.” At AgTech Nexus, Condon will discuss the challenges and opportunities on the horizon in a fireside chat led by Arama Kukutai, co-founder and partner of Finistere Ventures.
Other topics of discussion in Ireland – where investors benefit from an advantageous tax structure and a supportive government that has committed, over the past five years, more capital towards agricultural R&D than the U.S. – include outlooks for robotics in specialty crops; opportunities in digital agriculture; and accelerating, incubating and investing: the bridge from R&D to Series A.
This second annual event also features a showcase of early stage agtech companies. Local and international startups are invited to apply at www.startup.agtechnexus.com for the opportunity to present to sector-focused investors ready to partner.
Many will start their week in Europe in London at Global AgInvesting Europe, 4-5 December, where allocators, fund managers and industry executives will come together to discuss investment prospects in agricultural real assets.
Learn more at www.agtechnexus.com and www.gai-eu.com.
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