First de:hub in Lower Saxony: AgriFood Osnabrück-Hannover to become a hub for innovation

On 17 September 2024, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection announced at the Startup Summit Germany in Berlin that Lower Saxony is now part of the nationwide Digital Hub Initiative (de:hub). With the Lower Saxony startup partnership ‘Agrifood Osnabrück-Hannover’, the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) is strengthening innovation in the agrifood sector. This is the first de:hub in Lower Saxony, and it will act as an important hub for the digital and sustainable transformation of the global agri-food industry.

The de:hub ‘Agrifood Osnabrück-Hannover’ combines the expertise of leading partners in the region: Seedhouse (Osnabrück), RootCamp (Hanover), Agrotech Valley Forum (Osnabrück) and the German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL, Quakenbrück). Together, they are pursuing the vision of bringing innovative solutions in the agricultural and food industry to market more quickly and at the same time ensuring international competitiveness. The Lower Saxony Start-up Initiative supports this cooperation as a central player in networking and promoting start-ups in Lower Saxony.

Agrifood Osnabrück-Hanover is the first de:hub in Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony’s Economics Minister Olaf Lies expressed his enthusiasm: ‘With the de:hub Agrifood, Lower Saxony has a new startup lighthouse that will strengthen our regional economy and make us visible as an international hub for innovations in agriculture and food production. The strong commitment of the startup ecosystem we have built up over the past few years and the successful collaboration between the Agrifood partners have made this success possible.’ The initiative not only contributes to the digital transformation, but also positions Lower Saxony as a leading agricultural state on an international level.

Strong partnership for digital transformation in the agricultural and food industry

The BMWK’s Digital Hub network has been promoting digital transformation through collaboration between start-ups, established companies, science and investors since 2017. The ‘Agrifood Osnabrück-Hannover’ hub is a milestone for the region and emphasises Lower Saxony’s role as a driver of innovation in the agricultural and food industry.

The partners contribute their strengths and networks to drive forward the development of disruptive technologies. Seedhouse Osnabrück, for example, supports start-ups in the agricultural, food and digital sectors, while RootCamp in Hanover supports agtech and bioeconomy start-ups to market maturity with customised programmes. The Agrotech Valley Forum promotes technology transfer in agriculture, and the DIL Quakenbrück is a leader in research into sustainable food production.

With this strong partnership and support from the entire Lower Saxony start-up ecosystem, Lower Saxony has the potential to develop into an international hotspot for agrifood innovations.

Further information can be found online at www.de-hub.de

Source: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Verkehr, Bauen und Digitalisierung