Food is where climate, health, and technology overlap. In this DLD26 panel discussion, four experts explore the future of the agri-food industry, focusing on innovations in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and localized production.
Moderator Roman Werner (TUM Venture Labs) stresses the importance of examining the entire food value chain “from the roots to the plate” so that the industry can have a positive impact on the health of both people and planet.
Gil Horsky, Founding Managing Partner of Flora Ventures, observes that nutrition is scientifically the number-one driver of disease, yet most doctors receive just one course on it in their entire education. He also highlights the food industry’s opportunity to address weight management in the era of GLP-1 pharmaceuticals. “Biotech is one of the key areas that we need in order to solve a lot of problems in the food industry”, he argues.
Marie Ammann, a Senior Innovation & Startup Manager with BayWa, highlights the importance of farming – a crucial sector that has a big problem: In Europe, only 12% of farmers are under 40 years old, which raises serious questions about succession and labor shortages. Technologies like plug-and-play sensors and upgrades that work with existing machinery could help, she suggests.
Christian Spier, Co-Founder & CEO of Differential Bio, focuses on AI’s shift “from the digital to the physical world, and especially the biological world.” The challenge he sees is that current systems largely rely on mastering the language of humans, particularly English. But “biology speaks DNAs, proteins, and cells”, he notes.
Watch the video to explore this session in detail.
