AgriTech Talks: Dutch smart solutions for Romanian agriculture

AgriTech Talks – more than just talks

How can technology help farmers produce more with fewer resources, adapt to changing weather conditions and remain competitive in an increasingly demanding market? This was the central question behind AgriTech Talks – Dutch Smart Solutions for Romanian Agriculture, an event organized by the LAN-team in Romania on 27 October 2026 in Bucharest.

Bringing together representatives of the Romanian and Dutch agrifood communities, the event marked the culmination of the Embassy’s two-month campaign “NL AgriTech: Smarter. Together” which showcased the smart tech solutions of 28 Dutch agrifood technology companies, including those involved in the DigiFruit PIB initiative dedicated to the digitalisation of Romania’s fruit-growing sector.

Turning shared challenges into opportunities

Agriculture in both Romania and the Netherlands is facing increasingly complex challenges: unpredictable weather, growing pressure on water resources, rising production costs, labour shortages and the need to remain competitive while protecting the environment. These challenges transcend national borders and call for stronger international cooperation.

Technology should not be an objective in itself, but a practical instrument that helps farmers build stronger businesses, improve production efficiency and use natural resources more responsibly. Precision farming, smart sensors, data-driven decisions, artificial intelligence, robotics and automation are already creating new possibilities. However, successful innovation depends on more than introducing new equipment or software. It requires understanding local realities, listening to farmers and adapting solutions to their actual needs.

Romania’s digitalisation opportunity

The potential for agricultural innovation in Romania is considerable. While the Netherlands - despite its relatively small territory, is the world’s second-largest agrifood exporter after the United States, Romania ranks as the European Union’s seventh agricultural power. Yet an important gap remains when it comes to digital transformation.

Andrei Chiriac, President of the Agrinnovator Digital Transformation Think Tank of the Romanian Farmers’ Club, presented figures illustrating the scale of the opportunity: in 2024, approximately 19% of Romanian farms were digitalised, compared with 57.5% across the European Union. The benefits of digitalisation can be substantial. According to the data presented by the Romanian Farmers’ Club, digitalised farms can achieve up to 18% lower input use, 35% less irrigation water consumption, 25% lower carbon emissions, 20% greater machinery efficiency and 30% higher crop yields.

To help accelerate this transition, Agrinnovator is working on several initiatives, including a digital transformation guide, an Agricultural IT Specialist training programme targeting 1,000 participants, contributions to drone legislation and the development of a Digital Farming Academy. The message emerging from the discussion was that digital transformation is not just about access to technology. It is equally about knowledge, skills and the capacity to turn innovation into measurable business results.

28 Dutch companies bringing smart and innovative solutions closer to farmers

At the heart of “NL AgriTech: Smarter. Together” media campaign were the Dutch companies demonstrating how smart technology can address real agricultural challenges. Thirteen individual companies and the fifteen companies part of the DigiFruit initiative, presented technologies and practical projects already making a difference in agriculture. Their solutions covered a wide range of applications, from precision farming equipment, irrigation systems and digital agronomy to autonomous machinery and advanced greenhouse technologies.

Several of the showcased solutions were accompanied by testimonials from Romanian users, illustrating how international expertise can be adapted to local farming conditions. A six-and-a-half-minute video bringing together all the campaign stories premiered during the event, highlighting a central message: the technologies are available, the solutions are already being implemented, and partnerships are essential to bringing their benefits to Romanian farms.

Representatives of several campaign companies and the DigiFruit initiative also met participants during a dedicated networking session, creating opportunities for direct exchanges and potential future collaborations.

Cooperation beyond technology

Technology was only one part of the conversation in Bucharest. The event also explored the business and institutional conditions necessary to make agricultural innovation successful.

Discussions brought together perspectives from across the sector, with contributions from Iulia Blagu, President of the Association of Women in Agriculture; Andrei Chiriac, President of the Agrinnovator Digitalisation Think Tank of the Romanian Farmers’ Club; Laurens Tack, DigiFruit Cluster Leader; and Marius Gavrea, Sustainable Solutions Expert at ING Bank Romania.

Topics included translating digital tools into tangible business value for farmers, the importance of practical knowledge and training, viable business models, access to financing and the identification of shared priorities between Dutch and Romanian partners.

Held in the same week as the Indagra agrifood fair of Bucharest, the event provided an additional opportunity to strengthen connections across the agricultural community and encourage new business relationships.

Building a smarter agricultural future, together

The conclusion of “NL Agrifood Tech: Smarter. Together” campaign marks another step in the endeavor of the LAN team Bucharest to facilitate cooperation between Dutch and Romanian companies and stimulate institutional dialogue between the two countries.

The broader ambition goes beyond showcasing individual technologies. It is about building lasting partnerships that respond to the real needs of farmers, strengthen agricultural competitiveness and contribute in the end to European food security objectives.

For Romania, with its significant agricultural potential and considerable room for digital development, cooperation with Dutch technology providers offers opportunities to accelerate modernisation. And for both countries, the message of the AgriTech Talks was straightforward: the future of agriculture will depend not only on smarter technologies, but also on the people, knowledge and partnerships that make those technologies work. Smarter agriculture starts with working together.

More information

For more information, you can reach out to the Netherlands Agricultural Network in Romania via: bkr-lvvn@minbuza.nl