Research • Educate • Connect
Towards a sustainable bioeconomy

Research • Educate • Connect
Towards a sustainable bioeconomy

12th BioSC Spotlight: "Towards a future automated agriculture - From mission to implementation"

July 2, 2026 | 10:00 am - 4:30 pm | Forschungszentrum Jülich (in-person only)
IBG-2: Plant Sciences | 06.2, 406 | 52425 Jülich
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Agriculture is increasingly facing major challenges: rising labor and resource costs and strict regulations on the use of pesticides. The 12th Spotlight wants to point out how agriculture can still operate sustainably and ensure a secure food supply. Research can help to reduce or completely prevent disease, pest and weed infestation through integrated pest management. Digitalization can facilitate the early detection of pest infestation. Smart and precision farming can help to make agriculture more effective, save time, and increase productivity. Ultimately, the measures must be evaluated in terms of their economic efficiency, sustainability, and effectiveness.

Registration is open!

Please register not later than June 18, 2026:

REGISTRATION

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Agenda

  9:30 h

Registration and Welcome Coffee

10:00 h

Welcome and Introduction
Uwe Rascher | IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich

10:15 h

Session I

 

Digitalisation in Crop Protection – from research to practice
Anne-Katrin Mahlein | IFZ, Göttingen

 

Nature as a Blueprint for Sustainable Agriculture - a Sugar Beet Case Study
Sandra Bredenbruch | INRES - Molecular Phytomedicine, University of Bonn 

 

Next-Generation Herbicides: Interfering Peptides for Targeted C4 Weed Management
Meike Sauerland | Biochemical Plant Physiology, HHU Düsseldorf

 

Q and A

11:20 h

Coffee Break

11:50 h

Session II

 

How can the FARMING GT make agriculture more sustainable?
Timo Grupp | farming revolution GmbH

 

Established and advanced drone-based remote sensing methods for detecting crop status
Juliane Bendig | IBG2: Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich

 

A Journey From PhD to Startup!
Alireza Ahlmadi | Dynamobot GmbH

 

Q and A

13:00 h

Lunch

14:15 h

Session III

 

Digitalisation in Agriculture - Wish or Reality?
Harald Kramer | Landwirtschaftskammer NRW

 

Adaption and impacts of robotics and sensing technology in agriculture
Jan Börner | ILR - Economic and Agricultureal Policy, University of Bonn

 

Q and A

 15:10 h

Closing remarks
Uwe Rascher | IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich

 

-- short break --

15:30 h

Guided tour (approximately 45 min)