The European Commission has begun its first EU Agri-Hackathon, a three-day event where teams are building digital prototypes intended to support farmers.
The hackathon is bringing together more than 110 participants, including farmers, software developers, researchers, students, entrepreneurs and agri-food professionals, the Commission reported on Friday.
Hackathons are collaborative events where people work intensively to develop a functioning software or hardware prototype.
Participants are working on three tasks linked to common challenges faced by EU farmers: saving time by improving efficiency; simplifying how farm-generated data is managed and used; and making it easier to share information and engage with partners across the value chain.
“Value chain” refers to the businesses involved in moving a product from production through processing and distribution to sale.
Teams will receive mentorship from experts in agriculture, technology, research and policymaking while they develop “farmer-centred” digital tools.
Winning teams to present work at EU Agri-Food Days
The winning teams will be invited to showcase their solutions to policymakers, industry representatives and other stakeholders at the EU Agri-Food Days 2026 in December, the Commission said.
“I am delighted to see so many applicants for the first ever EU Agri Hackathon,” Commissioner Hansen stated. “I look forward to seeing how our participants harness technology and fresh ideas to develop practical solutions that can make farmer's work simpler, more efficient and more sustainable.”
