How can we accelerate the translation of research into practical applications? At the FONA Forum 2026, the agricultural systems of the future demonstrated how innovative technologies, interdisciplinary research, and societal dialogue contribute to shaping sustainable agricultural and food systems.
On June 24 and 25, 2026, the FONA Forum 2026 took place at Futurium Berlin and online under the motto “Knowledge. Prosperity. Change – Research with Impact.” Representatives from academia, politics, business, and civil society came together to discuss the future of sustainability research and the transfer of scientific findings into practice. The forum marked the launch of the implementation of the new FONA strategy by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR), which aims to further develop research for sustainability as an integrated research and innovation strategy through 2030.
Federal Minister of Research Dorothee Bär was a guest at the opening ceremony. She emphasized: “Research must be put into practice more quickly.” «The Agricultural Systems of the Future» (AdZ) initiative also pursues this goal. “The funded AdZ consortia are working specifically to translate research findings into practice and to further develop innovations for sustainable agricultural and food systems in a way that is relevant to real-world applications,” said Prof. Schreiner from the AdZ Central Coordination Office. At the FONA Forum, the “Agricultural Systems of the Future” initiative presented exhibits and demonstrators that made the transfer of their excellent research visible and tangible.
Research for Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems
Three research consortia from the «Agricultural Systems of the Future» funding initiative—DAKIS, food4future, and CUBES Circle—were represented at the FONA Forum. They provided insights into their current research and showcased innovative solutions for sustainable and resilient agricultural and food systems. They were supported by the AdZ Central Coordination Office.
Among other things, visitors were able to experience virtual and augmented reality applications as well as AI-supported solutions. The exhibits illustrated how digital technologies and interdisciplinary research can help develop solutions to key challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, biodiversity loss, and food security, and how research findings can be made accessible to different target groups.
Research with Impact
In the FONA Impact module, the new FONA strategy explicitly aims to rapidly translate scientific findings into concrete applications and to strengthen sustainable innovations. The agricultural systems of the future also align with this goal: The funded AdZ consortia combine biological and technical research with digital innovations, new production systems, and practical demonstrators. This leads to solutions that can be further developed in collaboration with the scientific community, industry, policymakers, and society at large, and ultimately put into practice.
The FONA Forum provided the ideal setting for this. The exhibits on display clearly demonstrated how research not only generates new knowledge but also provides impetus for sustainable value creation, resilient innovation ecosystems, and social dialogue. At the same time, the event opened up a wide range of opportunities for exchange with stakeholders from academia, politics, business, and civil society.
“We are pleased that, with «The Agricultural Systems of the Future», we can make an important contribution to the development of sustainable agricultural and food systems. Here, transformation is being put into practice to address the challenges of today and tomorrow,” said Prof. Thomas Weith of the Central Coordination Office.
