Investigating autonomous, data-driven technologies in crop production – an emerging innovation ecosystem transforming the agricultural sector (Acronym: ADD-Crop)

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Stefanie Bröring
• Subject Area: Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Policy, Agricultural Sociology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 556034019

Smart farming and the associated digital technologies have the potential to facilitate a sustainable transformation of the agricultural sector. These technologies can contribute to resource-saving increases in productivity, which can be defined as “sustainable intensification.” Consequently, digital technologies from other sectors are being increasingly employed in the field of crop production. Consequently, a convergence between the digital economy and the agricultural sector is becoming increasingly evident. This convergence is leading to a transformation towards smart faming, which can be described as a complex phenomenon with numerous interactions. In order to adequately address the complexity of this phenomenon, a holistic approach is necessary to capture the interrelations. The objective of this research project is, thus, to investigate the fundamental structural changes triggered by the emergence of autonomous, data-driven technologies, as well as the consequences and opportunities for the actors involved. This is done within the framework of a multi-level analysis at the ecosystem, organizational, and individual levels. The present research project will analyze the convergence of formerly separate ecosystems (WP1), the impact on the identiy of established agricultural machinery firms (WP2), and the cognitive mechanisms of managers in recognizing entrepreneurial opportunities in these fields of convergence that emerge at the boundary of the digital economy and the farming sector (WP3). This will deepen the understanding of the transformation of agricultural production systems that increasingly move from physical products to digital product service systems. Integrating the findings from all three levels of investigation will enable the advancement of research on ecosystems and convergence and address the pivotal question of which actors will gain a dominant or influential role in the evolving digital agricultural innovation ecosystem.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Michael Rennings