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IGZ at 20 Years of ‘Leibniz in Brussels’: Research on Future Agrifood Systems Presented at Anniversary Event in Brussels

10.09.2026
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Prof. Christoph M. Schmidt (President of the WGL, right) tested the food4future VR application at the Europe Office’s anniversary event in Brussels. Photo: IGZ/J. Berend.
Prof. Christoph M. Schmidt (President of the WGL, right) tested the food4future VR application at the Europe Office’s anniversary event in Brussels. Photo: IGZ/J. Berend.

On 1 September 2026, the Leibniz Association celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Brussels office. Held under the title “Celebrating 20 Years Leibniz in Brussels”, the event brought together representatives from science, politics and industry at the Representation of the State of Baden-Württemberg to discuss the role of research and innovation in shaping Europe’s future. The Leibniz Institute for Horticultural Sciences (IGZ) was represented in the exhibition with research approaches from the ‘food4future’ collaborative project and the coordination office of the ‘Agricultural Systems of the Future’ funding initiative.

The IGZ, together with four other Leibniz Institutes, was on site with the BMFTR funding programme “Agricultural Systems of the Future” under the motto "Shaping the Future together". Together with the joint projects ‘DAKIS’ and ‘food4future’, various research approaches addressing future agrifood systems were presented. The presentation highlighted the breadth of research in this field – from digitalisation and artificial intelligence to biodiversity and food research, as well as alternative food resources.

As part of ‘food4future’, the IGZ presented an algae reactor. The demonstrator illustrated how macroalgae can be cultivated under controlled conditions and provided an insight into research on alternative food resources. The ‘food4future’ project is coordinated at the IGZ. The presentation was complemented by the mixed-reality application ‘Food Visions’, which allowed visitors to explore possible future food scenarios. Prof. Dr Christoph M. Schmidt, President of the Leibniz Association, also visited the stand and tried out the VR application.

The event provided an opportunity to place research in a European context and to engage in dialogue with representatives from science, politics and the European research and innovation community.

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