A major focus for the conference will be applying digital agriculture innovation into practical solutions for farms and the wider agri-food sector
Walton Institute at South East Technological University (SETU) is bringing one of Europe’s major digital agriculture conferences to Ireland for the first time, with Synergy Days 2026 taking place at the Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny, on 20–21 October.
Walton Institute is part of the organising committee behind the event, which is expected to attract around 200 farmers, agri-tech companies, researchers, policymakers, investors, Digital Innovation Hubs and technology specialists from across Ireland and Europe to the South East.
Now in its sixth year, Synergy Days has previously been hosted in Prague, Lisbon, Thessaloniki, Barcelona and Rotterdam. Its arrival in Kilkenny puts the South East at the centre of a European conversation about how digital technologies can support the future of agriculture and food production.
Associated Event of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026
The event has also been recognised as an Associated Event of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2026, reflecting its alignment with EU priorities around digital innovation, sustainability and the future of European agriculture.
Hosted by the SmartAgriHubs community and supported by the AgData Partnership, Synergy Days 2026 will feature two days of keynote sessions, live technology demonstrations, EU project showcases, pitches and interactive workshops.
The programme will examine the role of artificial intelligence, agricultural data, digital platforms, automation, connected systems and trusted data spaces, alongside the skills, investment and infrastructure needed to deploy these technologies at scale.
Sessions will explore how European innovation can move “from research to land”, how AI can progress beyond the pilot stage, and how agricultural data and digital systems can better serve farmers, policymakers and food businesses.
European network shaping the future of digital agriculture
The event will also put people at the centre of the digital transition, addressing skills, entrepreneurship, young farmers, advisory services and inclusive innovation.
“Bringing Synergy Days to Kilkenny for the first time is a fantastic opportunity for the South East and for Ireland.
Hazel Peavoy
Hazel Peavoy, member of the Synergy Days committee representing Walton Institute and South East Technological University TU Rise, and a farmer in the region, said:
“Bringing Synergy Days to Kilkenny for the first time is a fantastic opportunity for the South East and for Ireland. It gives farmers, agri-tech companies and researchers from the region the opportunity to engage directly with a European network that is shaping the future of digital agriculture.
“The power of Synergy Days is that it brings Europe’s digital agri-food ecosystem into one room – innovation hubs, EU projects, SMEs, researchers and policymakers – and creates opportunities to turn innovation into practical adoption.”
Ireland’s agri-food sector provides an important backdrop to the discussions. Irish food, drink and horticulture exports reached a record €19 billion in 2025, while Ireland is home to more than 135,000 farms, according to the CSO Census of Agriculture.
Irish contribution to Synergy Days 2026
The Irish contribution to Synergy Days 2026 will be significant, with speakers and representatives from many organisations including Teagasc, Enterprise Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Environmental Protection Agency, South East Technological University, Munster Technological University, ENTIRE European Digital Innovation Hub, and Macra na Feirme, alongside Irish farmers, agri-tech companies and investors.
Irish businesses and investors represented in the programme include Cormac Tagging, Proveye, Terra NutriTECH and The Yield Lab Europe.
Sjaak Wolfert, Chair of the Synergy Days Programming Committee, Wageningen University & Research, said:
“I see Synergy Days as much more than a conference. For me, it is a meeting point for the people and organisations that are truly shaping the future of digital agriculture and agri-food.”
Connect with Europe
Hosting the event in Kilkenny will give farmers, businesses and researchers from across the South East an opportunity to connect directly with counterparts from across Europe, exchange experiences and explore how successful digital agriculture solutions can be adopted and scaled.
Lorena van de Kolk, Managing Partner, Schuttelaar & Partners, organisers of Synergy Days, said:
“When I think about Synergy Days, energy and passion come to mind. This is a thriving community – a community that looks to innovate, to create and to make the agri-food system a better place.”
Synergy Days 2026 takes place at the Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny, on 20–21 October 2026. An optional programme of agricultural field trips will take place on 22 October, giving delegates the opportunity to see innovation and agricultural practices in an Irish context.
Full programme and registration details are available at www.synergyportal.eu/synergy-days.
SETU TU RISE is co-financed by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-27.