Future Farmer
Fremtidsbonden is the farmer-first innovation programme from the Nordic Edge Agritech Cluster. Together with forward-thinking growers, tech pioneers and research partners, we turn real-world challenges on Rogaland farms into smarter, greener and more profitable solutions.
About the project
- Duration: 2023 – 2025 (with long-term ambitions)
- Funding: Rogaland County Municipality – “Regional Facilitation Measures in Agriculture”
- Host: Nordic Edge Agritech Cluster – Norway’s leading arena for sustainable smart-farming technology
- Mission: Equip farmers with digital and precision-ag skills, while guiding industry to build tools that actually work in the field.
What is Fremtidsbonden?
The “Farmers of the Future” project is a groundbreaking initiative in Rogaland, Norway, that aims to bridge the gap between technological innovation and real-world needs in agriculture. Supported by Rogaland County Municipality until the end of 2025, the project seeks to create a network of forward-thinking farmers who can actively shape the development of new technologies and solutions for the agricultural sector.
The main objective of the Future farmer project is to establish a network of farmers in Rogaland who will be able to place concrete orders with the industry and at the same time experience increased competence development within digital and precision agriculture. Here we need the farmer as the expert who helps to highlight what is actually useful for agriculture so that good solutions win out.
Who Can Join?
Any Rogaland farmer curious about new technology – regardless of size, sector or digital skill level. Enthusiasm beats expertise; we’ll build the know-how together.
Why Join?
- Influence the future of farm tech: Share challenges and co-design solutions before they reach the market.
- Test and validate innovations: Pilot tools with partners – keep what works, drop what doesn’t.
- Customize for your operation: Shape solutions that ease daily workloads and boost profitability.
- Stay compliance-ready: Build skills for future demands in emissions, documentation, and data.
- Showcase modern farming: Demonstrate to consumers and policymakers that farming leads on sustainability.
- Expand your network: Collaborate with farmers, researchers, and suppliers to tackle shared challenges.
Focus Areas (defined by farmers)
- Impact & Future Outlook – make sure policy and perception align with reality.
- Efficiency – save time, cut waste, improve wellbeing.
- Soil Management – healthier soil, resilient yields.
- Energy – self-produced, secure and profitable power.
Each theme already feeds dedicated “opportunity platforms” such as new feeding solutions, on-farm energy, data-driven efficiency and regenerative soil health.
How it Works
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Workshops & Field Dialogues – farmers outline concrete challenges.
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Opportunity Platforms – cluster curates joint R&D tracks with companies and academia.
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Pilots on Real Farms – solutions are tested where it matters.
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Knowledge Sharing – results feed back to the network via events and the Agritech Connect portal.
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Scaling – proven concepts roll out to the wider market.
Background
The need for a farmer-centric approach
The agricultural industry is undergoing rapid technological change, with new tools and solutions emerging all the time. However, not all of these innovations are equally useful or relevant to the daily realities of farmers. The “Farmers of the Future” project recognizes the importance of farmer input in driving the development of truly beneficial technologies.
How the project works
The project involves two key components:
- Establishing a network of farmers: The project will create a network of farmers in Rogaland who are willing to test and evaluate new technologies, provide feedback to developers, and share their experiences with other farmers.
- Providing training and support: The project will offer training and support to farmers in the use of digital and precision farming technologies. This will help farmers to build the skills and knowledge they need to make the most of these new tools.
The project is a unique opportunity for farmers in Rogaland to play a leading role in shaping the future of agriculture. By working together with developers and researchers, farmers can ensure that new technologies meet their needs and help them to build a more sustainable and prosperous future for the agricultural sector.
Contact
Gunnar Crawford
Head of Agritech Cluster
+47 934 88 841
gunnar@nordicedge.org
Jack Davies
Business Developer, Agritech
+47 408 45 968
jack@nordicedge.org