André Hoogendijk

Director at BO Akkerbouw

André Hoogendijk is the Director of BO Akkerbouw, the Dutch interbranch organisation for arable crops. BO Akkerbouw’s 14 members represent breeders, growers, traders and processors of potatoes, sugar beets, cereals, onions and other arable crops. BO Akkerbouw had published the Agrifood Code of Conduct for Data Use and works on building trust and platforms for better and smart data use in agriculture.

Benjamin Lieberknecht

Sales Manager at European Space Imaging (EUSI)

Benjamin Lieberknecht, Sales Manager at European Space Imaging (EUSI), has over a decade of experience in the geospatial data industry. He holds a B.Sc. in Geography from the University of Würzburg and an M.Sc. in Applied Geoinformatics from the University of Salzburg. During his studies, he worked on remote sensing projects with the German Aerospace Center (DLR).

Benjamin joined EUSI in 2015 in customer support, serving as the primary contact for ESA Copernicus projects before becoming Sales Manager in 2019, focusing on Central Europe and advanced geospatial solutions. After working as Partner Manager at Esri Germany in 2022/2023, he returned to EUSI in 2023. His current role involves strengthening relationships with resellers and customers in Central Europe, as well as managing research collaborations with DLR, Fraunhofer, and the Max Planck Institute.

Cath van Meurs

Agricultural statistics at Statistics Netherlands (CBS)

Cath van Meurs has been working for Statistics Netherlands (CBS) since 2020. Within the domain of agricultural statistics, she worked on organic farming, grazing and the yield of grassland. Since 2022, Cath is also part of the team researching automated data reporting for agricultural surveys, e.g. by connecting to Farm Management Information Systems.

Corné Kempenaar

Coordinator data & precision farming at BO Akkerbouw

Corné Kempenaar works at the Brancheorganisatie Akkerbouw, an arable farming value chains association, in the function of coordinator data & precision farming. He has an MSc and PhD of Wagningen University in agronomy topics, and worked for many years as researcher in Wageningen Plant Research on precision farming. He still has a part time position at the University of Applied Science, Aeres Dronten, as associated professor Smart farming and digitalisation.His interest is in social and technical innovation to improve the data position of farms and to stimulate smart data use for sustainable farming

Erik Laan

Lecturer of Space Engineering at Inholland University of Applied Sciences

Erik Laan is a lecturer of Space Engineering at Inholland University of Applied Sciences in Delft, the Netherlands where he works with a team of Aeronautical & Precision Engineering BSc. students to design, build and test the 6U cubesat InhollandSat-1. Formerly, he worked as an entrepreneur for his own company Eye On Orbit where he provided consultancy to Aerospace companies and institutes. His technical background is in optical instrument satellite payloads for Earth Observation and Satellite Communication, with system engineering expertise in the field of space robotics and microgravity & in-situ exploration payloads. Erik Laan is frequently present in the Dutch media when it comes to news-items where Space is involved.

Ger Snijkers

Sr. methodologist | project leader | advisor in business data collection at Statistics Netherlands (CBS)

Ger Snijkers, PhD, is senior methodologist, project leader and advisor in business data collection at Statistics Netherlands (CBS), with more than 20 years of experience. His research is aimed at tailoring the survey design to the business context. Recently he focusses on automated data reporting methods, e.g. by connecting agricultural surveys to Farm Management Information Systems. Previously, he held the position of professor of business survey methodology at Utrecht University. He is lead-author of the 2013 textbook “Designing and Conducting Business Surveys”. He is editor-in-chief of the 2023 edited volume “Advances in Business Statistics, Methods and Data Collection

Gerhard Triebnig

Business Strategy Consultant at EOX IT Services GmbH

Dr. Gerhard Triebnig, Business Strategy Consultant at EOX IT Services GmbH; he has dedicated four decades to the development of IT and Earth observation service concepts and implementations, over a rainbow of affiliations in academia, public applied research, the international institutions ESA and EC; now promoter of EOX, one of the finest companies in geospatial industry of which he is co-founder and co-owner. His current work focus is on information factories for green transitions an related sustainable business strategies.

Grega Milcinski

Co-founder at Sinergise

Grega Milcinski co-founded Sinergise in September 2008 and, after acquisition of Sinergise by Planet Labs PBC in August 2023, joined Planet.  The Sinergise team is best known for Sentinel Hub, Area Monitoring Services and EO Browser. Several years ago, they recognised the potential of open EO data, but hit a wall trying to use existing technologies to work with these large datasets. Fast-forward a couple of years and Sentinel Hub is now processing more than half a billion of requests every month, powering thousands of applications and machine learning workflows worldwide, providing seamless access to Sentinel, Landsat, Planet and many other satellite missions. Sinergise is part of the consortium led by T-Systems, which is operating Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem on behalf of European Space Agency and European Commission.

Jan Koers

Senior advisor at Geonovum

Jan Koers is senior advisor at Geonovum, where he supports the policy developments of the Dutch ecosystem for geo-information. Jan has a background in geodesy, cartography and geographical information systems. With over 30 years of experience he has worked in the Netherlands with  several Dutch municipalities and with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. Besides that, he worked in Latin America as an independent international consultant together with organizations like Kadaster International, the World Bank and EuropeAid.

Jan’s experience is related to strategic information management and innovation. He has specific interest in local and regional authorities, land administration, spatial planning, and the use of decision support systems, including digital twins. Jan is an advocate of “fit for purpose” geo-information, “by design” principles, and of “inclusion. He is involved in the developments related to the digital transition at European and national level.

Geonovum aims to improve the use of geo-information by promoting findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable geodata and geo-functionality through standardization. Geonovum shares knowledge about the development of the geo-information infrastructure and its practical use. In this session Geonovum will elaborate on the interrelation of the current developments related to dataspaces and digital twins.

Jonna van Opstal

Product Manager and Irrigation expert at Hydrosat

Jonna van Opstal is a product manager and irrigation expert at Hydrosat. Prior to joining Hydrosat she was a Researcher in Agriculture Water Management at Wageningen University working closely with the experimental farms and innovative farmers. She has also worked in consultancy and lecturing as a Water Productivity Expert at FutureWater and at IHE Delft. She has contributed to and managed several major international projects and has over 10 years of experience in the field of irrigation and remote sensing. Her main focus is on crop water productivity and using open access spatial data for irrigation performance assessment and translating this to practical situations. She holds a BSc and MSc in International Land and Water Management from Wageningen University and a PhD in Irrigation Engineering from Utah State University.

Jürgen Vangeyte

Scientific Director at ILVO

Jürgen Vangeyte is the forward-thinking Scientific Director at ILVO, spearheading the department of Agrifood Technology. With a PhD in Bioscience Engineering, he specializes in innovative digital agrifood research, emphasizing sustainable practices from farm to fork. Managing a team of over 80 dedicated professionals, Jürgen leads in conducting state-of-the-art research and providing outstanding technical and administrative support. Renowned for his expertise in integrating high-end digital and data technology into impactful solutions for future food production, his leadership in high-impact European projects like IOF2020, Smart Agri Hubs, and Cybele underscores his commitment to precision agriculture and large-scale IoT applications in smart farming. As an ambassador for the digital agrifood ecosystem, he motivates his team toward innovation and actively promotes the adoption of digital technology in the agrifood sector. Under his guidance, the department has developed DjustConnect, a pioneering regional data space initiative in agriculture, and supports the Smart Digital Farming hub and an Enoll-recognized Living Lab, positioning ILVO at the forefront of agritech innovation and sustainable farming solutions. Most recently, the living lab has evolved into a testing and experimentation facility for AI and robotics in agrifood, offering innovative services to companies seeking support in making their products market-ready."

Marcel Meijer

Advisor GEO/GIS/AMS at Netherlands Enterprise Agency

Marcel Meijer has been working within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) since 2001 and has gained experience in various roles, including advisor, trainer, analyst, information analyst, and project manager. Since 2019, he has been involved in the introduction of the Area Monitoring System (AMS), which monitors agricultural activities and practices nationwide based on satellite data, with a focus on technology, policy, and implementation.

Marc Middendorp

Advisor Innovation Satellite Applications at Netherlands Space Office (NSO)

Marc Middendorp is innovation advisor at the Netherlands Space Office (NSO), where he supports the development and adoption of satellite-based solutions with real-world impact. Drawing on his background in agricultural innovation at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Marc brings extensive experience in using geodata to tackle societal challenges, ranging from circular farming metrics to open-field crop strategies developed with sector partners.

His interest in Earth Observation began eight years ago with the introduction of the Area Monitoring System (AMS), where he explored how satellite and GNSS data could improve agricultural policy implementation. Today, at NSO, Marc focuses on scaling such innovations and aligning them with broader information needs across organizations.

As the government’s space agency, NSO plays a key role in promoting the strategic use of satellite data and digital twins - linking space infrastructure with pressing societal challenges.

Okan Turkes

Architect connected systems at Kubota

Dr. Okan Turkes works at the intersection of innovation, digital transformation and agricultural strategy. At Kubota, he helps turn emerging technologies into business value, by reimagining how ecosystems can evolve and thrive together. Within the AEF community, he plays an active role in shaping the future of agricultural dataspaces—pushing the boundaries of trust, interoperability, and digital design in the field. He brings deep expertise in the Internet of Things and cloud technologies to support broader growth and unlock new values across the agricultural domain.

Rob O'Loughlin

Head of Earth Observation Technologies at Compass Informatics

Rob is the Head of Earth Observation Technologies in Compass Informatics. With over 12 years of experience in GIS, Data Analysis, and Earth Observation, Rob leads his team to analyse various temporal and spatial datasets to benefit client projects across many sectors. Rob is the Project Manager of the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine's (DAFM) "Area Monitoring System", which uses Copernicus Sentinel Satellite data to monitor agricultural activities national and determines compliance against Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) schemes, assisting DAFM in payment decisions. Using his MSc in in Environmental Science, Rob strives to enable sustainable communities in all shapes and forms.