The think tank for the food production of tomorrow will take place in Cologne from 19 to 22 March 2024. The trade fair's event programme with its numerous event formats will provide important impetus for cross-industry dialogue. dialogue across sectors. In particular, the focus will be on the key theme of "responsibility".

The specialist programme organised by the German Agricultural Society (DLG) will pick up on the overarching theme: With creative, modern event formats such as "Science Slam", "Open Expert Stage", "Deep Dive" or "Content Pro Contra", it offers a wide range of opportunities to get actively involved and benefit from extensive expert knowledge.

The Main Stage (Hall 9, B080/C081) will focus on the key topic of responsibility in the food supply chain. The concept of sustainability meets the responsibility to drive innovation. Only holistic approaches promise long-term success: from the supply industry to global raw material procurement, production, packaging and logistics through to energy and water management. Experts from the food supply chain will present and discuss innovative technologies, ecological approaches and socially responsible procedures for the future of food production. The spectrum of topics ranges from sustainable packaging, transparent and socially responsible supply chains, alternative proteins, food security, food safety and climate change, reduction of food losses, fresh produce and intralogistics to optimal energy and water management, automation, robotics, digitalisation and artificial intelligence.

The Innovation Stage (Hall 5.2, C100/D119) sees itself as a think tank for the economy of tomorrow. Together with cooperation partners from science, business and the start-up scene, the future is rethought here with interested trade visitors. Topics include the latest developments in the field of extrusion technology, sustainability approaches along the food value chain, growth markets, big data, cyber security, predictive maintenance and open innovation approaches.

At the Female Leadership Event, women will talk about their professional careers, the challenges they have faced and provide valuable tips. The importance of a functioning network in which competence and expertise are bundled quickly becomes clear. The focus is on exchange and networking. The event will take place on 20 March 2024 on the Main Stage. With the International FoodTec Award, the DLG and its partners recognise pioneering developments in innovation, sustainability and efficiency in the field of food technology. This year, 14 innovation projects from the international food and supply industry will be honoured with the prestigious technology award.

Sensors are indispensable elements for automation. With fast response times and reliable and accurate measured values, they have been helping food producers to optimise their processes and thus save energy, time and media for decades. However, in the course of digitalisation and networking, the tasks of measurement technology are also changing. It is no longer enough to "just" measure process parameters. The more complex the automation scenario, the greater the demands on sensor precision and reliability. The large volumes of data pose new challenges for the configuration and connection of measurement technology. Traditional sensors that supply binary signals for the control system are reaching their limits here. They are increasingly being replaced by sensor systems in which the signal preparation and signal processing are combined in one housing in addition to the actual measured variable acquisition.

Visitors can see for themselves how easily current automation tasks can be solved with smart sensors. The technology providers will be presenting a complete portfolio of hygienic flow, level, temperature, pressure and other analytical sensors that are specially designed to meet the requirements of the food and beverage industry. They allow a view into the process and provide plant operators with important diagnostic and process data. The range extends from sensors and connectivity components to online services and apps for various diagnostic tasks. Food producers who are already well advanced with their implementation in terms of Industry 4.0 and are considering direct communication with a cloud solution or another higher-level system will also find future-proof solutions in Cologne.