Netzwerk Ackerbau Niedersachsen

What Netzwerk Ackerbau Niedersachsen does

Netzwerk Ackerbau Niedersachsen e.V. (NAN) is a German registered non-profit association founded in 2013 to coordinate projects, knowledge transfer, and events on sustainable arable farming in Lower Saxony. It operates as a multi-stakeholder membership network of 48 organizations spanning agricultural businesses, agri-sector companies, agricultural policy and administration bodies, and research institutions. Since summer 2021, NAN has served as the carrier of the Ackerbauzentrum Niedersachsen at Burg Warberg (Helmstedt district), an initiative of the Lower Saxony Ministry for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, functioning as the network's central physical and programmatic hub.

NAN's core offering is the Ackerbauzentrum platform, supplemented by a bi-annual-to-six-times-yearly newsletter, an event calendar, online seminars, field days, workshops, and farm-profile features ("Höfe im Portrait"). It runs and co-funds a portfolio of research and demonstration projects including FINKA/FINKAtransfer (insect promotion and pesticide reduction across 60 paired farms), KI-Reallabor Agrar (AI-based biodiversity monitoring), PACC (photonics and laser weed control), Hempilot (AI cultivation assistant for industrial hemp), FInAL (landscape laboratories with drone-based insect monitoring), AdvisoryNetPEST, Water Wise, Precise Nitrogen, LURUU, BlaubaD, AbDü, and Altan. Partnerships span Leibniz institutes, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Julius Kühn-Institut, Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachsen, Kompetenzzentrum Ökolandbau Niedersachsen, Laserzentrum Hannover, PhotonicNet GmbH, Agrotech Valley Forum, Seedhouse GmbH, DeFAF, 3N Kompetenzzentrum, and others.

Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring annual membership contributions from the 48 member organizations, project-based funding from government and institutional sources for collaborative research and demonstration projects, and donations from supporters of sustainable arable farming. The organization is led by managing director Hilmar Freiherr von Münchhausen, is headquartered at An der Burg 3, 38378 Warberg, and maintains a registered office at Helene-Künne-Allee 5, 38122 Braunschweig. Distribution is community-led through events, newsletters, and organic social channels rather than commercial sales.

Name

Netzwerk Ackerbau Niedersachsen

Legal name

Netzwerk Ackerbau Niedersachsen e.V.

Website

https://netzwerk-ackerbau.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Netzwerk Ackerbau Niedersachsen e.V. is a German non-profit association founded in 2013 that coordinates projects, knowledge transfer, and events on sustainable arable farming among 48 member organizations — including farms, agri-sector firms, policy bodies, and research institutions — across Lower Saxony.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Extension Services

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116), Business Associations (813910), Support Activities for Crop Production (11511)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF)

Keywords

• Sustainable arable farming
• Agricultural knowledge transfer
• Agricultural research projects
• Precision agriculture innovation
• Agricultural network association

Headquarters

HQ city

Warberg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership contributions from 48 member organizations including agricultural businesses, companies, and institutions
2. Project funding: Government and institutional funding for collaborative research and demonstration projects (e.g., FINKA, FINKAtransfer, KI-Reallabor Agrar, PACC)
3. Donations: Donations from supporters of sustainable arable farming initiatives

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Netzwerk Ackerbau Niedersachsen is a non-profit membership association that coordinates collaborative projects, knowledge-transfer events, and demonstration activities on sustainable arable farming in Lower Saxony. It operates the Ackerbauzentrum Niedersachsen at Burg Warberg as a central platform and runs multiple research and demonstration projects (e.g., FINKA, KI-Reallabor Agrar, PACC, Hempilot) together with research institutes, agricultural authorities, and farmers. Its deliverables are network membership services, an event calendar, a newsletter, and farm-profile features for agricultural businesses, sector companies, and research institutions.

Product overview

Netzwerk Ackerbau Niedersachsen (NAN) e.V. operates as an agricultural network association that functions as a platform for sustainable arable farming in Lower Saxony, Germany. The organization operates the Ackerbauzentrum Niedersachsen as its core initiative, located at Burg Warberg. NAN offers services including a newsletter (4-6 times annually), an event calendar, and manages multiple research projects including FINKA (insect promotion in arable farming), KI-Reallabor Agrar (AI applications), PACC (photonics in agriculture), Hempilot (AI decision support for hemp), and FINKAtransfer. The network also publishes farm profiles (Höfe im Portrait) and facilitates knowledge transfer between agricultural practice, science, administration, and policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ackerbauzentrum Niedersachsen Central platform operated by NAN at Burg Warberg that develops forward-looking and innovative concepts for sustainable arable farming in cooperation with research and practice partners.
• Network Membership Annual membership for agricultural businesses, companies in the agricultural sector, and institutions from policy, administration, and research, providing access to network activities, projects, and knowledge sharing.
• Newsletter Service Newsletter published 4-6 times per year covering agricultural policy updates, innovations, events, studies, and project progress; available by subscription to network members and stakeholders.
• Veranstaltungskalender (Event Calendar) Event calendar listing agricultural events, workshops, field days, and conferences related to arable farming in Lower Saxony.
• FINKA (Förderung von Insekten im Ackerbau) Collaborative demonstration project promoting insects in arable farming through cooperative approaches, with 60 farms testing reduced chemical pesticide use on arable land.
• FINKAtransfer Knowledge-transfer follow-up to the FINKA project focused on insect promotion in arable farming and pesticide reduction.
• KI-Reallabor Agrar (AI Real Lab Agriculture) AI-focused research project developing use cases for artificial intelligence in agriculture, including biodiversity monitoring automation and autonomous agricultural systems.
• PACC (Photonic AgriFood Connection Center) Project connecting agricultural practice with science and development focused on photonics applications including light, lasers, optical sensors, and camera-based image recognition.
• Hempilot EIP project developing a virtual AI cultivation assistant (Entscheidungshilfe) to provide decision support for farmers around industrial hemp cultivation.
• Höfe im Portrait (Farm Profiles) Feature series presenting arable farming operations from Lower Saxony showcasing sustainability, technical innovations, and operational philosophies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,442 applications for 'Erweiterter Erschwernisausgleich' (EEA) submitted by end of 2025 through Niedersächsischer Weg
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Kompetenzzentrum Ökolandbau Niedersachsen GmbH (KÖN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020FINKA project coordination and FINKAtransfer continuation. KÖN coordinated the FINKA project 'Förderung von Insekten im Ackerbau' and continues collaboration on FINKAtransfer for pesticide reduction in agriculture.
• Landvolk Niedersachsen e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFINKA project partner representing agricultural interests. Implementation partner for biodiversity promotion and pesticide reduction initiatives.
• Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des BiodiversitätswandelsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFINKA research partner conducting ecological monitoring of insect diversity in agricultural landscapes.
• Georg-August-Universität GöttingenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFINKA research partner conducting ecological evaluation of herbicide-free farming practices.
• Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple project collaborations including AGROSOIL landscape laboratory, PACC (Photonics), Hempilot, and agricultural research initiatives.
• Landwirtschaftskammer NiedersachsencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for agricultural extension, Niedersächsische Eiweißstrategie, and LeguNet coordination. Supports demonstration projects and knowledge transfer.
• Agrotech Valley Forum (AVF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement signed November 2025 at Agritechnica for building practitioner network and promoting agricultural innovations.
• Seedhouse GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement signed November 2025 at Agritechnica for agricultural innovation and technology transfer.
• 3N Kompetenzzentrum für nachwachsende Rohstoffe und BioökonomiemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner for KlimaFarming (KLIFA) and Hempilot projects. Collaborates on renewable resources and bioeconomy initiatives.
• Laserzentrum Hannover e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPACC project partner developing photonic applications for agriculture including laser weed control technologies.
• PhotonicNet GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPACC project partner connecting agricultural practice with science and development in photonics applications.
• trafo:agrarmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic cooperation for future of agriculture in Lower Saxony, signed March 2026 with multiple agricultural centers.
• GrünlandzentrummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic cooperation partner in coalition signed March 2026 for agricultural future in Lower Saxony.
• 3N KompetenzzentrummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic cooperation partner in coalition signed March 2026 for agricultural future in Lower Saxony.
• Bayer CropScience (Forward Farming)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForward Farm site visit to Selterhof for knowledge exchange on sustainable farming practices.
• Deutscher Fachverband für Agroforstwirtschaft (DeFAF) e.V.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgroWiNs project partner for agroforestry knowledge transfer and practice implementation in Lower Saxony.
• AGRAVIS Future FarmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPraktikernetzwerk partner for field trips showcasing autonomous agricultural technology.
• Agrotech Valley Forum (AVF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding practitioner network 'Praktikernetzwerk' for exchange between agricultural practice and agricultural technology companies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kompetenzzentrum Ökolandbau Niedersachsen (KÖN): Lower Saxony competence center for organic agriculture that co-coordinates FINKA with NAN and shares the same regional sustainable-farming mandate. Direct functional peer as a knowledge-transfer and project-coordination platform for sustainable agriculture in the same Bundesland.
• Agrotech Valley Forum (AVF): Agricultural technology network in Lower Saxony with whom NAN signed a cooperation agreement at Agritechnica 2025. Directly comparable as a regional network connecting farmers, agri-tech firms, and researchers around innovation adoption.
• 3N Kompetenzzentrum: Competence center for renewable raw materials and bioeconomy in Lower Saxony/Saxony-Anhalt, joint project partner in KlimaFarming and Hempilot and co-signatory of the March 2026 coalition. Comparable as a regional competence center running renewable-resources and agri-innovation projects.
• Grünlandzentrum Niedersachsen/Bremen: Lower Saxony grassland competence center and March 2026 strategic cooperation partner. Operates a similar knowledge-transfer and demonstration-project model focused on grassland systems adjacent to NAN's arable focus.
• Landvolk Niedersachsen: Lower Saxony farmers' association and FINKA project partner. Directly comparable as a regional agricultural membership organization representing farming interests, though with broader lobbying rather than research focus.

Broad incumbents

• Landwirtschaftskammer Niedersachsen: Statutory chamber providing agricultural extension across Lower Saxony and key NAN partner on Niedersächsische Eiweißstrategie and LeguNet. A larger, established public body with overlapping knowledge-transfer and demonstration mandates but much broader scope.
• DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft): Germany's leading agricultural society organizing trade fairs (including Agritechnica), knowledge transfer, and certification. Comparable mission of advancing agricultural practice but at national scale and with far broader resources.
• Deutscher Bauernverband: Germany's national farmers' federation and the dominant political voice for German agriculture. Compares as a membership-based agricultural advocacy organization but operates at federal rather than regional level.
• Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI): Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants and a multi-project partner of NAN (AGROSOIL, PACC, Hempilot). Comparable on research scope around arable farming and crop protection but as a far larger federal institute rather than a regional network.

Emerging players

• FiBL (Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau): Leading organic agriculture research institute with strong applied knowledge-transfer programs across the DACH region. Comparable as a research-to-practice bridge organization in sustainable agriculture, though more specialized in organic systems.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ackerbauzentrum-netzwerk-ackerbau-niedersachsen-e-v-nan
• Instagraminstagram.com/?utm_source=pwa_homescreen&__pwa=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/NANiedersachsen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Netzwerk Ackerbau Niedersachsen