Gothenburg, Nebraska, is set to welcome college students, university researchers, startup founders, agribusinesses, investors and local producers for the inaugural Spur AgConverge 2025 conference. The event will offer innovation showcases, industry discussions and participatory programming with the focus on supporting Nebraska farmers and envisioning the future for ag. 

Spur AgConverge 2025 will take place Nov. 24 at the Bayer Crop Science Water Utilization Learning Center. 

A key component of the event is the launch of Spur Ventures — an initiative within the Department of Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) at the University of Nebraska-

Lincoln. The entrepreneurial and innovation hub seeks to foster industry and startup collaborations with university faculty and students. 

Spur Ventures is planning to offer a curated curriculum “combining agricultural and biosystems engineering with entrepreneurship,” as well as mentorship and R&D support for startups.

This initiative comes as the University of Nebraska System pushes to build more industry partners due to its institutions facing uncertainties with federal funding and budget cuts. 

Spur Ventures Founder and BSE Director and Lecturer of Entrepreneurship Ankit Chandra said the initiative will give startups and industry leaders opportunities to tap into university researchers and young talent. Spur AgConverge, he said, is an opportunity to foster meaningful conversations with innovation ecosystem stakeholders and actors. 

Acknowledging how similar innovation-focused conferences typically occur in Omaha and Lincoln, Chandra said the decision to hold the event in Gothenburg was to try to reach more producers in the state. 

“We are trying to really focus on producers in this event,” Chandra said. “When you look at producers and farm fields, you’ll find (them) in the heart of Nebraska, which is Gothenburg.”

In addition to tech demonstrations, networking opportunities and a panel conversation about academia’s role in ag innovation, the conference will include a unique competition called the Farm Tech Adoption Challenge. 

For the challenge, a select group of startups with ties to the University of Nebraska System and other universities in the region will showcase their ideas. They will then meet with producers in attendance. The competition will give these producers a platform to express their needs and collaborate with founders in how to solve them. 

As a result of the Farm Tech Adoption Challenge, Chandra said startups will gain valuable customer feedback and validation. Farmers will walk away with potential solutions to their needs and prize money for their time. 

“If there is technology that’s working for farmers, … they can basically sign a deal right in front of them,” Chandra said. “We’ll have adoption cards for them, so they can basically sign a deal on the table.”

Individuals interested in learning more and attending the event can register online. While there is no deadline, Chandra said registering in advance is encouraged. Producers and students can get in for free.