Market research for the SCALE innovation platform

The study “Market research for the SCALE innovation platform” supported the GIZ project “Fund for the Promotion of Innovation in the Agriculture and Food Sector (i4Ag)” in the conception and design of the digital innovation platform SCALE. This fund, financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, promotes agricultural innovation projects worldwide.

Agricultural innovations are a key factor for the transformation of agricultural and food systems, but their potential for scaling up often remains untapped. Effective innovation cycles and scaling require interdisciplinary collaboration and the involvement of mixed funding sources, including private investors. Traditional communication between innovators and supporters is often inefficient, leading to missed opportunities for collaboration. The aim of SCALE is therefore to create an online platform on which innovators can present their projects and establish contact with potential supporters and partners.

The study focused on advising i4Ag on the development of SCALE, in particular on identifying a unique selling point (USP). To this end, a comprehensive market analysis was carried out to examine over 150 digital innovation platforms in agriculture and other sectors. Platform types, business models and functions were analyzed to draw conclusions about the design of SCALE. The ten most relevant platforms were then identified and analyzed in detail, including interviews with their operators. Potential partnerships and data protection issues were also examined.

The study was carried out by IAK Agrar Consulting GmbH.