Elies Lemkes
Managing Director
ZLTO
Netherlands

Biography
Ms. Lemkes is the former CEO of Brainport Eindhoven (World’s Smartest Region, 2011), nucleus of "open innovation". It initiated cooperation in a triple helix system, between: business, science, knowledge and governmental bodies. As of 2 years she is the CEO at the Zuidelijke Land- en Tuinbouworganisatie (Southern Agriculture and Horticulture Association: www.zlto.nl). A farmers’ association that services farmers with their everyday farm management and guides farmers towards a sustainable and prosperous livelihood. Additionally, she enhances the entrepreneurial spirit in a strong cooperative agrifood cluster. From that perspective she puts farmers at the grassroots of a new global agricultural era!

List of secondary functions
• Vice-chairman Board of Advisors Ons Middelbaar Onderwijs
• Advisory Board Member Financial Committee VION Food Group
• Member Board of Directors Stichting Ondernemerslift+
• Member Board of Directors Brabant Life Sciences Seed Fonds
• Advisory Board Member Stichting Biobased Delta
• Member Board of Directors Stichting Philharmonie Zuid Nederland
• Member Board of Directors Stichting AgriFoodCapital
• Adivsory Board Member Kamer van Koophandel Zuid Nederland
• Member Strategic Council “Visit Brabant Connect Brabant”
• Member Focus Group Brainport 2020
• Advisory Board Memner Management, Economie & Recht Fontys Hogescholen
• Advisory Board Member Advies TIM Topopleiding

List of side activities
• Director Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen
• Member Rotary Eindhoven Central
• Member Lighthouse Club Eindhoven


Abstract
Smart Innovations: Forerunners, early adaptors and the rest

Ms. E. Lemkes, CEO at ZLTO, gives an outline of the context and application of geospatial technologies that are being used in the Netherlands in order to assure continuity and sustainability of the agricultural sector and livelihood. She focusses on the challenges and solutions that lay ahead of us as a globalized civilization, such as fighting rural poverty by raising productivity, realise careful trade & logistics and realise challenging employment. Ms. Lemkes introduces ZLTO smart-farming 2.0, our vision on cooperative innovative farming. Furthermore, examples are shown, where the use of Geospace & Communication Technology motivates young professionals to play a role in farming and that they significantly stimulate smart-farming R&D. Subsequently, the role that our organisation plays in overcoming these challenges is described. In 2001, ZLTO took on the role as a first mover on using big and open data. This gained experience as a forerunner has resulted in the participation of ZLTO in the prestigious H2020 project of the European Union. Concluding, Ms. Lemkes invites participants to join in and use the Netherlands as a living lab to test new ideas and findings regarding precision agriculture and smart-farming, through ZLTO.