LAND launches the challenge “nAIture Landscape Modelling” within Business Meets Innovation 2025

Startups and research centers will thus have the opportunity to collaborate in developing a predictive digital model for intelligent and resilient urban landscape management. Applications can be submitted by November 14 through the initiative’s official website, with a view to a six-month collaboration program with the LAND Italia team.

LAND is among the top three players featured in Business Meets Innovation 2025, the reverse open innovation contest promoted by the Italian-German Chamber of Commerce (AHK Italy). Alongside E.ON and Bosch, the company led by Andreas Kipar is launching its own Technology Challenge, addressed to startups, university spin-offs, and innovative enterprises operating in the GreenTech, ClimateTech, and GeoAI sectors.

The initiative aims to foster encounters between the vision and technological needs of established companies and the creative potential of startups, giving rise to co-development paths for innovative solutions with a positive impact.

“BMI has become part of our DNA. Over the years, it has enabled us to enrich the Italian-German business community by emphasizing innovation and exploring realities that, each in their own field, are at the forefront and offer high value-added products and services,” said Jörg Buck, Managing Director of AHK Italy. “This year’s edition focuses on sustainable cities, which is not only a major issue of our time but also a business opportunity for companies. That’s why we are pleased to have LAND among this year’s top players: the project they’ve launched is ambitious, and I’m eager to see which innovators will respond to this technology challenge and what approaches they will take.”

With the nAIture Landscape Modelling challenge, LAND invites pioneering players to collaborate in developing a predictive digital model for the smart management of urban landscapes.

“Through this challenge, we are seeking partners who share our vision of an intelligent and adaptive landscape, where artificial intelligence supports concrete decisions to improve environmental quality and collective well-being,” said Andreas Kipar, CEO and Co-Founder of LAND. “We believe that the most effective innovation arises from the deep relationship between Nature and technology,” added Valentina Galiulo, Director at LAND Italia and project lead. “With nAIture Landscape Modelling, we aim to make this connection tangible, transforming complex data into useful knowledge for landscape design and urban resilience.” “This commitment has been embraced by LAND Research Lab, which aims to network our know-how with the startup ecosystem, accelerating the transition toward smarter, predictive, and sustainable planning models,” concluded Nikolas Neubert, Chief Innovation Officer of LAND.

The goal is to expand the proprietary LIM Landscape Information Modelling® framework by integrating satellite remote sensing data, multispectral drone imagery, and environmental sensors with artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. The expected outcome is a dynamic and interactive tool capable of analyzing environmental indicators—such as thermal and water stress, evapotranspiration, and pollinator attractiveness—to guide climate adaptation strategies and enhance Natural Capital.

Applications can be submitted by November 14, 2025, via the official Business Meets Innovation website. The winning startup will join a six-month collaboration program with the LAND Italia team to co-design the prototype and test it on pilot sites