Exciting opportunities for high-tech greenhouse farming

Smart Food Production –

An expert session on Indoor Farming, provided exciting new opportunities for Innovative high-tech entrepreneurs on the cutting edge of  high-tech solutions and greenhouse farming.  The Indoor Farming expert session – in Mea Vota, Huissen in the East Netherlands – was organised by Oost NL and OnePlanet Research Center, 9 Sept.

Participants explored smart solutions in indoor farming, together with experts and growers, keeping focus on business and societal challenges.

They got insights in the OnePlanet Research Center program; how to join in the development of disrupting new technologies and research projects.

In the break-out sessions the participants zoomed in on specific challenges, trends, innovations, and funding opportunities in their industries.

Greenhouse Horticulture 

Dr.ir. Anja Dieleman, senior researcher, and team leader Physiology at the business unit Greenhouse Horticulture of Wageningen University & Research, opened this session with an Insightful talk on the challenges and trends in Indoor farming. She mentioned the importance of a systems approach, since the challenges in this industry are on multiple levels.

SAIA Agrobotics

After this presentation Ruud Barth gave a talk about his business SAIA Robotics. He discussed how his current robotics solution could disrupt the whole greenhouse industry. He pointed out the biggest challenges that he is currently facing, working on this innovation.

OnePlanet Research Center

In the next presentation, Renske Landeweert of OnePlanet Research Center provided an introduction of the program on indoor farming.  She presented an overview for SME companies, how to join and succesfully collaborate in this program. The plenary session ended with a presentation by Suradj Hiralal of Oost NL. He gave an overview of the funding possibilities for innovation in indoor farming.   

Novel sensing technologies of plant data

The event continued with two break-out sessions. In the first break out ‘the novel sensing technologies of plant data’ where discussed.

The main insights:

• learning to know the real (long term) challenges and requirements of the indoor farmers is crucial
• to translate the diversity of available sensing technologies & solutions
• towards minimal viable products and succesful introduction in the market.    

Monitoring and influencing indoor climate & emissions

The second break out session was on: ‘monitoring and influencing indoor climate, emissions and in & outputs.’ High tech experts on the field of vision technology, vertical farming, odor sensing tech and greenhouse growers and experts participated in this session. The interaction between the greenhouse grower and the high-tech entrepreneurs developed in a thought-provoking brainstorm on the possible applications in the indoor farming industry.   

Networking

The session concluded with networking in a wine tasting event.