"Our ultimate goal is to build an autonomous greenhouse"

On Thursday, March 8 the first “inspiration meeting” took place of the recently established Smart Horticulture network. The Smart Horticulture network wants to facilitate the transition to data-driven horticulture. The focus is on working together within the network to keep up with the rapid changes in the field of data and the Internet of Things.

The main responsible parties behind the network are Edwin Lambregts and Rick Bakker, both working at consultancy Berenschot. They were excited to see that the number of participants has now grown to 20, including 16 companies from the greenhouse horticulture sector such as technology companies and breeders. Lambregts: "At the start of the network project in November 2017, 15 participants seemed like a very good number, and now there are already 20. This is an ideal number to continue building on. The number of participants may continue to grow slightly during 2018, but if we exceed 30 it will make discussions more cumbersome and it will become more difficult to find enough space. "

Front runners
Is there not a danger that Berenschot's project only attracts innovative companies since his consultancy firm is the founder of the network? Lambregts: "For the time being, we are mainly focusing on the innovative front runners in the greenhouse horticulture sector."

Members pay a fee and are allowed to bring two guests to the inspiration meetings. The network will be further expanded from this core group of leading companies. Lambregts: "Berenschot is still the driving force, but soon we will also have to be one of the members." The intention is that it will be a network of, for and by the sector, and smaller parties will also become part of it. "

Projects
During the first inspiration meeting, the participants started with four projects. Lambregts: "Now we are still talking a lot, but soon we will have to become more hands-on. With concrete, tangible results we can also motivate other companies to participate." The ultimate goal is to build an autonomous greenhouse, but first the Smart Horticulture network hopes to be able to offer a training program for horticultural entrepreneurs and traineeships for students.

Students will be trained for a future in data-driven glasshouse horticulture within a yet to be established Smart Horticulture Academy. The trainees will work on projects with members of the network. Lambregts: "In this way, the members of the network can benefit from fresh talent from schools, while students can gain work experience with the prospect of being hired at one of the affiliated companies."

Reference guide
Another project that will be worked on is a Smart Horticulture Atlas. "It’s a kind of reference guide for our network." The online platform must contain current information about digitization in horticulture. In addition to a Dutch version, the intention is to make an English-language, international version. "In addition to a source of information, the Atlas must also become a meeting place for the Smart Horticulture network."

Goal
At the end of 2018 Lambregts hopes that more than 20 parties will become members of the network and that the projects will be fully worked on. "Still, it may just be that by the end of the year our project portfolio looks a bit different from the way we think about it now, because the changes are fast and we have to go along with that."

For more information:

Edwin Lambregts

e.lambregts@berenschot.nl
+31 6 54 26 00 29

Rick Bakker

r.bakker@berenschot.nl
+31 6 50 25 42 25