"GreenTech places Amsterdam back on the map as horticultural hub"

Peter Klapwijk was one of the visitors to GreenTech in Amsterdam last week. "The Hortifair has been history for a while now and I skipped the first edition in 2014 so I was very curious what to expect," he writes in his blog.

"I walked from the station to the RAI full of expectation. A familiar route and old memories came up. Not for long, because I found myself surrounded by many old friends from many different countries, my presentiment improved.

So Amsterdam hasn’t been forgotten as a hub of horticultural technique!"

There was a pleasant atmosphere on the exhibition floor. Many players from the Netherlands and the rest of the world were on hand. Even though it wasn’t overly busy there were plenty of people; contacts could easily be made; businesses connected.

In my opinion the GreenTech is here to stay and justifies its existence alongside the bustling affair in Berlin. The Fruit Logistica is sometimes perceived as massive and too busy. If you want to do serious business, a quieter environment with room for a conversation is more appropriate than a very full, buzzing exhibition. In addition, the Fruit Logistica is not a real technique expo.

This year the phenomenon Urban Farming was prominently present. Unthinkable a few years ago, because don’t plants belong in a greenhouse or outdoors?

Detaching the cultivation process from external climatic conditions is progressing more and more and Urban Farming is an exponent of this. The great thing about this line of sport is that cultivation is in direct contact with city and citizen. Besides logistical advantages and responding to the 'Local for Local' demand I see this as an added benefit. In these growth rooms and roof gardens in an urban area a lot of people can get acquainted with the cultivation process. The miracle of growth and flowering.

This awareness of the green process leads to greater appreciation for and interest in quality and origin of our fruits and vegetables. There’s a marketing opportunity here.

Notable is the number of partnerships that are arising between companies in several technical disciplines: A screen supplier developing new concepts with a climate computer manufacturer, a producer of plant machines and internal logistics systems looking for partners to control the growth process alongside logistics and a supplier of pumps and water technology making steps in the area of water quality by working with a knowledge enterprise. A good development because together you can do more than alone. Connecting networks and expertise can create many new opportunities.

The trick here is to find partners that fit together; companies that really add value to each other and also support each other. This is fundamentally different from the traditional cooperative featuring many monks preferably wearing identical hoods. This model may give a sense of security but in many cases is ineffective. In collaborations rely on your own strength and that of the other and don't begrudge each other the profit.

I enjoyed two days in Amsterdam and gained a lot of inspiration."

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