From 17 to 20 September 2025, the 5th edition of the International Strawberry Congress, organised by Coöperatie Hoogstraten and Proefcentrum Hoogstraten, will take place. At the Flanders Meeting & Convention Centre, right next to Antwerp Zoo and Central Station, the global strawberry sector will come together to explore the challenges and opportunities in a changing world. "It's great to see that we can bridge science and commerce by providing a platform to engage with one another," said Eva Vanmarcke of Coöperatie Hoogstraten.
The previous edition in 2022 attracted more than 300 participants from 32 countries to Antwerp. The congress focused on the development, production, and marketing of strawberries, with a special emphasis on digital transformation. "It remains clear that the combination of science and commerce is essential for the sector's development," Jan Engelen of the cooperative stated at the time.
This year, the theme of the event is 'Connecting the Dots in a Complex World of Strawberries.' The first two days will feature lectures, followed by two days of field visits and a mechanisation day. Eva: "In addition to the traditional topics, such as an overview of global strawberry production and insights from trend watchers, special attention will be given to recent developments in the sector. Think of the CRISPR-Cas debate, as well as the applications and opportunities of AI."
"The first day will be opened by moderator Michael Barker, whom we are pleased to welcome back for this edition," Eva continues. "During the plenary session, we will cover the situation surrounding CRISPR-Cas, the future of our food, and evolving consumer buying behaviour. We will then split into parallel sessions, one scientific and one commercial. In these, Michael and several panellists will discuss the global strawberry market. While we cannot yet announce all the names for the parallel sessions, we already have a strong international line-up of scientific and commercial speakers from Japan, the US, and France. We can also confirm that Marieke Appel from Driscoll's will join the commercial panel session on brands and marketing. It's great to see that we are reaching more and more people each year. I believe we can present a well-rounded picture of the global strawberry sector, where science and commerce go hand in hand."
Gala dinner
"Now, something new," Eva laughs. "Whereas previous editions began with a welcome reception and ended with a dinner on the second day, this year we will host our first-ever gala dinner at the end of day one. We often say how beautiful Antwerp is—and the location next to the zoo confirms it. However, for the gala dinner, we will move to the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA). It's a stunning venue where the day's discussions can continue, and where we'll also introduce another first. We're really looking forward to it."
"Day 2 will primarily focus on sustainability and innovation, with AI again playing a key role. There will be international contributions on topics such as water, varieties, crop protection, forecasting, and sustainability, followed by a networking lunch. But the congress certainly doesn't end there, on Friday, there will be excursions to growers and suppliers in Belgium and the Netherlands. Saturday's programme will conclude with the traditional mechanisation day at Proefcentrum Hoogstraten."
Interest
A packed event, then, that will bring the global strawberry sector to Antwerp for a full week. Eva notes from the registrations that interest in interaction is strong. "While we already had many international participants in the past, this year's numbers seem larger than ever. We're especially seeing high participation from Asia, which is great, as it allows for natural knowledge sharing. I believe the interest reflects a strawberry world in transition, something everyone must face. We are seeing real advances in innovation, automation, and AI. But how should we respond? Different regions are approaching this in different ways, so it's exciting that we can bring all of these perspectives together in Antwerp this September. I think we'll be able to present a strong overview of the entire chain and truly bridge science and commerce."
For more information:
Coöperatie Hoogstraten
Loenhoutseweg 59
2320 Hoogstraten, Belgium
+32 33 40 02 11
[email protected]
www.iscbelgium.com
