Today, on behalf of Topcluster Hightech Voedingstuinbouw, Adri Bom-Lemstra and Kees de Kat presented the Hightech Teelt 2040 bid book to Silvio Erkens, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN). The bid book translates the ambition for 2040 into a concrete investment agenda comprising five moonshots that will guide the development and application of new technology in the greenhouse salads sector.
Sector presents Hightech Teelt 2040
Sector presents Hightech Teelt 2040 bid book to State Secretary Silvio Erkens during visit to World Horti Center. Today, on behalf of Topcluster Hightech Voedingstuinbouw, Adri Bom-Lemstra and Kees de Kat presented the Hightech Teelt 2040 bid book to Silvio Erkens, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN). The bid book translates the ambition for 2040 into a concrete investment agenda comprising five moonshots that will guide the development and application of new technology in the greenhouse salads sector. The initiative by Federatie Vruchtgroente Organisaties (FVO) brings together growers, technology companies and knowledge partners around the major breakthroughs needed to make food horticulture future-proof.
From vision to five moonshots
The high-tech food horticulture cluster is renowned worldwide for high-quality cultivation and greenhouse technology. With this approach, the cluster is taking a step forward, using innovation to address societal challenges while simultaneously capitalising on business opportunities.
With the bid book, Hightech Teelt 2040 is taking the next step. Earlier this year, FVO board member Jelte van Kammen presented the initial vision for Hightech Teelt 2040, including its five moonshots, at the FVO symposium. The ambition is, on the one hand, to make Dutch high-tech food horticulture less dependent on fossil energy, scarce labour, fresh water and synthetic plant protection products. On the other hand, the food horticulture sector aims to increase its resilience and its contribution to economic and societal value.
Over the past few months, this vision has been developed together with organisations from the high-tech food horticulture cluster into a concrete bid book. At its heart are five moonshots, each focused on achieving a breakthrough at system level. Together, they form a single investment agenda for productive, clean and resilient food horticulture. What makes this approach unique is that parties within the cluster are joining forces before competition comes into play.
Kees de Kat, FVO board member, is proud of the step marked by the presentation of the bid book: “We know what challenges we face and where the opportunities lie. The task now is to bring together growers, technology, plant breeding material, knowledge and investment, and actually put innovations into practice. The bid book provides direction for that next step. Our discussion with State Secretary Erkens gives us confidence about the way forward.”
From innovation to practice
Many promising innovations fail to make the transition from research to actual application. Projects are often too small, too short-lived or too fragmented to make the leap to practical scale. Hightech Teelt 2040 aims to bridge this so-called ‘valley of death’ through long-term moonshots in which growers help shape integrated system innovations. Technology, biology and business operations are brought together at practical scale, after which successful solutions can be scaled up further.
According to Adri Bom-Lemstra, Chair of Glastuinbouw Nederland, this is where the strength of Hightech Teelt 2040 lies: “By testing new technology at practical scale and scaling up successful applications more quickly, we strengthen our innovation programmes and enable entrepreneurs to start working with new solutions sooner.”
This is echoed by grower Arco Vreugdenhil of Rainbow Growers Group: “We are always looking for ways to do things better and smarter. Ultimately, new solutions have to prove themselves in practice. By working together with technology companies and knowledge institutions right from the start, we can develop innovations that are genuinely new and that also deliver real value to our businesses.”
Innovation on display at World Horti Center
Before the presentation, State Secretary Erkens was introduced to various innovations and developments within the Dutch horticultural sector during a tour of World Horti Center. At themed areas such as ‘Energy’, ‘WaterWise’ and the ‘HortiHeroes Startup Wall’, he gained an impression of how businesses, researchers and educational institutions are working together on innovative solutions for the horticulture of the future.
He was also introduced to transition programmes such as 100% Groen Geteeld. This was followed by an in-depth round-table discussion and the official presentation of the bid book.
Connecting with the national innovation agenda
The round-table discussion focused on how Hightech Teelt 2040 can align with the Dutch government’s innovation priorities and where businesses and government can work together to accelerate the practical application of innovations. This discussion ties in with the Agrifood Innovatieagenda, which links innovation to the future earning capacity, competitiveness and resilience of the Dutch agrifood sector.
At the same time, the discussion served as a prelude to the Agrifood Innovatietop on 7 December in Baarn. During this summit, businesses, knowledge institutions, investors and government will continue their discussions on accelerating innovation in AgTech, resilient cultivation, food innovation and greenhouse cultivation.
State Secretary Silvio Erkens reflected on the initiative afterwards: “Dutch greenhouse horticulture holds a strong international position thanks to entrepreneurship and innovation. To maintain that position, good ideas need to find their way into practical application more quickly. It is positive to see the sector taking the initiative itself. Hightech Teelt 2040 provides concrete opportunities to explore how businesses and government can reinforce one another.”
Photography: Thierry Schut
