6 November 2024
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On Tuesday, October 8, the first Brightlands AgriTech Event took place. Some 350 visitors were introduced to the latest technologies in AgriTech and were able to immerse themselves in a very varied program. In addition, three side events took place: the Brightlands AgriTech Student Challenge, the opening of Maastricht University's high-tech research greenhouse and the presentation of the Value Ring.
.It was for the first time that this event took place at Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo. "Climate change, resource shortages and an aging population are having a major impact on agriculture and horticulture. These developments are forcing these sectors to rapidly become smarter, more sustainable and more efficient. Developing sustainable cultivation and production systems can increase productivity, reduce environmental impact and address the shortage of suitable personnel. As Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, we are happy to offer a stage for this," said Ingrid Vermeer, CEO of Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo.
Stages
There were 6 stages where companies showed their innovations in the fields of crop optimization, automation & robotics, data & AI and green engineering. For example, startup AgroWizard took visitors through their latest CO2 measuring app, Limburg machine builder FineField showed their latest picking robot for efficient blueberry harvesting and Plasma4Agrifood shared with visitors their story about "lightning in a box to keep producing food sustainably in the future. Development company LIOF put Hessing Supervers and startup LUXEED Robotics in the spotlight. The AI Academy, BASF | Nunhems, Fellowmind, Gearbox, Grodan, Rabobank, Supply Chain Valley and SkyTree were also part of the programming.
Keynotes
.The keynotes were by Jan Depping of Microsoft, Bob Klein Lankhorst of startup HAL24K Agri and Ellis Janssen of Philips Horticulture LED Solutions. Depping zoomed in on cloud technology, security, psychology, data & AI. Klein Lankhorst emphasized the importance of innovative technologies to improve soil health and Janssen addressed the future of lighting in horticulture and indoor farms.
Innovation tour and high-tech research greenhouse Maastricht University
Through an innovation tour, participants visited the trial fields on the campus grounds of Compas Agro and learned about the innovations behind the machines from John Deere, Agxeed, S&dB.
The University of Maastricht opened the doors of their new state-of-the-art research greenhouse, part of the Brightlands Future Farming Institute, where research is being done on the agriculture and horticulture of the future. This greenhouse was officially opened later that day. During this opening, attention was also paid to the investment by the Municipality of Venlo and the University of Maastricht, in the coming years in additional growth of academic research and education in the city of Venlo. In the first phase of this cooperation, both parties will invest 8 million euros each for the next four years. The Municipality of Venlo and Maastricht University have also expressed their intention to act as strategic partners for a total of eight years.
Student Challenge
45 students bowed to challenges from BASF, Grodan and Signify this day, led by Dave Alken. Thomas Janssen (Tom's Tech Academy) provided technical workshops and coaches from the tech and education sectors guided the students. An independent jury judged the 9 teams, resulting in the following winners:
- 1st prize (€1000): The BASF team proposed an AI-driven syntropy, a regenerative agriculture method, and convinced the jury with their simple and effective pitch.
- 2nd prize (€750):The Grodan team developed a sustainable greenhouse and marketing concept for coffee plants.
- 3rd prize (€250):The Signify team improved the architecture of the Growise Control System with a future-proof concept.
Future perspectives Horticultural chain Limburg
During Brightlands AgriTech, the report "Toekomstperspectief Tuinbouwketen Limburg+" was presented to key players in the horticultural sector of Southeast Netherlands. The report offers insight into the challenges and opportunities for sustainable development within the sector. Delegate Jasper Kuntzelaers emphasized the need for a shared vision and cooperation between companies, knowledge institutions and governments. The declaration of intent was signed by: Province of Limburg, Municipalities of North Limburg Region, Limburg Agricultural and Horticultural Union (LLTB), Southern Agriculture and Horticulture Organization (ZLTO), Rabobank Limburg, Glastuinbouw Nederland, Greenports Netherlands, ZON NV, Glastuindersplatform Zuidoost-Nederland, Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, Maastricht University, Fontys, Greentechlab and the HAS green academy. This marks a new phase for the sector. The report focuses on five pillars: entrepreneurship, sustainability, innovative cultivation methods, redistribution of physical space and labor market development, in order to achieve a future-proof horticultural sector.
Value Ring
At the conclusion of the day, Deputy Jasper Kuntzelaers, on behalf of the Province of Limburg, presented the Value Ring to Suzanne Bisschops-Pasmans, Mark Venner, Luuk Venner, and the duo Amy Heuts & Joshua Van Wersch. The presentation took place during The Week of Our Food, which focuses on the value of food and the connection between farmer and citizen.
In the Education category, Suzanne Bisschops of Kokkerelli won, who lets children at the Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo experience the importance of healthy food. Mark and Luuk Venner of farm LEUKER received the award for Innovation for their sustainable agroforestry initiatives. Amy Heuts & Joshua van Wersch of pig farm Kuusj won in the Extensive farming category for their humane approach to pig farming and running a self-harvest vegetable garden. This week is an excellent time to reflect on the valuable contributions of these Limburg pioneers to the food chain.
