First voucher Agropole issued

The innovation project Agropole is a collaboration between several German and Dutch organizations in the field of innovation in agriculture. As part of the Agropole project, German-Dutch collaborations that stimulate developments and innovations in the agri-food sector can be funded with up to 10,000 euros. The first voucher has now been issued to the Limburg-based Compas Agro and horticultural company Pflanzen Janssen from Germany.

Cooperation across borders

The Agropole voucher program has been running for over six months now. The first voucher of 10,000 euros is invested by Compas Agro and Pflanzen Janssen in research into the possibilities of sustainable weed control in tree cultivation. This is not the first time that cooperation in the agrofood sector has taken place across borders. Anke Schirocki, director of Agrobusiness Niederrhein, says: "The cooperation has been going on for years. In 2013, two projects were implemented: 'Region without Borders' and the Porter study 'Economic power in agrofood'. Both projects showed that intensive, cross-border cooperation not only benefits agribusiness but the entire region. This eventually led to the Agropole project, with which we are further intensifying cooperation."

Synergy

On the Dutch side, Niels Visschers, business developer at Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, is involved in Agropole. He coordinates and organizes to bring parties on both sides of the border together. This is important he explains: "If you see Limburg and Niederrhein on the map, you immediately see that it is a huge area. But, with a border in between. This border is often seen as a barrier and let Agropole be a project that wants to make this barrier disappear. In the past, of course, parties on both sides of the border have worked together more often. But often the result of that cooperation only benefited the parties involved. Through this project we really want to connect the regional networks in Germany and the Netherlands so that ultimately all companies in the region can benefit from the cooperation. This is important because together you can create much more synergy. This will enable this horticultural region to grow into one of the largest in Europe. The input of the businesses is essential for this: only by listening carefully to the entrepreneurs in both regions can you set up a successful Agropole."

Vouchers

This Agropole project will run for another year and a half. During that time, more vouchers will be awarded. In the short term, three applications are eligible, but new applications are also still possible. Want to know more? Look here for the procedure. Furthermore, the focus in the coming period will be on involving more companies and on matchmaking between companies and students. Saskia Goetgeluk, director of Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo: "That has really been seriously delayed by corona. We also want to seek cooperation with other INTERREG projects. There is more to pool and we can use the knowledge we gain for the follow-up to this project: Agropole 2.0. The flow is good. It would be a shame if we did not continue to develop: deepen, broaden and bundle!"

Source: Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo