More innovations, less peat and always renewable raw materials. The Klasmann-Deilmann Group's Innovation Summit advanced those issues that are at the top of the agenda in European commercial horticulture. Guest speakers and audience members were tuned in from around the world, streaming the virtual event from the specially set up broadcast studio in Klasmann-Deilmann's Innovation Center.
For three days, several hundred viewers followed the Klasmann-Deilmann Innovation Summit on screen, with up to 200 guests tuned in to the individual sessions. External and internal experts discussed the situation of horticulture in Germany, Europe and the world and ventured a look into the future of the industry.
The talks focused on the secure supply of raw materials for substrate production. The initiative launched by the German government to reduce the use of peat in growing media could have a Europe-wide impact on the security of supply for healthy food. And so time and again the discussions returned to the question of whether renewable feedstocks are available in sufficient quantities and to what extent they can replace peat in terms of quality. The experts' answers were nuanced, as large quantities of well-established raw materials have already been used for years. In view of the growth of the industry and the still unique properties of peat, all speakers nevertheless agreed that commercial horticulture will not be able to do without this raw material for the time being.
Online IPM
The reason for the event was the International Plant Fair (IPM) 2021, which was cancelled due to corona. The Innovation Summit provided a virtual platform to nevertheless give customers, sales partners, associations and many other interested parties an insight into the latest developments in the industry at the start of the season. In this context, Klasmann-Deilmann also provided information about its own new products. The focus was on the Growcoon cultivation system, the Log&Solve internet platform and a range of new substrate mixtures with a higher proportion of alternative raw materials.
Managing Director Moritz Böcking also announced that Klasmann-Deilmann is expanding its own production capacities and will henceforth also manufacture substrates in China, Japan, Australia and southern France. Only a few days ago, moreover, the construction of a substrate factory in the port of Papenburg from 2025 had been announced.
"The Innovation Summit was a complete success," sums up Moritz Böcking. "We brought together proven experts from all over the world with our specialists and offered groundbreaking discussion forums. Customers, partners and many other participants from the commercial horticulture sector were given an in-depth look at the present and future of the industry. We will continue to advance the international exchange virtually. At the same time, we all very much hope that we will soon be able to visit our customers and partners again in person".
For more information:
Klasmann-Deilmann
www.klasmann-deilmann.com