At the annual Future Trends & Innovations symposium yesterday, attendees heard how to innovate smartly. The world is changing. Faster than ever. Are you in this race? Or not? Tips and tricks were shared. But also practical stories. Annie van der Riet, chairman of AVAG, opened the afternoon by letting three companies that are part of Hortivation speak.
Briefly, the Hortivation Foundation focuses on technical innovations and knowledge management in greenhouse horticulture. The member companies operate internationally and are active in developing a global supply of (high-quality) greenhouse systems for growing vegetables, fruit, flowers, and plants. Hortivation's ambition is to make strategic innovations quickly available to the sector and, together with the companies, ensure the Netherlands' top position in the field of "integrated growing systems". Royal, Brinkman Ridder, and Dalsem are affiliated with this. They spoke successively.
View more photos of the afternoon here
Greenhouse positioning
Maartje Jung, Royal Brinkman, briefly explained why greenhouse positioning is becoming increasingly important. And how they as a company are responding to this. Positioning is necessary for robotization, for example. But also for disease and pest control.
Royal Brinkman has devised the Hortivation Point. It is based on a local, three-dimensional coordinate system for the greenhouse or department ('block'), whose center point (Hortivation Point) acts as a central reference point. The relative position of objects or locations to this reference point can then be determined quite easily and unambiguously. It does not matter whether the block is square, rectangular, or asymmetric.
Communication protocol controlling LED
Joost Veenman, Ridder spoke about the Horti Lighting Protocol. The need for a standard protocol for controlling LED lamps is great for all parties involved, climate computer suppliers, lamp suppliers, and growers. Working with many different protocols increases implementation costs and also brings additional support and management questions.
The Horti Lighting Protocol is a uniform communication protocol for controlling LED lamps. It simplifies implementation and delivers significant time and cost savings for growers and other parties involved, as well as the certainty that the control of the lamps works properly. The Horti Lighting Protocol is a typical example of collaboration. Joost: "Surely the success of this was actually the pain we felt individually before it existed. We are all served by this."
See more photos from the afternoon here
Ruud Vissers of Dalsem spoke about the Hortivation Design Software. This is being adopted by the industry. The big advantage is that in one place is the truth. In that place, all parties have their own position. The information is always up to date. Ruud: "Because of this system, fewer mistakes are made and it makes the process more efficient."
In the above examples, TNO has played an important role. Annie foresees Dutch horticulture strengthening its leading position through this kind of collaboration.
Guustaaf Savenije
Next up was the keynote speaker of the afternoon: Guustaaf Savenije. Guustaaf has played a role in the development of ASML and VDL. These companies are of great economic importance to the Netherlands and have made great strides in innovation. He was interviewed by Martin Steentjes, Chairman of Hortivation. At least ... if Guustaaf didn't take matters into his own hands. The common thread in his story always touched on two key points: revenue model and cooperation.
Martin and Guustaaf in conversation. See more photos of the afternoon here
Earnings model and maniacal focus
This is a magic word. You can come up with beautiful things, but if nothing is earned from it, it is worthless. Incidentally, that earning applies not only to the inventor but also to the customer. The customer must also start making (more) money with the purchase of the innovation.
It sounds like an open door, but it is elementary. That's why Guustaaf also advocates having a good conversation with the customer. And staying that way. "It is better to see the customer as a partner you work with. That creates trust and helps each other mutually. Call it a maniacal focus. As a company, you have to know what the customer needs. The derivative of that is to find out what I am going to offer him/her. Because if you don't know that, then you become a basket case. That might be good for a while, but not for too long. You're not going to win that battle."
"To have that revenue model you also have to be a bit schizophrenic," says a smiling Guustaaf. Be wary of where the danger comes from. Note. "The Netherlands is now leading the way in greenhouses, but there are countries in the world also going very fast. And what's more, they are also in possession of a lot of financial resources to build on that. So be alert. Before you know it, they will have caught up with us."
Guustaaf also mentions the shifting political relations in the world. There is quite a bit going on that encourages protectionism. "Protectionism. Or call it wanting to be autonomous. This is having an effect. China and India are on the rise. You see it happening. Keep thinking about where your revenue model lies within the strength of these developments. We have so much knowledge here. We are being looked up to. How can we help them?"
Presentation Rick. See more photos from the afternoon here
Rick Schneiders of Siemens linked up nicely to Guustaaf's story in the break-out session. He too indicated that collaboration is crucial. "Innovation processes often go wrong because we don't cooperate well (enough). That is a shame. And also unnecessary. Do this consciously, so that everyone 'stays on the same innovation rails'." Because innovating is necessary. That much is certain. And the reasons are many. He mentioned a few: unreliable supply chains, cybersecurity, the need for sustainability, labor shortages, etc.
Greenhouse Horticulture Ecosystem
A word about Siemens and its innovation processes. Rick keeps talking about a "new ecosystem for greenhouse horticulture. By this, he refers to an integrated and holistic approach for vertical farms and greenhouses. This ecosystem includes the use of advanced technologies and digital twins. This makes it possible to simulate and optimize crop design, processes, and growth before actual implementation.
The new ecosystem is based on the integration of data and systems through open digital platforms. This enables suppliers and growers to share and analyze data from different subsystems (such as temperature control, light, and irrigation). This integrated approach allows growers to better understand and manage the interaction between different factors, leading to more efficient and sustainable production.
In short, by "a new ecosystem for greenhouse farming", Rick Schneiders means a system where technology and data work seamlessly together to optimize agricultural production, increase efficiency, and improve sustainability by bridging the physical and digital worlds.