New World Horti Center location opened in China

On Wednesday, February 19, a new international hub of World Horti Center was festively opened in Ji'Nan, China. This hub offers a local platform to support Dutch horticultural companies in China and to connect the Chinese and Dutch ecosystems more closely.

The official opening ceremony was performed by the Dutch ambassador André Haspels and vice-governor Chen Ping of the province of Shandong. The ceremony was attended by more than 20 Chinese representatives of Dutch partner companies in the Food & Flower industry, and almost 60 Chinese horticultural entrepreneurs.

Following the opening, a matchmaking event took place, where Chinese horticultural companies from Shandong met Dutch companies. During this event, both the Dutch and several of the Chinese companies presented their vision and innovations.

Connecting ecosystems
The Netherlands is known worldwide for its horticultural ecosystem. By strengthening the collaboration between the Dutch and Chinese sectors, the World Horti Center aims to achieve three important goals, those being matchmaking between companies, promotion of the horticultural sector and talent development.

"World Horti Center receives many requests for international collaboration. The contact with China has existed for some time and now the collaboration has officially started. We always focus on strategic and long-term collaborations, and I am proud of what we have achieved in a short amount of time with our team and partners. Now that the building has opened, the focus is on setting up a clear program of activities and creating added value for our Dutch partners in China," says Puck van Holsteijn, CEO of World Horti Center HQ in the Netherlands.

Why Shandong?
The province of Shandong, with an area of ​​110,000 hectares, plays an important role in the Chinese horticulture sector. Strategically located between major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, Shandong offers an excellent location for the further development and modernization of Chinese horticulture. The region has a great need for innovation and sustainable technologies, which makes collaboration with Dutch companies a logical step.