The court in The Hague has rejected all claims made by Smartkas in the case against Artechno and has granted Artechno's claim. As a result, Smartkas must pay Artechno €400,000 in outstanding invoices. In addition to this outstanding amount, statutory interest will be added, and as the losing party, Smartkas is also required to cover legal costs—amounting to nearly €30,000.
The lawsuit between Smartkas and Artechno Growsystems concerns a project for a vertical farm in Amsterdam. In 2021, the two companies entered into a partnership for an installation with climate-controlled chambers. Smartkas claimed that the system was delivered late and did not function properly, allegedly causing financial damage to the company. As a result, Smartkas demanded a refund of the total amount paid—over €7.3 million—as well as compensation for various types of damages. However, the court in The Hague found no grounds for this, as the delivery and installation were carried out according to the agreement.
Furthermore, Smartkas was ruled against on both the delivery date and the alleged defects of the delivered system.
Smartkas also argued that it had been misled when signing additional agreements, but the judge ruled that this was not the case. Other claims made by the company, including alleged financial harm, were also dismissed.
The court confirmed that Smartkas was at fault and must now pay. Artechno previously pointed out similar claims made by Smartkas against other suppliers. "It seems to be a structural practice of the company, and the court has now put an end to it."