In this fast-paced and inspiring session, four pioneering startups will each have five minutes to pitch their forward-thinking solutions for a smarter, more sustainable future in agriculture and energy. From bio-based water treatment to lightweight solar innovation — discover technologies reshaping the way we grow and power the world.

Start-up Innovator Pitches

Business Development manager

Teaching plant physiology and horticulture in HAS green academy. Next to that I am responsible for maintaining contacts between HAS and the agri-/horticultural sector.

Lecturer/advisor Horticulture

Starting at Logiqs in 1989 in the field of software and controls I moved to designing growing systems in 2009. Combining innovative logistic, climate and irrigation systems to best grow plants is my passion. In the past years this led to various innovations, such as Bench precise irrigation, climate and light, 2D shuttles that drive through the greenhouse , or vertical farm, to take care of logistics. Lately most focus goes to creating a very homogeneous climate near the leaves of the plants. This allows for higher humidity that can speed up growth a lot and at the same time reduce the energy use.

Researcher in Circular Greenhouse Horticulture

Co-founder and CEO of UK and US based crop genetics platform, Phytoform. A passionate crop geneticist with an unshakeabe belief that improving the genetics of the crops we eat and use can make a more sustainable food system.

Manager Smart Growing

Rudolf de Vetten is Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Blue Radix. Blue Radix controls climate & irrigation in greenhouses with AI. Based on the goals and strategy of the grower, Blue Radix helps growers to produce more with less resources. Many growers have embraced this solution in the past years, winning back control and time. Rudolf de Vetten is responsible for the product strategy, data science development and HR. With a strong track record in business and product development, he has realized succesful data driven innovations in the horticulture market. Solid background in the field of software development, project management and energy technology.

Chief Product Officer

Eric Gerbrandt is a Plant Scientist with 18 years of experience in applied horticultural management of berry crops.  Based in British Columbia, Canada, he collaborates with a diversity of researchers across various scientific disciplines (e.g., breeding, entomology, pathology, virology) to address practical challenges facing Canadian berry growers.  Currently, his research focus is on developing economically viable indoor systems for year-round berry production in Canada.

Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer

Johanna Bac-Molenaar became biologist, because she is fascinated by the living world around here in which each creature has its own role and place due to adaptations and interactions. During her studies in biology and in her PhD research, she specialized in the study of plants and their interaction with the environment. She currently works as a 'Plant Health' researcher at the Greenhouse Horticulture business unit of Wageningen University and Research, on the design and testing of resilient and sustainable cultivation systems. Her research aims to minimize pesticide use and to work more and more circular. As a specialist in strawberry cultivation, she likes to see the cultivation cycle (propagation, nursery and production) as one interconnected system for which integral solution work best.

Researcher Plant Health

Born and raised near the city of Mechelen, in Belgium’s main greenhouse vegetable‑growing area. As the son of a tomato and lettuce grower he literally grew up between the plants in a greenhouse. That’s where his passion for plants and greenhouse growing originates.
 
Specialized in hydroponic growing of leafy vegetables and herbs in open field, greenhouses or closed environments, and plant propagation. Currently consulting and supporting projects all over the world in different climate zones (like Japan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and North America).

Managing Partner

Teeltmanager Greenbase + Greenside

Chief Executive Officer

Senior Projectmanager Agro-Food @Oost NL

Managing Director

With a solid 28-year track record in the financial sector as a bank branch director, I have developed strong strategic capabilities in planning, investment analysis, human resources management, and customer loyalty. Now, as Manager of the INNOVACAL Cluster, I apply this experience to drive innovation and boost competitiveness in the Andalusian agri-food industry, fostering collaboration among companies and promoting sustainable, technology-driven solutions.
I hold a degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of Jaén, complemented by additional training in finance, taxation, and regulatory compliance. Recently, I earned SAP Financials certification, further strengthening my ability to optimize financial management and support strategic decision-making in digital environments. I also stay up to date through an Advanced Vocational Program in Web Application Development, expanding my competencies in digital transformation and process automation.
Passionate about continuous learning and the transformation of key sectors, I combine financial insight with technological innovation to create meaningful impact on business growth. With a practical and solution-oriented approach, I enjoy connecting talent, resources, and opportunities to add value to both the agri-food sector and the broader economy.

Cluster Manager

Willem is an experienced Co-Founder with a demonstrated history of working in the cleantech and agritech as a purpose and passion driven entrepreneur. As CEO and founder of FOTONIQ he is driven to make CEA more sustainable, efficient, and profitable.

Iddo is currently the co-founder and CEO of Arugga since 2017. Previously, Iddo was VP of Research and Development at Dune Medical Devices. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University.

Connecting people and organisations, address sustainability challenges, facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations and find innovative solutions is my passion.  Connect business partners with the well-known knowledge institute Wageningen Plant Research in order to enforece collaboration and making it possible that knowledge and innovative ideas finds its way to the market and vice versa

Program Manager

Mariana Larrea A.   Regulatory and Cannabis Attorney.
Mariana Larrea is a distinguished Mexican attorney with a specialization in Cultivation, Life Sciences, Cannabis, Pharmaceutical, Corporate/Contracts, and Consumer Protection. With a decade of professional experience, she has honed her skills at some of Mexico City's most influential law firms. Mariana earned her law degree and a diploma in business law from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (“UNAM”), solidifying her expertise in efficiently delivering results to her clients across various legal domains. As the founder of MLA Legal and Consulting Boutique, Mariana operates independently, running her own legal office and spearheading business development initiatives for the industries mentioned above. Her boutique firm offers personalized legal services tailored to the unique needs of each client, providing comprehensive support and strategic guidance throughout all stages of their ventures in México and LATAM. Due to her exceptional knowledge in the Cannabis Industry, Mariana has been a featured speaker at numerous national and international conferences. Speaking in past 2024, and 2023 Greentech events. Furthermore, she has contributed her insights to legislators in various international jurisdictions, aiding in the formulation of cannabis public policies and regulations, including Mexico's ongoing evolution of the Federal Adult Use Cannabis Law. Beyond her legal acumen, Mariana has played pivotal roles as an executive director in real estate development projects in Mexico. Currently, she leads a group of investors developing sustainable real estate projects, developing in Mérida, México. Additionally, she shares her expertise as a professor of life sciences, government regulations, consumer protection, and cannabis matters at esteemed institutions such as the Tecnológico de Monterrey University, Escuela Libre de Derecho, Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas de la UNAM, and in the sanitary law diploma program at UNAM's law school. Mariana is deeply committed to facilitating business ventures between Europe and Mexico in the dynamic fields of life sciences and cannabis, leveraging her legal expertise to navigate the intricacies of international commerce and regulatory frameworks.

Founding Partner

Passionate about plant physiology and modelling. I leverage my expertise to further evolve the domain of digital twins in decision support and autonomous growing. Reach out if you would like to get in touch on greentech.

WR Onderzoeker

With over more then 40 years of experience in the field of Horticulture, always following the latest innovations and today inspiring and motivating many young and ambitious people within the GreenV group to deliver integrated solutions with cutting-edge technology for our customers.

Global Sales Director

Ramin Ebrahimnejad is a Business Development Manager at the James Hutton Institute (JHI), a leading centre for agricultural, environmental, and food systems research in the UK. He plays a key role in connecting science with industry, enabling the delivery of impactful research and scientific services that support innovation across the agri-food sector.
Ramin leads commercial engagement for the Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC) and the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC)—two major initiatives based at JHI. The APGC is a cutting-edge facility driving innovation in controlled environment agriculture (CEA), crop phenotyping, and vertical farming, supporting the development of resilient and sustainable food production systems. NAPIC acts as a national hub for the alternative protein sector, fostering collaboration between academia, startups, and global food companies to accelerate the transition toward sustainable proteins.
With a background in data science and sustainable agriculture, Ramin is focused on advancing partnerships that combine research excellence with real-world application—delivering solutions that improve productivity, climate resilience, and nutritional outcomes in modern food systems.

I work for Boerenbond, the biggest farmers association in Belgium. My function is research coördinator and teamcoach of Team Climate and Technology. My team consists of 15 employees who support farmers in making their agricultural and horticultural businesses more sustainable. We work on themes such as soil, circular economy, digital innovation, emissions, energy, innovation processes, climate, alternative crops and water. We achieve this by stimulating innovation in agriculture and horticulture; we represent the interests of agriculture and horticulture; we support our members through training and networking activities; we take action to improve social acceptance for the agricultural sector and we provide high-quality advice​ to members.

Research Coördinator and teamcoach of team climate & technology

Born and raised in the heart of the Dutch Westland, Renko Schuil has been immersed in fresh food production from an early age. His career in the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry spans over two decades, during which he has gained extensive expertise across various facets of the sector. From hardware and growing systems to climate control, lighting, logistics, and automation, Renko has developed a comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationships between these key components. His broad experience enables him to take a holistic approach, helping growers and industry leaders optimize their operations with innovative solutions.
Renko is now representing TTA-ISO as Sales Manager Food. At TTA-ISO, ‘Food’ refers to all edible and medicinal crops grown in controlled environments, from high-tech greenhouses to fully enclosed vertical farms. With a strong focus on plant handling and processing, TTA-ISO applies its 25+ years of expertise in robotics and automation to develop turnkey solutions that improve efficiency and consistency in indoor farming.

Sales Manager Food

Laleh Hosseini is leading Green Gas & Liquids, focusing on carbon capture systems and Biogas treatment tailored for the non-petrochemical sectors like horticulture. With an engineering background from TU Delft and a business degree from Rotterdam School of Management, she combines technical insight with strategic vision. Having held leadership roles across the international energy industry, Laleh is passionate about delivering practical decarbonization solutions and accelerating the transition to renewable energy.

Franck Golbach is a member of the ‘Vision + Robotics’ team at Wageningen Research (WR), specializing a.o. in the development of computer vision applications for sorting and grading. He utilizes sensors in both the visual and infrared spectrum and has extensive experience with 3D vision technology.
At WR, he is responsible for developing the Plantalyzer, an autonomous robot designed for use in tomato greenhouses. This innovative robot measures various quality aspects of tomatoes and provides accurate crop estimations (yield predictions). The Plantalyzer and its predictive models, now in their final development stage, have been evaluated for more than two years in multiple commercial greenhouses. This technology promises to revolutionize crop management by enhancing yield predictions and improving quality control.

Researcher

Jef is an independent consultant for legal cannabis growers. As six-sigma greenbelt he improves and shapes business processes. For the scale-up that legal growers are he helps selecting and implementing the most fitting solutions for Seed-to-sale, post-harvest and Track and Trace. He writes regularly for <a href="https://cannabisindustrie.nl/author/jefmartens" target="_blank">cannabisindustrie.nl</a> about the Dutch Experiment impact, medicinal cannabis and Germany.

Analyst

Not an armchair expert, but with both feet in the trenches. As Global Innovation Manager Enabling Technologies at Koppert, Gabriël van der Kruijk applies technology daily to drive innovation for customers and colleagues alike. He cuts through hype, delivering clear, experience-based insights. Known for his energy and enthusiasm, he tells compelling stories and sparks engagement.
With over twenty years in tech, Gabriël has a proven track record of delivering digital and AI solutions. He founded four tech companies and has worn many hats — software development, consultancy, and management in international corporate environments among them. The connecting thread is a focus on customer-centric, co-creative product development. His wide-ranging experience lets him connect deep technical know-how with sharp business sense.
With his side business Gabriel Guides (Gabriel Gidst) he helps companies start and accelerate their transformation journey with inspirational keynotes, workshops and advice. During the talks, Gabriël shares concrete lessons and thought-provoking examples. During workshops he works alongside participants, helping them turn challenges and opportunities into actionable digital solutions.

Global Innovation Manager Enabling Technologies

With a background in mechanical engineering, I am an experienced project and program manager with over 20 years of international experience in leading large-scale, multidisciplinary projects across the heavy-, light-, and ag-tech industries. Throughout my career, I have successfully managed complex industrial developments, often involving diverse teams and displinces, global stakeholders and cutting-edge new technologies.
For the past six years, I have been with Infinite Acres, where I am responsible for (i) managing and executing the company’s larger vertical farming projects, (ii) driving key internal developments as well as (iii) business development for the company. At Infinite Acres I have contributed by delivering and managing several strategic projects and developments, aligned with the company’s future direction.
I am particularly passionate about food security and the resilience of global food systems. And I am committed to making a meaningful contribution to sustainable food production around the globe, by applying my expertise and expierence impacting in ag-tech and beyond.

Director of Program Management and Business Development

Colinda de Beer is on a mission to connect tech with greenhouse horticulture. With a background as a horticultural researcher, software developer and R&D manager she is a tech translator and intrapreneur with over 35 years of experience. She regularly writes columns about subjects like innovation, robotics and AI. In her current role as a senior business developer for InnovationQuarter, she likes to combine a strategic and hands-on approach. This shows in her coaching and connecting students, startups, scaleups and companies from outside the horticultural and her role as initiator of RoboCrops and co-author of the digitalization vision for greenhouse horticulture.

Senior Business developer Horticulture

Edwin Kroon has a background in biology and dreams of copying nature’s nanostructures on everyday items. From bacteria-killing butterfly wings on a doorknob, to Namibian Desert Beetle to promote the foaming of beer, a laser can recreate functional 3D-nanostructures on any material. 
With EKYW Edwin Kroon wants to fully utilize the laser’s potential and demonstrate it as a viable alternative to chemicals such as: ink, glue (stickers), pesticides, herbicides and cleaning-products. Backed by academia, recyclers and producers alike it is safe to say that lasers are the future.

Laser Expert

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<div>My name is Frans Goud. Grower at BASF / Nunhems. I have been working in horticulture since I was 16. Started working and learning at a cucumber nursery. Here I grew into a manager. After more than 20 years, I started working as an assistant cultivation manager at a tomato nursery. And for the last 8 years I have been working at BASF/Nunhems as (senior technician) cultivation manager tomato / cucumber. For the past 6 years, we at Nunhems have been closely involved in data-driven growing and we have been using the new Intelligent Algorithms in the IIVO climate computer.</div>
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Senior Technician

Jelte van Kammen is de algemeen directeur van Harvest House, een toonaangevende coöperatie van Nederlandse telers van tomaten, paprika’s en komkommers. De bevlogen telers produceren op een innovatieve en duurzame manier vruchtgroenten van hoge kwaliteit. Op elk punt in de keten maken we duurzame keuzes.
Jelte is daarnaast bestuurslid van FVO en staat bekend als een verbinder en aanjager binnen de sector om de uitdagingen in de glastuinbouw aan te gaan. Samenwerking en innovatie zijn sleutelwoorden. Hij is betrokken bij initiatieven als Stop the Foodfight, Coalition of the Willing en trekker van projecten zoals 100% Groen Geteeld en True Value. Deze zijn allemaal gericht op duurzame teeltmethoden en het bredere verhaal van de glastuinbouw.

Managing Director of Plantanova and Horticonnect.
 Plantanova is a young vegetable plant Nursery where technology and talent meet to raise high performance plants.
Horticonnect NL is a consortium of Dutch companies providing technology, services and knowledge, linking the Dutch possibilities with the Mexican vibrant horticultural sector.

Founder/CEO of Gardin

I have been leading R&D efforts in light recipes and client support programs for the global Cannabis Segment for the past 6 years. I have expertise in plant biology and ecology, plant secondary compounds, spectroscopy and light. The last 10 years, I accumulated expertise in precision agriculture and indoor horticulture, specialized on Cannabis cultivation (optimizing yield and compounds for medicine) under LED lighting.

Cannabis Research & Plant Specialist

Mikel started with for FoodVentures as Project Manager in 2012 and has since then develop to his current role of Chief Operating Officer. During his decade of employment with FoodVentures, Mikel has worked in our operations in Busk in Ukraine, Belgorod and Sosnogorsk in Russia, Aqtobe in Kazakhstan, Shanghai in PRC, Hawaii, Kentucky and California in the US and Frovi in Sweden. Mikel holds a BSc in Business Administration & Agribusiness from HAS Den Bosch University of Applied Sciences.

Pedro Martínez Lázaro is a born salesperson with a strong track record as a Commercial Director, entrepreneur, and engineer. He is one of the four founding partners of INDUSER, a Spanish company specializing in the design and manufacturing of fully automated packaging lines.
Throughout his career, Pedro has led the company’s business development efforts, playing a key role in expanding its presence across international markets. His approach to client relationships is rooted in trust, professionalism, and deep knowledge of both the product and the agri-food industry.
Today, he joins us to introduce INDUSER and share how their ever-evolving solutions are helping producers of all kinds to automate their processes — offering not only cutting-edge technology but also a strong commitment to service and long-term collaboration.

Chief Business Officer

Tom Coen is a Belgian entrepreneur specializing in agricultural robotics. He holds a PhD in engineering sciences from KU Leuven. Coen co-founded Octinion in 2009, where he led R&D projects in mechatronics for the agriculture and food sector. In 2021, he became CEO of Octiva, a merger of Octinion’s agricultural robotics division and Priva’s robotic solutions. With his innovative, solution-driven approach, he can bridge technical expertise with practical applications in the agri-tech industry.

Roel Janssen is the head of Business Development  at Planet Farms, a technology company that builds and operates fully autonomous vertical farms at scale. Before devoting his work full-time to Planet Farms Roel spent 13 years at Signify (previously known as Philips Lighting), where he was the Global Director for City Farming. In his years at Signify Roel became an industry expert in the field of vertical farming and has been invited to speak and share his views all around the globe. He was also a guest lecturer at the HAS University of Applied Science in the Netherlands. Roel graduated Business Administration in Eindhoven, where he still lives with his wife and 2 kids. Next to growing plants in a sustainable way Roel has a great passion for wine, which resulted in a WSET 3 certification.

Head of Business Development

Lija Groenewoud van Vliet is the co-founder and creative director of In4Art. As an independent institute for art-driven responsible technological innovations, In4Art is interested in making connections between science, technology and the arts. The organisation’s work focuses on creating space for experiments that enable responsible innovations to be envisioned and brought into being.

Creative Director

Dr. David Bubenheim is an Innovation Advisor and Senior Scientist for the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources.  Focus includes Controlled Environment Agriculture and, in that capacity, participates in the Global CEA Consortium (GCEAC) launched through a Netherlands / California collaboration.  Formerly a senior research scientist at NASA, he developed CEA plant-based, life support systems providing for self-sufficient, human settlements on Mars.

Senior Scientist /  Innovation Advisor

Gonçalo is a Robotics Engineer who started his journey as a researcher at the Institute of Systems and Robotics at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Afterwards he became the CTO, and later CEO of CoolFarm, a cloud-based, AI software company that developed control systems for indoor farming. He is currently the CEO of Periplo Innovation and Head of Software and Robotics at PlanetFarms.

Head of Software and Robotics

Joost holds a Master's degree in Biosystems Engineering from Wageningen University. With a strong technical background, he specializes in developing strawberry cultivation planning and management software at Delphy. Joost leverages his expertise to create data-driven solutions that enable growers to improve their cultivation practices.

Cultivation Engineer Soft Fruit

Vice president & general Manager

Curious about technological innovations that make a positive impact on society. Feel free to send me a message if you're a start-up/scale-up looking for investment opportunities in the greater Rotterdam - The Hague - Leiden - Delft area in The Netherlands. 
InnovationQuarter is a Dutch venture capital investment fund for innovative companies, from startup to scale-up with €300 mln AUM and ticket sizes ranging from €350.000 up to €5 mln per company in pre-seed/seed/seriesA-C investment rounds.

Investment Manager

Team Lead Intelligent Algorithms

A native of Santa Cruz Ca, James Cunningham has pursued his career in cannabis cultivation his entire professional life. He is the founder of Vertical Air Solutions and Fog City Farms, a leading-edge vertical cannabis farm located in Watsonville, CA. When not tending to Fog City Farms and Vertical Air Solutions, James enjoys surfing and snowboarding, and farming his family vineyard. James is married with three children, and lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Director Of Cultivation

Passion, commitment, and responsibility in their work, with a strategic vision through innovation as a differentiating element to improve products and processes in companies and organizations. A lover of challenges and long-term vision, moving forward with firm and steady steps

General Director

Jelmer, VP Product and co-founder of Digital Energy, leads a development platform that transforms data centers into energy producers, providing greenhouses with sustainable, carbon-free heat through high-performance computing.

Coert has been working at Wageningen Social & Economic research as social-economic researcher and has conducted research in the areas of crop protection, phytosanitary policy, PEF footrint calculations, economic horticulture income estimates research e and the designing of an economic model for feasibility studies in a vertical farm. Befor his position at WSER, Coert was projectmanager, auditor and certification manager at a certification body and greenhouse grower.

Carlos, CEO and founder of Digital Energy, leads a development platform that transforms data centers into energy producers, providing greenhouses with sustainable, carbon-free heat through high-performance computing.

Founder & CEO

Kees Pruis is a passionate technologist and strategic innovator with a deep-rooted drive to make things better. With a career spanning the intersection of strategy, technology, and people, Kees brings a unique perspective to the evolving world of artificial intelligence. His ability to think outside the box and challenge conventional approaches has made him a trusted advisor and thought leader in digital transformation.
Kees thrives in environments where innovation is key and where human-centric design meets cutting-edge technology. He believes that the true power of AI lies not just in its algorithms, but in how it empowers people and organizations to grow, adapt, and lead in a rapidly changing world.
With a strong background in organizational development and a keen eye for emerging trends, Kees helps businesses navigate complexity and unlock new opportunities through smart, sustainable innovation. Whether he's shaping strategic roadmaps or facilitating cross-functional collaboration, his intrinsic motivation to improve and inspire is always at the forefront.
At this conference, Kees will share insights on how AI can be harnessed not just as a tool, but as a transformative force that aligns with human values and strategic goals.

Lead data science for robotics

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rikclymans/

Research coordinator greenhouse vegetables

My name is Max van den Hemel. I am working as a Cultivation Engineer within Team Delphy Digital. My focus is on high-tech greenhouse vegetables and I bridge the three domains in digitalisation: green knowledge, data science and software development.

Specialist data-driven growing

Maarten Ameye obtained his PhD at Ghent University in 2017. He focused on the use of innovative ways of protecting plants against fungal pathogens. In his post-doc at Ghent University, he spearheaded the deployment of multispectral phenotyping in plant-pathogen interactions.
From 2021 he started working as research leader at Inagro of the research cluster Controlled Environment Agriculture. He is responsible for setting out the short and long term research objectives and strategy. Special focus is paid on ensuring a sustainable primary production through circular economy, efficient use of resources and smart technologies in greenhouses. His group is involved in several regional, and international projects connecting fundamental science partners with farmers. Using science-based insights to safeguard horticulture production for the future is the mission of his group.

Research Coordinator Controlled Enviroment Agriculture

Laura van de Kreeke is a passionate advocate for sustainable food systems and one of the original farmers at Growy, a vertical farming company changing the way food is grown. Committed to making tasty, healthy, and affordable food accessible to all, Laura plays a key role in Growy’s mission to help create a more sustainable and resilient food ecosystem.

Farmer

Janneke Grit, MSc earned her MSc degree in Greenhouse Horticulture in 2015 at Wageningen University. Thereafter she was a lecturer at HAS Green Academy teaching in the Horticulture & Business Management program. She instructed students plant physiology courses, provided courses to professionals and conducted applied research mainly in the field of greenhouse horticulture and vertical farming. Since 2023, she has been working as scientist at the Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture of Wageningen University and Research. Her main area of expertise is greenhouse crop physiology, with a current focus on the safe application of new CO2 sources for horticulture and transitions to new cultivation systems. Her research is carried out in close collaboration with growers, the supply industry and the government.

Scientist Greenhouse Crop Physiology

Dr. Hsin-Cheng Chen serves as the R&D Department Manager at Taiwan HiPoint. He holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering from National Cheng Kung University and is currently a PhD candidate in Biomechatronics Engineering at National Taiwan University.
His research interests include servo control, image system integration, and biological system simulation. Dr. Chen has developed HiPoint's phenotype equipment and smart agriculture cloud system, and leads the phenotype system for Taiwan's National Plant Phenomics System construction team.
With expertise in automation system design and image analysis, Dr. Chen has led several innovative projects, including the development of the PDS intelligent pest identification system—recipient of the 2022 Taiwan Excellence Award. This system enhances Integrated Pest Management by significantly reducing pesticide usage through precise pest identification, preventing crop yield losses while minimizing environmental impact.
Dr. Chen's work focuses on advancing agricultural sustainability through technology integration, particularly through applications of the HiPoint PDS system in modern IPM practices.

R&D Manager

Grower Success Manager and Business Developer at Growficient, helping licensed cannabis cultivators worldwide enhance their irrigation strategies with wireless substrate sensors, an innovative online platform and tailored consultancy. - By optimizing irrigation and fostering a deeper understanding of holistic growing practices, I empower growers to achieve better yields, improved product quality, cost-efficiency, and sustainable water use.  - I drive business development efforts, focusing on expanding Growficient' presence in the US and EU cannabis markets. - My passion lies in leveraging technological innovation and product integration to elevate the cannabis industry, and advocate for the recognition this incredible plant deserves.

Grower Success Manager / BD

Simone is the chairman of the Union of coffeeshop retailers in the Netherlands, kandidate for the European Parlement and working at the national and international level to advance regulation of cannabis and to professionalize the emerging industry. She is ons of the key figures who advocates on the legalization on a European level.

Voorzitter

Suzanne Verboon studied Biotechnological Engineering at Wageningen University and worked for several years as a manager at the Dutch enterprice agency RVO. She is now Program leader Agriculture at <a href="https://www.fme.nl/marktsegmenten/landbouw-water-voedsel">FME</a>, the Dutch Industy organisation.  Suzanne has extensive experience with innovative projects and programs, both nationally and internationally.  As Program Manager for <a href="https://nxtgenhightech.nl/agrifood/">NXTGEN Hightech</a> she uses her passion for technology and agriculture to accelerate innovation for future proof sustainable food production.

Program Manager AgriFood

Management Studies degree educated at Birmingham University with nearly 40 years of international commercial experience.  Focussed on the water sector for the last 25 years working globally promoting environmentally sustainable, efficient and effective water resource management with particular emphasis on water collection and storage.

Global Sales Manager

Advisor at MEWA/SAFTA

Martin is responsible for Certhon’s growth chamber projects. With a background in Optical engineering and climate control systems, Martin is specialized in (LED) lighting systems and growth chamber design. Certhon has an extensive experience in turn-key realization of growth chambers for the commercial production of vegetables and flowers as well as specialized chambers for plant research. For example, insights into photosynthesis and transpiration to achieve higher production and quality and improve recourse use efficiency.

Consulting Engineer Indoor Farming Systems

Joep Van Den Bosch is as Director Business Development responsible for all future-oriented product and market development for the Ridder Group.
Born as son of a Dutch greenhouse grower and educated in horticulture, Joep has been active in greenhouse technology for over 35 years. He worked for several horticultural technology companies before joining the Ridder Group in 2012. “It has been my personal passion and ambition to improve the lives and businesses of growers and farmers, like my own family, by sharing knowledge and developing new technology”. 
Ridder, a Dutch family-owned business, has been a household name in greenhouse technology for over 70 years with activities on all continents and offices in 7 countries. Today Ridder is a global leading manufacturer in intelligent greenhouse technology for climate, water, and energy solutions in hig- and midtech controlled environment agriculture with a focus on improving the efficiency and sustainability of the global food and flower production.

Director Business Development

Willy Contreras-Avilés is a PhD candidate at Wageningen University in the Horticulture and Product Physiology Group whose main research interest in focused in understanding the role of light in the regulation of plant specialized metabolites in medicinal cannabis. He did his bachelor's degree in Biotechnology and Organic Chemistry of Natural Products at Universidad Santo Tomás in Santiago, Chile. Later, he completed a double Master degree in Business and Science where he specialized in Cosmetic Science, at Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA. Most recently, he decided to diversify his career by doing a third Master in Plant Sciences at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, consequently leading to his current doctoral position where he is aiming to understand the effect of ultraviolet radiation on the physiology and specialized metabolism in medicinal cannabis.

PhD Candidate

Rebecca joined Heliospectra in 2014 and is responsible for the company’s commercial sector, including marketing, sales, and technical support team. Her role involves providing strategic direction, contributing to Heliospectra's growing influence in intelligent LED grow lights for greenhouse and controlled environment horticulture. Rebecca actively participates in advancing LED lighting technology and control solutions for the horticultural and agricultural sectors, establishing Heliospectra as a key leader in these industries. Before joining Heliospectra, she gained valuable experience in white goods and LED lighting in Germany. Rebecca holds a Master's in Marketing and Consumption from the School of Business, Economics, and Law in Gothenburg, Sweden. With a strong dedication to innovation, she continues to guide Heliospectra toward a sustainable and prosperous future in global agriculture.

Export Manager

With a background in international business, I have many years of experience in lighting & vertical farming. I lead a multi disciplinary team of plant specialists, sales application engineers and business developers to build vertical farms globally, tailored to the specific and local business needs of the customers/entrepreneurs.  Key to my work are my passion for food, people and sustainability. 
Signify is the world leader in lighting for professionals and consumers and lighting for the Internet of Things. Signify agricultural lighting helps growers and farmers to unlock the power of light to sustainably feed a growing population and brighten lives. Within Signify Agriculture, Philips Horticulture LED grow lights help control many aspects of crop growth to get better business results and increase yield, quality and consistency of the crop.

Business manager Philips Vertical Farming

I am Niels van der Geest, graduated in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Wageningen and currently working as a cultivation engineer at Delphy, the Netherlands, with the focus on Greenhouse Vegetables. As cultivation engineer, I develop data-driven cultivation management tools that support growers in making data driven decisions!

Alexander Wilm is a Principal Engineer for Light and Life at ams OSRAM, working in the System Solution Engineering Department in Regensburg. He joined OSRAM in 2004 after graduating from the University of Applied Sciences in Regensburg with a diploma in Mechatronic Engineering.
Alexander began his career focusing on optics and system design for LED headlamps, flashlights, and projectors. His expertise broadened during a two-year assignment in Singapore, where he served as an Application Engineer and Key Expert for solid-state lighting products, covering light quality properties and the non-visual effects of light related to life sciences.
He is actively involved in several expert associations for lighting, driving innovation in solid-state lighting. Alexander also played a key role in transitioning from conventional light sources to LEDs in horticulture lighting applications, establishing himself as a recognized expert in this field. In his current position, he focuses on the application of upcoming UV-C LEDs for disinfection and treatment across various applications, driving the replacement of conventional mercury lamps.

Senior Principal Engineer

Mariska Dreschler has more than 25 years of experience in entrepreneurship, business strategy, business development and event management. As Director of Horticulture, GreenTech Global at the RAI Amsterdam, she supports the global food- and flower production industry by organizing trade fairs for these communities to connect, both face-2-face and digital. The GreenTech portfolio consists of GreenTech Amsterdam as the worldwide leading trade show on horticulture technologies and GreenTech Americas as the regional trade show in Mexico.

Director Horticulture - GreenTech Global

Business Manager

Hi, I'm Kim! Welcome to GreenTech.

Exhibition Manager Domain Horticulture

Master in Sciences - Greenhouse Production and Agribussiness
Master in Sciences - Renewable Energy
Specialiazation in Climate controls
Specialization in Plant Nutrition
Agrilcutural Engineer

General Manager/Head Grower

Jason Killing is the founder of Canaru and a seasoned professional with deep roots in the cannabis industry, beginning at the age of 16. His passion for cannabis cultivation led him to train as an electrician, a skill set he honed specifically for cannabis facilities. Due to the legal landscape in Germany at the time, Jason gained significant experience working in the Netherlands and later in Spain.
To establish a stable foundation in Germany, Jason entered the construction industry early in his career. In 2018, he founded his own construction company specializing in electrical systems. As a certified expert for electrical installations, Jason began channeling his expertise into the upcoming cannabis market in 2020. He has since consulted on and built facilities or parts of it for the CBD and medical cannabis sectors across numerous European countries.
With the renewed discussions around cannabis legalization in Germany in 2023, Jason and his team fully committed to the industry. Canaru now boasts 10 full-time employees dedicated to the cannabis sector, complemented by twice that number in their construction division, which is progressively transitioning its focus entirely to cannabis projects.
Canaru's impact is already significant, having contributed to or fully supported nearly a quarter of the approved cultivation associations in Germany. They have secured the first cultivation permits in Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, and Bavaria, and are leaders in navigating change-of-use permits for cultivation associations. Currently, two of Canaru's cultivation association facilities are actively producing cannabis, with several more under construction and in advanced planning stages.

Owner

As a cannabis cultivation consultant, Kjell is involved in multiple growing and research projects. Kjell oversees the daily operations at the “Cultivation for Compounds” consortium on behalf of Cultivators. Kjell is also one of the main teachers of the “Operational Excellence Training” project, hosting both lectures and practical sessions on the cultivation of medical cannabis. He can also be found advising growers around Europe.
Kjell holds a MSc in Plant sciences with a specialization in Greenhouse Horticulture from Wageningen University. Kjell’s research focused on the effects of light intensity and spectrum on the growth and development of medical cannabis.

Cultivation consultant - Project Manager

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