For decades, the horticultural world relied on two gold standards: Peat Moss and Coconut Coir. But the industry has reached a breaking point. Peat is under siege from climate legislation and carbon-removal mandates, while Coco is suffering from a "perfect storm" of supply chain fragility and ecological strain. This session explores the high-stakes transition to the Substrates of the Future. We will bring together substrate innovators to discuss how growers are successfully moving away from traditional media without sacrificing yield or increasing their operational risk.

Moderator: Roel  Janssen, Kyle Freedman, Dr. Sebastian Kipp, Hans Kristian Westrum, Peter Melis

Subtrates of the future

Nicole Kuleshova Shalumov is the Operations & Marketing Manager at Cultivators, a Dutch horticultural consultancy specializing in hydroponic leafy greens, licensed cannabis cultivation, and controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Her work combines project management, international business development, consortium coordination, and industry event organization within the global horticultural sector.
Originally from Israel and now based in the Netherlands, Nicole studied Horticulture & Business Management at HAS University of Applied Sciences, specializing in greenhouse cultivation and technology. During her studies, she also completed a minor at Wageningen University & Research (WUR).
At Cultivators, Nicole works on international horticultural projects focused on cultivation strategies, operational planning, and business case development for commercial growing facilities. She also coordinates the Leafy Hydroponic Consortium and leads the organization of the Leafy Hydroponics Summit (LHS), bringing together industry partners, growers, and researchers to support knowledge exchange and innovation within the leafy greens sector.

Operations & Marketing Manager

Joost Damen is an Integration & Automation expert at Dots & Arrows, a member of Spire, where he helps organizations build scalable digital foundations through API-led integration and intelligent automation. With a strong focus on connecting systems, data, and processes, Joost works with companies to modernize their integration landscapes and enable faster innovation across the enterprise.
Passionate about the practical application of emerging technologies, Joost specializes in designing integration architectures that are secure, governable, and future-ready. His work bridges the gap between enterprise integration strategy and the next generation of AI-driven operations, helping organizations prepare for the shift toward agentic enterprises.
In his sessions, Joost combines hands-on experience with a forward-looking perspective on how APIs, automation, and intelligent agents can work together to create resilient and adaptable digital ecosystems.

Integration & Automation expert

The core is focused on an affinity with technology and desiring to find optimal and new solutions. These can translate to incorporating new designs on existing systems as well as presenting new innovations to optimize processes. Designing new projects where complex and multi-layered iterative processes form obstacles have proven to hold my interest and are considered a welcome challenge.
As a research and development engineer I’ve been focused on climate and energy and improving the supporting systems in horticulture. With the vision that a stronger market benefits all, the market for horticultural projects is far from saturated. In this, optimizing our ecological footprint, the sustainability of projects on both the resource and finance sides and ensuring fresh and healthy products leave the site, are an on-going and long-term challenge for us all.

Director/Owner

Ariane GRISEY, graduate engineer from Polytech’Marseille (2000) in energy engineering mechanics. She has been working in CTIFL for 22 years. She has carried out various projects such as : Interreg NW Re-Greenhouse (2024–2027), 11 partners, aiming to develop a decision-support tool for selecting renewable energy sources for greenhouses. Monitoring of a pilot site in Brittany heated by waste heat. Horizon Europe (2022–2029) ClimateFarmDemo, 80 partners, Thematic Leader for vegetable production, organization of webinars to reduce GHG emissions. Greengo PEREN (2021–2023), 8 partners: improving the environmental performance of apples. Greengo PERTOMCO (2022–2024), 9 partners: improving the environmental performance of tomatoes and cucumbers grown under cover. Contribution to the creation of the carbon tool CarboneF&L (2021), low-carbon diagnostic plan (ADEME, MASA), online deployment of the tool (2024–2026). Project manager for the multi-partner program “Energy-Producing Greenhouse” (2008–2012), aimed at building three 1,000 m² greenhouse units dedicated to energy experimentation (insulation materials and double screens, double heating pipes, thermodynamic dehumidifiers, semi-closed greenhouse, air/water heat exchangers, water/water heat pumps with aquifer storage, 100% electric greenhouse).
Her areas of technical expertise and completed studies include: Since 2006, participation in the ATEE/Agriculture working group on energy savings certificates, preparation or co-preparation of technical sheets each year. Chair of the Agriculture group since 2023 Conducting studies and surveys (update of the heated greenhouse inventory in 2021) on energy topics in greenhouses: biomass, heat pumps, solar thermal (ADEME Solarsorp study, 2022). Private consulting studies for AgriPV project development.Private studies on greenhouse energy consumption calculations Technical assessment of greenhouse investment projects Contribution to the note and calculation tool for greenhouse thermal coefficient (U-value) Agrithermic for ADEME Expert reviewer for project proposals and innovation competitions Numerous articles and presentations in France and abroad Training sessions for professionals and advisory technicians, conducted annually on greenhouse climate management and environmental impacts of the fruit and vegetable sector.

Manager of the Environment and Energy Unit

Dr. Sebastian Kipp is Director Innovation at Klasmann-Deilmann, where he focuses on driving sustainable growing media solutions for professional horticulture. He leads innovation initiatives related to renewable raw materials, growing media technologies, and climate-friendly cultivation systems. Dr. Kipp studied plant sciences and received his PhD from the Technical University of Munich, specializing in plant phenotyping and sensor-based technologies for crop research. Today, his work focuses on developing next-generation growing media, including innovative biochar solutions as well as peatreduced and peat-free substrates to support more sustainable and climate-resilient horticultural production.

Director Innovation

Heidi Whitman is an international strategic advisor specialising in cannabis, plant based therapeutics, and regulated wellness markets. With over a decade of experience across the UK, EU, and global ecosystems, she focuses on governance, compliance, financial architecture, and cross border market entry for companies seeking sustainable, scalable growth.
 She is the Co Founder and Chairwoman of the EmpowHer Cannabis Society, a global network of women driving progress, inclusion, and leadership across the cannabis industry in over 40 countries. Through this platform, she actively champions gender equity, visibility, and measurable business impact.
 Heidi is known for her “high functioning, not high” philosophy, advocating for precision dosing, product diversification, and responsible frameworks that prioritise patient outcomes and everyday functionality. Her work bridges industry, policy, and investment supporting governments, operators, and innovators to build compliant, future ready markets grounded in transparency and trust.

Global Strategic Advisor

Hi, I'm Kim! Welcome to GreenTech.

Exhibition Manager Domain Horticulture

Directory Board

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

Manager Delphy Digital

Laura van de Kreeke is a founding farmer at Growy, a vertical farming company based in Amsterdam. Driven by a strong belief that food systems must change, she is committed to making tasty, healthy, and affordable food accessible to everyone.
With over seven years of experience in controlled environment agriculture, Laura combines hands-on farming knowledge with a focus on the commercial side of the business. Her work spans sales, marketing, and communications, translating complex growing technology into clear value for chefs, retailers, and consumers.
At Growy, she is involved in connecting plant science, technology, and market demand, contributing to scalable, data-driven farming systems that improve consistency and efficiency. Alongside her work, she regularly gives talks and guest lectures on the future of food production and the role of vertical farming in building more resilient, local food systems.

Farmer

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

Executive Director

Researcher plant physiology

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

Senior Sales Manager

Gerrit Polder is senior researcher Computer Vision & Plant Phenotyping at the department Greenhouse Technology and the Agricultural Biosystems Engineering chair group of Wageningen University & Research. His research interests include photonic based sensing, including imaging spectroscopy and spectral imaging for disease detection and high throughput automated plant phenotyping both in protected cultivation and arable farming.

Computer Vision & Plant Phenotyping

Rien Kamman is CEO and Co-Founder of Source.ag, leading the company’s global mission to empower fruit and vegetable growers with AI. Since 2020, he has driven Source.ag’s expansion and vision to make high-tech, efficient greenhouse farming accessible and scalable worldwide.

CEO & Co-founder

Erik Pekkeriet (1970) is Program Manager Vision + Robotics. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the NHL-Stenden University of Applied Sciences in Emmen. He specialized himself in Maintenance Technology and Management. After he finished his BSc he started his career at Philips as a project employee in maintenance management. In 1996 he started a new position within innovation management in a Greenhouse Horticulture Association. He started as a single consultant, but built and led a department with 5 innovation consultants. After 7 years he made a change to Wageningen University & Research, building great robots, vision sorting systems and new greenhouse production systems for, and together with farmers and machine manufacturers. Main projects he developed and worked on were: vision sorting systems for pot plants, cut flowers and vegetables in X-ray-, NIR-, Fluorescence- and RGB-technology in 2D and 3D; robot harvesting systems for cutting roses, gerberas, cucumbers, sweet peppers and tomatoes and new moving greenhouse production systems for chrysanthemum, pot plants and vertical farms. Erik coordinated the EU-project PicknPack (flexible robotic packaging systems) and NXTGEN Hightech Agrifood. Erik is also the founding father and network coordinator of the European Digital Innovation Hub network on Robotics named: agROBOfood
The last decade Erik broadened the robotic scope from greenhouse horticulture to open field, livestock, marine, food and other Wageningen agri-food domains. Erik is now leading the agilie team of the Agro Food Robotics Program which consist of 60 experts from Wageningen Reserarch. Erik is also an IPMA-C certified project manager. Other positions are:
<ul>
<li>Boardmember of the topicgroup on Agricultural Robotics at EU Robotics</li>
<li>Chair of topicgroup Greenhouse Horticultuire at the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Techniek in de Landbouw (Dutch Society of Technology in Agriculture)</li>
<li>Network coordinator at the European agROBOfood network</li>
<li>Advisory board member of the European Machine Vision Forum</li>
</ul>

Niko Simos is an Operations Associate at Agritecture Consulting, specializing in vertical farming, project management, and sustainable food systems development. With a background in agricultural sciences from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and an ongoing MSc in Land, Water, Energy Resources, and Rural Environment Management, Niko brings a strong foundation in CEA research and practice. His research includes studying yield optimization for leafy greens under innovative vertical farming systems with artificial lighting.
At Agritecture, Niko manages daily operations across marketing, consulting, and business development, supporting strategic partnerships and delivering CEA workshops globally. His industry publications focus on advancing vertical farming practices, and he is passionate about leveraging technology and collaboration to create resilient food systems for the future.

Operations Associate

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

Joseph began his career in 2012 in instrumentation and controls engineering, using sensors and PLC systems to control auxilary systems in semi-conductor manufacturing. In 2019, he returned to university to study biosystems engineering at Wageningen University and Research. Since graduation he has worked at Wageningen research modelling water flows through soil to reduce emission of water, nutrients, and PPPs into the environment; optimizing fertilization to accomodate dynamic recirculation throughout the crop cycle; and, since 2023, using biochar as a cultivation susbtrate in greenhouse trials at the WR Glastuinbouw research station in Bleiswijk. Joseph brings a fresh perspective into the horticultural industry and has an eye for both what is possible and what is practical.

Researcher - Rootzone Dynamics and Sensing

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

Director

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

Ryan brings more than 30 years of hands-on experience in the cannabis and horitculture industry. A second-generation cultivator and two-time Cannabis Cup winner, he has consulted with commercial cultivation operations worldwide. Ryan has held board positions with organizations such as the NCIA, RII, and Grow Up, and is a familiar face on the global speaking circuit with appearances at events like MJBizCon, Grow Up Conference, Cultivate, the Canadian Greenhouse Conference, and Greentech.
Before joining Cultiwool, Ryan worked with a leading LED lighting company, offering technical cultivation support not only for cannabis but also for a range of other crops including tomatoes, leafy greens, and ornamentals. Outside the grow room, Ryan is a passionate home brewer and was recently named the 2024 Front Range Circuit Homebrewer of the Year.

North America Technical Sales Manager

www.cresultant.nl  www,plantscout.eu

Owner

I am a senior lecturer and researcher at the HAS green academy University of Applied Sciences ('s Hertogenbosch, NL), department of Agri and Business, Team Horticulture and Arable Farming. Within the research I do, I am associated with the Professorships "Green Health (Groene Gezondheid)" and "Horticulture Technologies". This entails doing research, using modern and innovative technological advances within horticulture, to ensure quality (internal, phytonutrients, product health) of produce, allowing consumers to have an informed choice about the quality of their produce and the health benefits this may provide them upon prolonged consumption. Within the UAS system, the main focus of our research is to closely together with companies, Universities and governement to ensure the research we do is relevant and applicable in the sector. 
My previous experiences include:
PhD (University of East Anglia; John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK) 2002 (cereal starch metabolism);
PostDoc on Pollen-pistil interactions (Radboud University Nijmegen, NL)
Agricultural consultancy ( Sustainable Crop Management; ADAS, Cambridge, UK)
Seed Production Researcher (Nunhems / BASF Vegetable Seeds, NL)
Cereal breeding (Sorghum; DSV, NL)

Senior Lecturer and Researcher

Adrian is the Co founder and President of Roelands Plant Farms a vegetable plant propagation greenhouse located in Lambton Shores, Ontario, Canada.

President

Researcher in high tech cultivation systems and vertical farming at the Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture and Flower Bulbs (WUR).

Researcher

Product Innovation Manager

Technical Consultant

Paolo de Heer is working as data science consultant at the Digital Built Environment department of TNO. His research interests are artificial intelligence and optimisation, and he is currently the lead of the ‘computational models & tooling’ technology line of the department. In the High-Tech Greenhouses team of TNO, he advises on algorithms and modelling. Further more, he is also leading the AI team of the unit Mobility & Built Environment. He has a strong operational & long-term view, connecting people and knowledge through his extensive network and knack for effective and inspiring communication.

Data Science Consultant

Wesley Petzer is a South African-born cultivation and international market development specialist based in the Netherlands. He is Global Brand Representative and Growing Consultant for Atami Nutrients and Founder of Petzer Consulting BV, a consultancy focused on cultivation strategy, nutrient programmes, brand development and commercial growth within cannabis and controlled-environment horticulture.
With more than ten years of hands-on cultivation experience, Wesley has worked across legacy, regulated and emerging cannabis markets. His background combines farming, agricultural economics, compliance, software, product education and business development, allowing him to connect technical cultivation realities with broader commercial and market opportunities.
Before founding Petzer Consulting BV, Wesley worked as Business Development Manager Africa at Cannavigia, supporting the expansion of cannabis compliance technology in developing and regulated markets. Today, he works with growers, brands, distributors and industry partners across Europe, Africa, North America and emerging markets, helping translate cultivation knowledge into stronger positioning, trusted partnerships and scalable market strategies.
Wesley’s work is driven by a belief that the future of high-value horticulture depends not only on better products and better cultivation, but also on education, transparency, credible branding and meaningful international collaboration.

Global Brand Representative & Growing Consultant, Atami Nutrients | Founder, Petzer Consulting BV

Industrial PhD candidate since 2023, specializing in greenhouse cultivation of Cannabis using supplemental LED lighting. Focused on developing new strategies to improve crop efficiency, product quality, and energy sustainability through precise resource control.

Bart van Meurs is Head of Division Q within the Koppert Cress Group, where he focuses on the development and application of innovative technologies for sustainable cultivation. With extensive experience in greenhouse horticulture and innovation-driven projects, he works closely with growers, technology partners and start-ups to support the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient horticultural sector. As moderator of this event, Bart brings together his in-depth sector knowledge, strategic insight and ability to guide constructive dialogue on the future of food, technology and sustainability.

IT Solution Architect

Reinier Wolterbeek is the Chief Product Officer at ONNA Greens, Norway's largest commercial Indoor Vertical Farm. He is largely accountable for moving trial crops into commercial crops.
Before joining ONNA, Reinier was the co-founder and CTO of Sundrop Farms, developing, building and operating 6 medium & high-tech greenhouses in Australia, the Middle East, Europe and USA, growing tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, strawberries & raspberries. 
Reinier has over &gt;20 years of innovative CEA experience with MSc degree from Wageningen University & Research.

Peter Hendriks has studied Commercial Economics and Strategy & Organization and followed additional training in Artificial Intelligence. From 2021 onwards, he is the CEO of Hoogendoorn Growth Management. Peter has an excellent track record at several software development companies in the horticulture industry.   Before Hoogendoorn, Peter spent five years as the Managing Director of the fast-growing software company “LetsGrow.com”. Now, with Hoogendoorn, he aims to contribute to ‘feeding & greening the world’ by creating synergies between the latest tech developments, new plant physiology findings, and world-renowned growing expertise. All in his pursuit to sustainably increase customers’ ROI while leaving the planet in a better place. He considers Hoogendoorn the best place to actualize his ambitions: a flourishing company where personal responsibility and personal development are strongly valued.

Founder

Ir. Eric Poot has been manager of Delphy Improvement Centre in Bleiswijk since April 2024, where he leads applied research in greenhouse horticulture. With his team he focuses on the development and application of knowledge and technological innovations within cultivation systems, with the aim of making the sector more sustainable and future-proof. Before his position at Delphy, Poot worked for years at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), where he was team leader within the Greenhouse Horticulture & Flower Bulbs business unit. At WUR, he was involved in a large number of projects as project leader and researcher, including projects about transitions and (system) innovations. Poot is an advocate of knowledge sharing and cooperation between research, business and education. He emphasizes the importance of integral approaches, in which factors such as light, climate and energy consumption are jointly optimized, and in which digitalization plays an essential enabling role. His vision is that horticulture makes an essential contribution to a healthy diet and the well-being of people worldwide, and that knowledge and technology play key roles in achieving sustainable food production.

Manager Team Improvement Centre

Prof Harrison is the Managing Director of the Plant Sciences Group, which comprises approximately 1400 staff across 20 chair groups in Wageningen University and the insitute Wageningen Plant Research. In the Netherlands he is a member of the Top Team “Tuinbouw en Uitgangsmaterialen/ Horticulture and Starting Materials”, representing all Dutch Knowledge Insitutes . He provides strategic oversight of several programme boards for large regional and national initiatives on behalf of Wageningen U&R.  He is an honorary  professor at the University of Birmingham,UK. 
Previously he was an executive Director at NIAB (UK) with overall responsibility for NIAB’s portfolio of arable genetics, pathology, biotechnology, data science and crop characterisation. Alongside that he led NIAB’s contribution to the Crop Science Centre, the alliance between the University of Cambridge and NIAB, designed to bridge the gap between discovery science and societal impact. This alliance has received significant philanthropic support and rapidly established its position in the national innovation landscape. Prior to his role in Cambridge, he worked at East Malling as head of genetics, where he specialised in horticultural genetics and genomics of fruit crops.  
Prof Harrison has a PhD in evolutionary systems biology. His research group has worked to understand the evolution and genetic basis of complex traits, such as interactions between plants and microbes, particularly in horticultural crops. Outputs have included scientific knowledge, tools, techniques and products to underpin the sustainable development of the agricultural, horticultural and food industries, using both breeding and biotechnology solutions. His group was among the first to implement gene editing techniques in key horticultural crops and in fungi used for alternative protein production. Through collaborative work with industrial partners, he and his team have delivered disease resistance traits into multiple commercial breeding programmes, as well as having initiated new public-private breeding programmes funded by global partners.

Managing Director Plant Science Group

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

Stef Maree (PhD), is programme manager Autonomous Cultivation at Wageningen Research. He focusses on bringing the latest development from the fields of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning into agriculture, helping growers to grow more sustainably and making healthy food available worldwide.

Programme Manager Autonomous Cultivation

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!

Ben Nikaj is a highly accomplished Senior Crop Advisor at Grodan, leading provider of root zone management solutions for professional horticulture. With an impressive career spanning over 22 years, Ben supports vegetable and medicinal crop growers worldwide in optimizing their irrigation strategies and cultivation methods. Ben’s focus is on sustainable and efficient solutions to enhance plant performance and product quality. Ben’s unparalleled expertise plays a pivotal role in advancing innovative substrates and cultivation techniques.

Senior Crop Advisor Medicinal Plants

Learn to grow! 
Beanstalk stimulates the growth and development of people and organizations within the horticulture sector. We create an inspiring learning environment for all who work in our beautiful sector. A place to explore and develop talents, where your company is supported to evolve towards a future-proof (self-learning) organization.

Trainer

Researcher Delphy Improvement Centre

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

Not an armchair expert, but with both feet still in the trenches. As Managing Director of LetsGrow.com, Gabriël van der Kruijk is deeply involved in technological innovation that delivers real impact. He looks beyond the hype and shares down‑to‑earth, practical insights. With his enthusiasm and energy, he consistently connects effortlessly with his audience.
With more than twenty years of experience in the tech sector, Gabriël has a strong track record in developing digital and AI solutions. His in‑depth knowledge of the horticulture sector has been shaped by hands‑on experience; he was a key driver behind the digital transformations of global players such as Rijk Zwaan and Koppert. This experience enables him to truly understand how to successfully apply technology in horticulture.
The common thread throughout his career is translating technological capabilities into tangible business results, always through a customer‑focused and co‑creative approach. In his keynote sessions, Gabriël shares concrete insights and thought‑provoking real‑world examples. In workshops, he dives deep, guiding participants in translating their own challenges into effective digital solutions.

Director LetsGrow.com

With years in industrial automation, Rick Schneiders leads Siemens' Future Food team, driving the digitalization of food processing for sustainability. Recognizing the critical need for progress in food production, he takes charge in advocating for industry-wide standardization while guiding companies in scaling up innovative business models. Rick's commitment to innovation and sustainability, combined with his extensive experience, drives his mission to revolutionize the food industry towards a more efficient and sustainable future.

Head of Future Food

Team Coördinator International Relations

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

Business Development Manager

The workplace is the best learning environment. Beanstalk assumes that all knowledge is already available.
As coach and trainer I am concerned with the individual people in the organization and I facilitate coaching processes to realize human growth.
Beanstalk helps to build future-proof companies in the agricultural sector by developing the people in the organization.
We approach learning and development of people as a growth process. We are continuously learning and developing! You can accelerate this process by working consciously and purposefully on development.  Together with Peter Klapwijk and Sjoerd Nieboer (family business 😊), we also organize away days for directors, management and entrepreneurs to reflect on leadership, trends, day to day activity and the future. 
I am also involved with Peter Klapwijk in the content and development of this Power day. Nice to meet you there.

Trainer/coach

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 for the Latin America region in Mexico, Querétaro. In 2026 GreenTech North America will be launched, in the Philadelphia, US with focus on the region of the US and Canada.

Director Horticulture - GreenTech Global

Business Development manager

Consultant in global controlled environment agriculture space with 8+ years of experience across vertical farming, greenhouse systems, and fresh produce supply chains. Co-founder and editor at VerticalFarmDaily, part of a global family media group with 16+ industry publications, where I built a strong network and in depth market insight. I now support companies and startups with market research, go to market strategy, and business development.

Jaime is a chemist specialising in Advanced Materials and works as an R&D researcher at AIMPLAS, a technology centre with over 35 years of experience in the plastics sector based in Valencia, Spain. His work focuses on developing innovative and sustainable plastic solutions that address real grower needs, spanning several research lines: advanced greenhouse covers engineered to optimise crop performance through temperature regulation, light spectrum modulation and water management; biobased and biodegradable materials for plasticulture and aquaculture; the valorisation of agricultural by-products into high-value composite materials; and soil quality improvement through controlled-release systems. With experience across national and European R&D projects, Jaime collaborates closely with industry partners and research institutions to translate cutting-edge materials science into scalable, practical , efficient and sustainable solutions, delivering measurable agronomic and economic value across the agricultural sector.

Development of Sustainable Materials in Agriculture & Aquaculture Group

Project Manager

Tom de Vos is a Consulting Sales Engineer at Sprinkler Energy, a company specialized in sustainable energy solutions for the horticultural industry. Sprinkler Energy helps growers and businesses reduce their dependency on natural gas through innovative heat pump systems, thermal energy storage, and integrated energy solutions. The company focuses on lowering energy costs, reducing CO₂ emissions, and supporting the transition toward future-proof and more sustainable greenhouse operations. During GreenTech Amsterdam 2026, Tom shares his expertise on innovative energy technologies, grid congestion challenges, and the transition toward fossil-free horticulture.

Consulting Sales Engineer

Kyle Freedman is the global Market Segment Manager CEA and Jiffy Gel Product Manager for Jiffy Group responsible for providing technical guidance and support to Jiffy's global CEA customers and helping to drive market expansion. Kyle holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He earned his MSc. in International Agriculture Development from the University of California at Davis with a concentration in Horticulture and Agronomy where his research focused on climate-smart, small-scale postharvest processing systems of coffee in Honduras. He obtained a PhD in Horticultural Sciences from North Carolina State University where his research focused on the development of a new hydroponic grapevine production system called Precise Indoor Vine Conditioning (PIVC) in which young grapevines are conditioned with supplemental light to produce fruit in their first season of field transplanting. With 15+ years of experience, Kyle was previously a Sr. Project Management Specialist at RTI International prior to graduate school where he was a part of their global food security and agriculture team managing over $150 million in USAID and USDA development projects in East Africa and Southeast Asia.

Market Segment Manager CEA

Born in a greenhouse and shaped by years of experience with high-tech cultivation facilities worldwide, I help cannabis and hydroponic leafy greens growers elevate their cultivation to the highest level: profitable, scalable, and scientifically grounded. With an MSc in Plant Science from Wageningen University (specializing in greenhouse horticulture) and decades of international consultancy experience, I bring proven expertise in controlled environment agriculture directly into your operational practice. From trials and innovation projects to optimizing entire facilities. I know what works, where others are still searching.
My approach bridges science, strategy, and execution. The result: higher yields, better quality, and more efficient processes; tangible, measurable, and immediately applicable. As Managing Partner at Cultivators, I lead projects that empower growers to achieve their goals, regardless of crop or country. My focus is always on the client’s success: from plant to commercial impact.

Country Director Morocco

Minister for Food Security, Fisheries and Horticulture

Head of Project Development Manager

Eva Helén operates at the intersection of food, energy, and digital infrastructure, designing platforms and partnerships that enable industries and communities to collaborate in entirely new ways. She is Managing Director at FarmTech Society (FTS), where she leads the development of the CEA Lounge platform. Through the CEA Lounge, FTS connects people with knowledge, experts, and real-world deployment across both digital and in-person experiences. She also serves on the organization’s Creative Board.
Previously, Eva co-founded BRAVE Industries, focused on regenerative, community-centered food and energy systems.  A serial entrepreneur with over 20 years in high tech, she has built and scaled multiple ventures, including Sanbolic. Eva is a frequent speaker and moderator, known for connecting stakeholders across sectors and advancing collaboration.

Managing Director

Aurélie Bovi is the Innovation Lead for the Controlled Environment Agriculture sector at the UK Agri-Tech Centre. A molecular biologist and geneticist by training, with 10 years’ experience in laboratories and a specialist technical knowledge in plant sciences, Aurélie has worked in business innovation facilitating roles for over 15 years, engaging and collaborating with UK and international organisations in cross-cutting industry sectors and disciplines to deliver solutions to the agri-food sector. She has built an enviable network of contacts across research, industry, policymakers and government bodies. Through her roles she has gained broad view on the innovation landscape (including funding) and cross-cutting R&D knowledge across an array of industry sectors and technologies relevant to the agrifood and broader bio (circular) economy - including agri-tech; biotechnologies (industrial; synthetic biology); (bio)renewables; big data/AI; indoor farming (horticulture; CEA). Over the past few years, Aurélie has expanded her knowledge and expertise of the horticulture and indoor farming, working closely with stakeholders on the development, delivery and adoption of novel/disruptive technologies, processes, and approaches in those sectors.

Innovation Lead, Control Environment Agriculture

I'm a dedicated future-proofing strategist with a passion for driving sustainable growth and innovation across various industries. One of my early career achievements includes pioneering transformative projects in China's green building sector, showcasing my ability to lead large-scale sustainable initiatives. 
With a deep understanding of emerging trends, disruptive technologies, and global perspectives, I have researched and authored strategic industry studies on topics such as green cities, logistics and transport, the brewing industry, horticulture, and the digital transformation of the food industry.
I founded Springtide Strategy in 2016, a consultancy firm dedicated to future-proofing strategies and green transition across various industries. I work with cross-disciplinary experts to deliver tailored solutions.

Future Proofing Strategist

Tisha Livingston is the CEO of Infinite Acres, a wholly owned subsidiary of 80 Acres farms.  The company was originally founded as a global joint venture between the Dutch company Priva, a greenhouse technology company, an American indoor farming company, 80 Acres Farms and the British Ocado Group, U.K.’s largest online grocer.
Prior to forming Infinite Acres, Tisha was the co-founder and President of 80 Acres Farms, a pioneer in the field of vertical farming in the United States, where they grow, operate, sell and distribute the freshest vegetables and herbs delivered to supermarkets and restaurants year round. In her prior role, Tisha was Chief Operating Officer of Sager Creek Vegetable Company, a Division of Del Monte Foods. She connected with many American farmers and valued the role of local food in enabling stronger and healthier communities. She brings to 80 Acres Farms her strong track record of growing revenues, reducing costs and enhancing capital efficiencies.
Tisha began her career in the food industry over 25 years ago, encompassing Finance, Manufacturing, Procurement, Warehousing, Logistics, Demand Managing, Planning, S & OP, Quality, R & D, Business Intelligence, IT, and Engineering.

Marketing Manager

Annie van de Riet is the President of AVAG, the association for the Dutch greenhouse technology sector. With a background in economic geography and extensive experience in both horticulture and advocacy, she is committed to driving the industry forward. AVAG represents 80 companies with a combined turnover of €3 billion, 80% of which comes from exports. These companies collaborate to develop quality standards, conduct research, and drive innovation in a pre-competitive environment. This collective effort has made the sector a global leader. A Dutch supplier is synonymous with state-of-the-art technology and top-quality solutions.

Researcher at Root Zone Dynamics Business Unit

Within Delphy I am responsible fot the managment of th soft fruit research location in: Delphy ISFC. This includes setting up trials, spreading and transferring knowledge at meetings, events, etc. Working at Delphy and the Delphy ISFC offers me the opportunities to contribute to innovating and improving strawberry and soft fruit cultivation. By doing this, we not only contribute knowledge for growers, but also to the entire food chain. With the Delphy ISFC team we contribute to sustainable cultivation of strawberries and soft fruit for the future, with regard to people, planet & profit.

Manager ISFC

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