Extreme weather events are intensifying across the globe, but their impacts differ sharply by region. In this follow‑up to last year’s highly attended session on climate change and extreme weather, we dive deeper with a comparative look at four key horticultural regions: The Netherlands, Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. Experts will explore how climate change is reshaping growing conditions in each country and what greenhouse technologies, design adaptations, climate‑control strategies, and crop approaches are needed to remain productive and profitable. From heatwaves and drought in arid zones to storms, humidity stress, and shifting seasonal patterns in temperate climates, discover how each region can mitigate risks and build long‑term resilience. Join us to understand how global climate volatility will affect the future of protected horticulture, and what region‑tailored innovations can help growers and investors stay ahead in an increasingly unpredictable world.

Athanasios  Sapounas, Moderator: Egon Janssen, Magnus Bach

Climate‑Resilient Greenhouses: Country‑Specific Strategies for a Hotter, Drier, and Wilder Future

VP of Business Development

Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of LettUs Grow.
LettUs Grow is a specialist supplier delivering Aeroponics in a rolling bench format that boosts crop health and yield across hectare-scale glasshouse horticulture.
Our Aeroponic Rolling Benches are designed for simple integration into automation systems, enabling growers with hydroponic bench systems to easily upgrade (in full or part) to a higher performance irrigation system - always in partnership with the best manufacturers and installers in the business.
We continue to innovate via our talented R&D team - validating Aeroponics' very competitive performance across novel glasshouse crops such as Spinach.

Chief Scientific Officer & Co Founder

Managing Director

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

Christopher Leavitt is a cannabis breeder and tissue culture scientist who founded Voyager Genetics, a clone-only B2B genetics business specializing in servicing commercial medical cultivations. He is based out of Portugal, but works internationally with clients in Thailand, Portugal, South Africa, and the UK. He is the former CSO/COO of Compound Genetics and co-founder at Node Labs in San Francisco, California. His approach to cannabis clone development is unique- combining the use of plant tissue culture techniques and traditional clone selection techniques within the compliant medical framework, while balancing the art and science of breeding exceptional flavors into plants that perform agronomically.

Founder & President of Big League Cultivation and Genetics

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

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

Alexander van Tuyll has been working at Wageningen University & Research’s Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture for nearly four years, with a background in biosystems engineering. His research explores circular greenhouse horticulture. This is also the topic of his ongoing PhD. Nutrients, CO2 and renewable growing media are the focus of his current projects.

Researcher in Circular Greenhouse Horticulture

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.

The team Rootzone Dynamics from Wageningen University & Research BU Greenhouse Horticulture focuses on investigating processes around the plant roots and in the irrigation system. Research topics: alternative growing media, microbiology, belowground phytopathology, water quality, fertigation and virology. My personal focus has been on the application of water technology to achieve a zero-emission cultivation system with optimal recirculation water quality: prevent distribution of diseases via water, removal of plant protection products from discharge water, optimization of filtration and selective ion removal. Focus is on finding technologies that have specific effects on water quality, without inhibiting plant productivity, for example for prevention of biofilm formation in irrigation lines. The role of water composition and treatment on the rootzone microbiology is another topic that still requires a lot of attention.

Team lead Rootzone Dynamics

Hung has R&D background in crop physiology and vegetable seed industry. Currently, Hung works at Rijk Zwaan Viet Nam as a PDS focusing on the North. Hung promotes the choice of Rijk Zwaan varieties and helps growers achieve the best possible results. This includes various activities through vegetable value chain. 
In his free time Hung enjoys running and hanging around with family.

Production Development Specialist

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

Team Coördinator International Relations

Manager Operations

Manager Delphy Digital

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

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

Innovation Manager

As Senior Researcher Plant Health I work at Wageningen University and Research Horticulture leading a research team with focus on hostplant resistance/resilience to pests and diseases in greenhouse crops.  I am an Agricultural Engineer specialized in Plant Production (Agricultural Ing. University of Bonn, Germany) and have obtained an MSc in Pest Management (Imperial College London, UK) sustained by a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service. Thereafter, I obtained a PhD in biological control of weeds with fungi (University of Fribourg, Switzerland). My research continued in the Netherlands on diagnosis and control of pests and diseases in indoor horticulture at the University of Leiden  specializing in identifying chemical plant compounds related to host plant resistance/resilience to pests and diseases. Identified compounds are subsequently used for resistance breeding, inducing resistance in susceptible varieties and development of biopesticides. Currently, I pursue the practical application of this approach at Wageningen University and Research leading research projects in: design and implementation  of sustainable and resilient cultivation systems in ornamentals, vegetables and bulbs; use of LED lights for induction of plant resilience; reduction of nitrate fertilization to increase plant resilience and most recently early detection methods of pests and diseases via (hyperspectral) imaging, volatile detection, airborne spore monitoring and use of electrophysiological sensors. As such I closely co-operate with government institutions, growers and companies in the horticultural sector.

Senior Researcher Plant Health

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

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.

Job has been commercially responsible for GreenTech Global for the past eight years. During this time, GreenTech Amsterdam evolved from a biannual event into an annual exhibition, and GreenTech Americas and GreenTech North America were successfully launched.
His enthusiasm, positive mindset, and strong passion for the horticulture industry have been instrumental in contributing to GreenTech’s continued success.

Senior Sales Manager

Nicola Donato is Business Development Manager at Green Gas & Liquids (GGL), a company specialising in proprietary CO₂ capture and utilisation (CCU), biogas upgrading, and emission control solutions green fuel production processes. Operating globally, GGL builds on a solid technological foundation following a spin-off from an established player in the process technology industry.
Nicola works with a focus on European and North American markets on a full commercial cycle helping greenhouses to recover their CO2 and reutilize it for crop fertilization.

Business Development manager

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

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

Els Berckmoes has built a strong track record within horticultural research and innovation. She started her career as a researcher, with a strong focus on sustainable water use in greenhouse horticulture, working on solutions to optimize water efficiency, quality management, and circular water systems in intensive production environments. In addition, she provides hands-on advice to horticultural companies on the implementation of sustainable water management practices. Her work has always been closely linked to practice, supporting growers in making their operations more resilient and sustainable.
Over the years, she progressed to a leadership role and is now serving as director, where she combines strategic vision with a deep understanding of the sector’s practical needs.
Today, she is also actively involved in HORTIVEC, where the focus lies on demonstrating, developing, and accelerating the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies in horticulture. Through HORTIVEC, hands-on activities are organized on the work floor, enabling growers, crop workers, and new entrants such as students from horticultural and higher education programs to learn and experiment with new technologies.
As of 1 July, the merger between the Proefstation voor de Groenteteelt and Proefcentrum Hoogstraten will be completed, resulting in Harvestis, a new, future-oriented organization that strengthens collaboration and innovation capacity in the horticultural sector.

Director

Friso Klok is Chain Manager South & East Asia at Rijk Zwaan, where he focuses on strengthening strategic partnerships and value chain development across the rapidly evolving horticultural markets of South and East Asia. In his role, he works closely with growers, retailers, processors and supply chain partners to align market demand with innovative vegetable concepts and genetics.
With a strong focus on collaboration throughout the fresh produce chain, Friso supports the introduction and expansion of high-value vegetable categories, helping connect consumer trends, retail strategies and production opportunities across diverse international markets. His work contributes to the development of sustainable, market-driven horticultural solutions that create long-term value for both growers and commercial partners.

Global Chain Manager South & East Asia

Energy used to be predictable.  Crop growth used to follow stable patterns. Today, neither is true and growers are expected to manage both.
Nienke Veenendaal, MSc, is Product & Engineering Director at Priva, working at the intersection of crop science, energy systems, and digital technology. She challenges how the industry deals with volatility: not as a constraint, but as something that can be actively steered.
With a background in Industrial Design Engineering from TU Delft, she brings a systems-thinking approach to balancing energy cost and crop stability. Her focus is on how smart scheduling and predictive insight can turn uncertainty into control.
On stage, she explores a simple but provocative idea: stability is no longer given - it is designed.

Director Product & Engineering

Scientific Researcher

Marc Celis is an internationally experienced hydroponic leafy greens specialist at Rijk Zwaan, with more than 30 years of expertise in hydroponic lettuce production and controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Originally from Belgium, he supports growers, investors and horticultural partners worldwide in the development of hydroponic and high-tech leafy green projects.
 
His work focuses on integrating genetics, cultivation strategies and production systems to optimize yield, quality, shelf life and operational efficiency in greenhouse and indoor farming environments. Marc Celis is widely recognized for his practical and market-oriented approach to hydroponic production and regularly shares his expertise through international industry events and project collaborations.

Hydroponic specialist lettuce

Roel Janssen is Chief Business Development Manager at Eternal.ag. Before joining Eternal.ag, Roel served as Chief Business Officer at Planet Farms, a technology company that builds and operates fully autonomous vertical farms at scale. Prior to that, he spent 13 years at Signify (previously known as Philips Lighting), where in his latest role he was the Global Director for City Farming. Through his years at Signify and Planet Farms, Roel established himself as an industry expert in high tech horticulture and vertical farming and has been invited to speak and share his views around the globe. He has also served as a guest lecturer at the HAS University of Applied Science in the Netherlands. Roel holds a degree in Business Administration from Eindhoven, where he still lives with his wife and two children. Alongside his passion for sustainable agriculture, Roel is an avid wine enthusiast and holds a WSET Level 3 certification.

Chief Business Development Officer

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

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!

Specialist data-driven growing

Security Specialist

Mexx Holweg is a researcher specializing in controlled-environment agriculture and plant physiology. Currently he is achieving his PhD in Horticulture and Product Physiology at Wageningen University & Research. His doctoral work focused on the photobiology of medicinal cannabis, with particular emphasis on the effects of light intensity, spectral composition, and air temperature on plant morphology, photosynthesis, and the accumulation of pharmaceutical compounds.
Holweg’s research integrates morphological, physiological, and metabolic analyses to better understand how environmental parameters can optimize crop performance and secondary metabolite production. He has collaborated with both academic and industry partners to advance knowledge in cannabis cultivation under controlled conditions.

PhD Researcher

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

Researcher Cannabis Cultivation

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

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

Software Development Leader

Dr. Nils Borchard is Head of Research and Innovation at DLG (the German Agricultural Society) and Visiting Associate Professor at Lisbon School of Economics and Management. He studied geography at Humboldt University Berlin and holds a doctorate from the University of Bonn. His career spans leading research institutions across Europe and Asia, including Forschungszentrum Jülich, the Center for International Forestry Research, and the Natural Resources Institute Finland, where he served as the scientific heads of agriculture and horticulture. At DLG, he builds up and drives R&D&I activities across the entire agri-food value chain, with a particular focus on food systems innovation and knowledge management.

Head of Research and Innovation

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

Product Manager Water & Hygiene and Senior Fertilisation Specialist

Nieves is full time researcher in cultivation of horticultural crops at the Business Unit Greenhouse Horticulture of Wageningen University & Research. In this position, she has been leading numerous (applied) research projects and collaborating in many others, both national and international. Research topics cover the entire production chain, from propagation to post-harvest performance through the management of the crop in all its facets: biological soil disinfection, plant rooting, substrate selection, irrigation, fertilization, integrated pest control, the implementation of new materials and technologies and the efficient use of resources, especially energy. With her research she hopes to inspire growers and the horticultural supply industry, in The Netherlands and beyond, to implement cultural practices that contribute to increase the sustainability of the sector. Nieves studied Biology at the “Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona”, and has lived and worked in the Netherlands during nearly her whole profesional career.

Senior Researcher Cultivation

Directory Board

János Lóczi is a horticulture-driven entrepreneur and co-founder of Gremon Systems, a leader in data-driven greenhouse technology. With a background in commercial growing and international agribusiness, he combines practical crop knowledge with a strong focus on digital innovation. At Gremon Systems, he plays a key role in developing sensor-based solutions that provide real-time insight into plant behavior. Their technology uses advanced plant and substrate sensors, including precise weight-based measurements, to monitor water uptake, growth dynamics, and plant balance. This allows growers to understand exactly what their crop needs and when to act.
János is passionate about bridging the gap between traditional growing expertise and data-driven decision-making, supporting growers worldwide in moving toward more precise and ultimately more autonomous cultivation.

Co-Founder and President Gremon Systems

Business Development Manager

Medeoprichter

Regional Lead North America

Hans Kristian Westrum is CSO and founder of SoilSteam International, a Scandinavian company developing innovative technologies for substrate reuse and soil remediation. He has worked extensively with researchers and institutions across Europe to document the efficacy of steam-based soil disinfection as a sustainable alternative to excavation and landfill. Westrum has co-authored and supported field trials and third-party studies demonstrating how thermal treatment effectively neutralizes invasive plants, pathogens, and nematodes while preserving soil fertility. He has presented the technology at international conferences and is engaged in bridging applied research with practical deployment in agriculture, landscaping, and environmental restoration. His academic and professional focus is on scalable, science-based solutions that combine environmental impact reduction with circular economy principles in soil and substrate management.

Researcher plant physiology

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.

PhD student

Managing director

www.cresultant.nl  www,plantscout.eu

Owner

Head of Project Development Manager

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.

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

Professor of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) specializing in vertical farming, indoor agriculture, and climate-smart food systems. His work advances food security by integrating plant physiology, environmental sustainability, and agri-tech innovation. With over 15 years of experience across academia and industry, Prof Gauthier advises corporations, investors, universities, and growers on vertical farming strategies, indoor production systems, and AgTech development, translating plant science into scalable, real-world solutions. He serves on boards of Asia-Pacific agribusiness and AgTech organizations and have held leadership roles across academia, startups, and large research initiatives, collaborating with industry and public partners to design high-efficiency, resilient agricultural systems. A Professor, keynote speaker, consultant, and published researcher, Prof Gauthier holds a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology and Horticulture, with additional training in Business Management and Marketing, and have served as faculty at Princeton University, UC Davis, and Penn State. His mission is to accelerate innovation in climate-smart agriculture and global food security by connecting science, education, and industry.

Associate Professor

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

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

President

A seasoned investment promotion professional, Seewraj brings more than two decade-plus of experience and exposure in the full spectrum investment promotion, investment facilitation, investment aftercare, trade/export promotion, policy formulation and business development. He has been very active in promoting Mauritius as an attractive investment destination in various markets worldwide including India, China, South Africa, Malaysia, Germany, France. He has successfully contributed in project implementation in different sectors of the Mauritian economy including manufacturing, agriculture / agro-industry, aquaculture, fisheries & seafood processing, energy, financial services, ICT, logistics, film industry, healthcare, etc. 
Seewraj was posted in India as Economic Counsellor at the Mauritius High Commission in Delhi, and at the Consulate of the Republic of Mauritius in Mumbai for 8 years. He had the responsibility of the Indian market for attracting investment from India to Mauritius and Africa.
After returning to Mauritius in February 2024, Seewraj is Director at Economic Development Board Mauritius. He is responsible for the portfolio of Manufacturing, Agriculture, Blue Economy and Circular Economy. In addition, as part of the Senior Management Team at EDB Mauritius, Seewraj actively engages in strategic initiatives like preparation of strategic, marketing and action plans and actions involving high level visits to Mauritius and overseas.
Seewraj holds a BComm from University of Durban Westville, South Africa and an MBA from University of Mauritius.

Project Manager

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>

Programme Manager Vision + Robotics

Project Manager, Business Development

Manager Smart Growing

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

Founder & CEO

Ms. Karcey is a cannabis industry executive with over twenty years of experience specializing in cultivation, facility design, permitting, and environmental optimization. With extensive hands-on expertise across indoor, greenhouse, and outdoor cultivation environments, she brings practical operational knowledge to complex cultivation and manufacturing projects.
She is the founder of Cultivo, Inc., a Northern California–based cannabis facility design and consulting firm established more than eleven years ago. Under her leadership, Cultivo has supported projects across more than 25 U.S. states and three countries, providing services including site selection, permitting, regulatory strategy, facility design, HVAC integration, and construction management for cultivation and manufacturing operations.
From 2020 to 2026, Ms. Karcey also founded and led Artemis CoPack, a 67,000-square-foot cannabis manufacturing and post-processing operation in Lake County, California, offering vertically integrated co-packing, extraction, packaging, and logistics services while managing multiple sun-grown cultivation sites.
Ms. Karcey has been featured in Forbes, National Geographic, Cannabis Science and Technology Magazine, Marijuana Venture, Marijuana Business Daily, Yahoo Finance, High Times, and other leading publications.

Founder and CEO

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.

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

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.

Researcher Delphy Improvement Centre

Dr. Jan-Gerd Frerichs leads technology development at OrbiFarm GmbH in Germany, where he drives innovation in fully automated controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) systems.
Prior to joining OrbiFarm®, he headed the Future Farming division at Körber Technologies GmbH where he and his teamdeveloped various concepts for the next level of growing indoors. Before joining Körber, he served as Senior Vice President for Software, Automation, and IT at Kalera (International) GmbH. There he played a pivotal role in developing automation and software solutions for large‑scale indoor farming operations. He further strengthened his industry impact as Chief Digital Officer and Head of Software & Automation at &ever GmbH, contributing significantly to pioneering innovations in indoor farming technology, from prototypes and local retail solutions up to highly automated farms in Kuwait and Singapore.
With extensive experience managing global, interdisciplinary teams across both start‑ups and established enterprises, Dr. Frerichs has consistently demonstrated strong strategic and organizational leadership.
He holds a PhD in Technical Chemistry from Leibniz University Hannover and a diploma in Electrical Engineering, underscoring his solid scientific foundation and technical expertise.
Dr. Frerichs’ career reflects a broad spectrum of experience across Total Controlled Environment Agriculture (TCEA), biotechnology, digitalization, automation, and adjacent technology domains—positioning him as a key driver in shaping the future of sustainable, technology‑enabled food production.

Marketing Manager

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

Ronald Hoek is CEO and co-founder of Blue Radix, a pioneering company revolutionizing horticulture through AI-driven solutions. With a profound commitment to sustainable greenhouse production, Ronald spearheads innovations that optimize crop yields while minimizing resource usage. With the Blue Radix team he unlocks the value of Autonomous Growing for greenhouse companies worldwide.

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

Aurélie Bovi is the Innovation Lead for the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) 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 16 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

Anneke van de Kamp comes from the Netherlands and holds a Master’s degree in Horticulture & Phytopathology from Wageningen University. She started her professional career in 1990 as a staff member at the Central Office of the Horticultural Auctions.
Over the years, Anneke has built extensive expertise in traceability, sustainability, and food safety through roles at DLV Advisory Group, the Product Board for Arable Crops, and the Product Board for Horticulture.
Since 2012, she has been Group Manager Communication, Public Affairs at the Dutch vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan. 
In her role at Rijk Zwaan, Anneke focuses strongly on strategic communication, public affairs and foresight, with a particular emphasis on stakeholder engagement and anticipating developments that impact the future of horticulture, including sustainability, food security, and innovation.
Anneke is actively involved in international sector organizations. She is Chair of the Public Affairs & Foresight Committee (HC) of Plantum. She also participates in the CPOL of Euroseeds and the ISF Value Chain and ESR coordination Groups.
From 2020 -2025, she was member of the Top Team Horticulture & Starting Materials. Since January 1, she serves as Chair of TKI Horticulture & Starting Materials, where she contributes to strengthening innovation and public-private collaboration in the sector.
I

Chairman Board

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.

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

Founder & Head of Content and Policy

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

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

Head Grower

Country Director Morocco

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