Cultivators, Vertify and World Horti Center continue ‘Cultivation for Compounds’
From 24 to 26 November, Puck van Holsteijn, CEO of World Horti Center, and Lenny Dijkshoorn, Manager International Affairs, paid a working visit to the World Horti Center (WHC) hub in the Republic of Korea. The visit focused on knowledge sharing, innovation and collaboration and resulted in the extension of the partnership for a further three years.
Hackathon: innovation and talent
During the field trip, HortiHeroes —a talent development and startup platform— organized its first hackathon outside the Netherlands. A total of 36 students from Kyungpook National University, divided into six teams, worked on the challenge: how can a greenhouse be cooled to create an optimal growing climate? “It was exciting to organize a hackathon in another country,” says Lenny Dijkshoorn, Manager International Affairs at World Horti Center. “The high level of engagement and enthusiasm among the students confirms that this concept resonates internationally as well. With initiatives like these, we emphasize the importance of young talent and international collaboration for the future of the horticultural sector.”
Guided by experts from Rijk Zwaan, KUBO, Ridder, ioCrops and Delphy, the students worked throughout the day on their solutions. The winning team presented an innovative concept featuring transparent solar panels and integrated cooling within the greenhouse structure.
Knowledge sharing and networking event
In addition to the hackathon, several in-depth activities were organized. Paul Grootscholten of Delphy delivered a lecture on cucumber cultivation to a room full of people and provided three hours of consultancy to growers from the region. This exchange of knowledge concluded with a B2B networking event at the Smart Farm Innovation Valley in Sangju.
During this networking event, both Korean and Dutch companies had the opportunity to pitch and engage in discussions about collaboration and innovation. Attendees included the Mayor of Sangju, Rick Nobel of the LVVN Council, and agricultural advisor Hojin Kang. From the World Horti Center partner network, Koppert Biological Systems, Rijk Zwaan, KUBO and Ridder were represented.
Three-year contract extension
A key highlight of the visit was the three-year extension of the contract for the WHC hub in Korea. “At the opening in 2023, we expressed the intention to build a long-term relationship,” says Puck van Holsteijn, CEO of World Horti Center. “The extension of the partnership underlines this intention and provides a strong foundation to connect major Korean growers and technology companies with the Dutch business community during an event in Korea next year.”
With this renewal, World Horti Center reaffirms its role as an international connector of knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurship within the horticultural sector.
