High Tech Systems & Materials Archieven

Contact /Jos Maccabiani Datum /14 September 2023

Fifteen global telecommunication companies recently converged at a market consultation conference in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, expressing strong interest in the commercial development and exploitation of a new subsea data cable connecting London and Rotterdam, known as the ‘Erasmus’ cable. At the conference, companies found business partners to further explore the commercial development, exploitation and construction of this new subsea cable. A new route between the Netherlands and the UK would greatly increase the resilience of the data networks between both countries and beyond.

Anticipating the expected growth in data traffic between the UK and the Netherlands, along with the impending retirement of several existing cables, this new subsea cable could potentially secure an estimated bandwidth capacity of 90 to 170 Terabits per second (Tbps) by 2030, and capture a substantial 15% market share in data traffic volume. This cable strategically leverages Rotterdam’s key data exchange points, including AMS-ix and NL-ix, and taps into the thriving Dutch data center market. Additionally, it offers essential onward connectivity options to major European hubs in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Paris.

While the Netherlands is home to a number of hyperscale data centers, the Rotterdam region is characterized by a growing number of colocation data centers. In addition, Rotterdam is a strategic location for a new cable because it is a diversity path for the major European internet exchanges.

Stefan Ideler, CTO at the Rotterdam-based i3D.net: “Globally, we are one of the largest compute and connectivity service providers for gaming and real-time applications, serving customers like Discord, EA and Ubisoft. To deliver the most reliable user experience, we want to maximize the number of independent data routes to increase resilience, reduce latency and provide redundancy from the Amsterdam region. We intend to use the Erasmus cable to add another important connection to the UK, which is independent of connections terminating in Amsterdam or crossing through the Channel Tunnel.”

The ‘Erasmus subsea cable’ market consultation event drew over 20 industry leaders to Rotterdam.

The Dutch government recognizes the importance of international data transport infrastructure and is committed to strengthening the nation’s position as the digital gateway to Europe. The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency and regional economic development agency InnovationQuarter work together to offer potential investors support with permitting processes, stakeholder management, or finding experienced contractors with specific local expertise. The city of Rotterdam is involved in this initiative, because the city wants to continuously improve the city’s digital connectivity.

Parties interested in the economic opportunities of a London – Rotterdam subsea cable are invited to contact martin.prins@innovationquarter.nl.

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Contact /Annet Veenstra Datum /8 August 2023

TU Delft spin-off Villari has announced that it has received a seed investment of €2.5 million from FORWARD.one and co-investors InnovationQuarter Capital and Delft Enterprises. InnovationQuarter was Villari’s first investor through the UNIIQ fund, and now they are making a follow-up investment from the InnovationQuarter Capital fund.

Villari has successfully developed and demonstrated innovative sensor technology to detect and monitor small fractures or “fatigue cracks” in steel structures. Monitoring even the smallest cracks is crucial for steel structures that experience heavy loads, such as bridges with high traffic or industrial cranes continuously lifting heavy weights. “The current monitoring standard still requires an incredible amount of manual work. For example, several specialists spend days reliably inspecting a harbor crane for cracks. This makes the inspection process expensive and inefficient, not to mention the losses incurred due to the downtime of an asset that should be operating 24/7,” says Olivier Baas, founder and CEO of Villari. Baas explains, “The industry has seen little innovation because available technologies are unable to remotely detect cracks with a comparable level of reliability.”

During his graduation project at TU Delft, Baas developed a new technology to detect cracks by measuring magnetic field variations in a steel structure. The resulting data is reliably correlated to crack growth, which customers can monitor at all times through a user-friendly dashboard. “Unlike manual inspection, our customers can now continue to use their assets unrestricted while continuously collecting crack data at much lower costs, enabling them to optimize their decision-making process regarding maintenance or replacement,” says Baas.

Villari’s sensor solution is patented and already installed at various customers, safeguarding assets such as bridges owned by the Dutch Government and several industrial cranes in ports and steel production sites across Europe.

“The increasing number of aging bridges and industrial cranes that will inevitably show crack formation underscores the need for an alternative that is much more scalable than the current status quo,” says Paul Pruijmboom, managing partner at FORWARD.one. “With their installed base of sensors, Villari has proven to offer a feasible and affordable solution.”

The next step is to globally roll out the technology. An important part of this involves setting up collaborations with major maintenance companies and, along with COO Floris Achterberg, expanding the team with engineers and sales talents. Pruijmboom concludes, “We are very excited to accompany Villari on their journey, and we are confident that the investment will support them in transforming an industry that is ready for innovation.”

Amée Leferink

Investment manager

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Contact /Annet Veenstra Datum /7 July 2022

Until today, cooling systems have always used gas compressors. Although the gases are nowadays less harmful than in the past, they are still toxic and dangerous, resulting in an enormous footprint. The Delft-based company Magneto, a spin-off from Delft University of Technology, is developing 3D-printed magneto-calorific material for heat pumps. With this material, heat pumps for cooling systems can be made that no longer run on gas, but on harmless liquids, such as water. In addition, the system is up to 30% more efficient. For their unique innovation, Magneto will receive € 1 million from UNIIQ (Delft Enterprises), SHIFT Invest, Graduate Entrepreneur Fund and Rabobank.

Cooling systems, of refrigerators for example, currently still work on gas compressors. These used to use Chlorofluorocarbons, known from the hole in the ozone layer and now phased out almost everywhere. Today, the gases are still very polluting. Magneto has developed a reliable solution to this growing problem in the refrigeration system market.

Unique recipe of magneto-caloric material

Magneto develops a special composite for heat pumps. This material changes temperature after exposure to a magnetic field, also called the magneto-caloric effect. Despite the fact that some natural substances also exhibit this property, Magneto’s composite does not use rare elements. This allows the material to be produced and applied on a large scale. Magneto is the first company in the world able to 3D print magneto-caloric material, an important step for its application.

Magneto system 30% more efficient

This special material can be used to create a heat pump, which no longer uses gases but liquids, such as water. These can replace gas compressors in cooling systems and in the future all kinds of devices that heat and cool. Besides the fact that these new systems no longer use polluting gases, the system is also up to 30% more efficient. This also leads to considerable savings in energy consumption.

Refrigeration market expected to triple

200 million gas compressors are produced annually for the refrigeration market. In addition, there is an increasing global need for refrigeration and the market is expected to triple by 2050. Magneto will enable some of this growth in a sustainable way.

Investment enables development of first functional refrigeration systems

With the € 1 million investment round, made possible by UNIIQ (Delft Enterprises)SHIFT Invest, Graduate Entrepreneur Fund and Rabobank, Magneto will build a portfolio of magneto-caloric materials, enabling the production of the first functional cooling systems. The company now has 4 FTEs and is growing to 7.5 FTEs. To realize this growth, the company recently opened its office doors at YES!Delft.

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Contact /Annet Veenstra Datum /13 April 2022

50 deals in 5 years. Since its launch in 2016, the South-Holland proof-of-concept fund UNIIQ has become one of the most successful early-stage funds in Europe. After 50 deals, 96% of the UNIIQ startups still exist and the companies collectively already raised over €125m in follow-on funding. €1 from UNIIQ generates over €10 in follow-on funding. And that is an unprecedentedly high multiplier. Seven complete exits have already taken place and 418 jobs have been created. This makes UNIIQ the springboard to a successful scale-up. UNIIQ startups are also known for their impact: they make the world cleaner, smarter and healthier.

UNIIQ proves: in this phase you can invest very successfully

UNIIQ was founded in 2016 to bridge the riskiest phase from concept to promising company (as early as TRL-3). UNIIQ invests heavily in deep tech propositions – about 80% of the portfolio, almost always involving a hardware component – and in life sciences. These are high-risk, high-tech investments, often with a long payback period, which the market does not yet dare to enter. UNIIQ proves that you can still invest successfully in this risky phase.

UNIIQ companies make the world cleaner, smarter and healthier

The companies in which UNIIQ has invested are known for making the world cleaner, smarter and healthier. For example, batteries deliver 70% more energy thanks to LeydenJar’s unique technology, quantum research became accessible to smaller companies thanks to Quantware’s unique processors, and Oceans of Energy laid the world’s first offshore solar system in the North Sea.

Mayht was sold to Sonos for $100 mln.

“With us, the most unique, world-leading technologies see the first light of day, thanks in part to our university partners,” says fund manager Hans Dreijklufft. “Recently, our portfolio company Mayht was sold to Sonos for $100 mln. When the brothers came to us, you could still see the duct tape on the prototype, so to speak. We often see the potential of unique technology at a very early stage. And thanks to our large network of (inter)national investors, we also manage to attract follow-on funding for our companies.”

Production robots do 40% more work, and much more accurately

It is the ‘heart’ of the robot, the power drive. Robotics is developing at a rapid pace and yet the transmission systems – the parts that make the robot move – have hardly changed in the past 50 years. As a result, robots remain relatively heavy, complex, uncontrollable and expensive to this day. With the Archimedes Drive, IMSystems introduced the first major breakthrough in transmission systems in half a century. The ‘heart’ of the robot now functions with far greater precision, transferring power much more efficiently, in a more compact size and at lower cost. This makes the movements of robots more precise, more powerful and more controllable. With this drive, a production robot can do up to 40% more work in the same time. IMSystems received an investment from UNIIQ and later follow-on funding through another InnovationQuarter fund, IQCapital.

Hans Dreijklufft

Fund Manager UNIIQ

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Contact /Suzanne Kroeze Datum /15 July 2021

QuantWare has secured a €650,000 investment from proof-of-concept fund UNIIQ, investment fund FORWARD.one and angel investors. With investments of Rabobank and Quantum Delta NL, and having been granted both a regional and a European subsidy, the company has over 1 million Euro to spend on its development. QuantWare will use the investment to further develop its technology, which significantly increases the computational power of quantum processors, and to produce and deliver their standardized quantum processors with exceptionally short delivery times. By making quantum processors more readily available to quantum researchers and start-ups, quantum research can be accelerated. This brings commercialisation of the quantum computer another step closer to reality. The UNIIQ-investment was announced via video by Freeke Heijman from Quantum Delta NL and Kees Eijkel from Delft University of Technology.

QuantWare founders Matthijs (L) and Alessandro (R) – Photo by Rebekka Mell

The power of quantum computers

Quantum computing is regarded as the holy grail of solving problems that regular computers cannot solve. The race is therefore on to deliver the first commercial quantum computer. The ‘heart’ of the quantum computer consists of the quantum processor, which computes with quantum-bits or qubits. In contrast to the bits of a regular computer, qubits can simultaneously have a value of 1 and 0. This means that quantum computers can perform calculations beyond the realm of their traditional counterparts and could take mere minutes to solve problems that would take regular computers millions of years. They would be ideal for conducting research into new medicines or materials, for example.

Quantum hardware not yet sufficiently available or self-produced

There are still hurdles to overcome before quantum computers can be commercialised. Access to certain hardware is essential for advancing quantum research, specifically quantum processors and related technology. However, hardware is still insufficiently available and has to be supplied by ‘friendly’ research facilities, or researchers have to learn the skills to produce it themselves. Delivery times and learning curves of six months or longer are not uncommon, which eats up valuable time in this rapidly evolving field. In addition, the computational power of current processors is limited and a solution has not yet been found to sufficiently increase the capacity for use in a commercial quantum computer.

A “Soprano” QPU from QuantWare

QuantWare’s standardised and scalable quantum processors

QuantWare originated at QuTech, the quantum research facility founded by Delft University of Technology and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO). Possessing extensive experience in quantum research, the QuantWare team has specialised in the development of quantum hardware that is scalable and rapidly deliverable while meeting customers’ (often researchers) needs. The company’s primary focus is to deliver standardised quantum processors so that research can be reproduced by multiple parties, thereby accelerating progress in the field as a whole. As part of the ImpaQT-consortium, a collaboration between 6 private parties, QuantWare contributes by supplying their quantum processors, to ultimately have a so-called NISQ-computer ready to pilot by the end of this year. This brings quantum computing another step closer to commercialisation.

QuantWare will use the investment to scale up production of quantum processors and related hardware, such as amplifiers, and to further develop its innovative technologies which exponentially boost computational power of their processors.

Alessandro Bruno, co-founder of QuantWare, is delighted with the capital injection and says: “The support from UNIIQ, FORWARD.One, Quantum Delta NL and Rabobank will help us bring our quantum processors to market. This will make quantum technology accessible to many more parties, resulting in a crucial contribution to the Dutch quantum ecosystem.”

Hans Dreijklufft, UNIIQ fund manager, notes: “Quantum technology has enormous potential to solve problems that have been insurmountable so far. We are incredibly proud that this investment in QuantWare will enable us to again stimulate a company originating from the strong regional QuTech-Quantum Delft ecosystem, and are delighted that on a national level, Quantum Delta shows support by investing in QuantWare from their Lightspeed fund. Our investment and the support of the quantum ecosystem allows QuantWare to develop at a high pace, thereby indirectly supporting the broader quantum research field in further developing quantum technologies.”

Paul Pruijmboom, partner FORWARD.one: “We’re impressed with the QuantWare team and the company’s innovative technology. The market for quantum computing shows huge potential, and QuantWare delivers a crucial element to speed up development of this market. We are pleased to support QuantWare and the development of high tech in the Netherlands in general from our new €100m investment fund”.

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Contact /Chris van Voorden Datum /2 June 2021

The Hague, 31-05-2021 – Legend Logistics Group, which has its headquarters in Singapore and one of the largest tank container operators in Asia, recently established in Europe, with the opening of a branch office in Papendrecht, the Netherlands.

Legend has been growing steadily since its start in 2012, and has recently expanded its footprints to Europe. With this growth, Legend Logistics Group is strengthening its position as an integrated specialised logistics provider.

Strategic location at European logistics hotspot

Legend Netherlands provides comprehensive logistics solutions for bulk liquid products tailored to its customers’ requirements and specifications. Legend chose the Netherlands for its first European office because it is an important logistics hotspot in Europe, and has the highest concentration of logistics service providers. The new office is the 11th establishment of the Legend Logistics Group.

Legend Netherlands’ suite of services includes bulk liquid logistics and tank container specialised services such as washing, storing, heating and handling of tank containers as well as shipment of bulk liquids, door to door. It provides these services both for intermodal and deep-sea routes.

The European branch is managed by Ruben Hofland, who has been in the industry for over 10 years and previously managed a local office of one of the top global tank container lessors with overall responsibility for the management and oversight of the business in North and South America.

Chris van Voorden, Director of Foreign Investments at InnovationQuarter: InnovationQarter as well as Rotterdam Partners and Deal Drecht Cities are glad that Legend Logistics has chosen The Rotterdam – The Hague area their next step in their expansion. With its strong industrial logistic cluster, I am sure Legend Logistics will thrive in Europe. We welcome the opportunity to support the company in their efforts to anchor their business here.”

Lowri van der Linden, director Southeast Asia at the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, welcomes Legend Logistics Group to the heart of Europe: “I am delighted that Legend Logistics has chosen to set up its operations in the Netherlands. In these challenging times, the Netherlands is still the ideal place to get started on the European market. Our well-known infrastructure both physical and digital connects you to any place in Europe. All combined in a location that is also a great place to work and live.”

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Contact /Arife Karaosmanoglu - Aker Datum /27 November 2020

Aksa Power Generation B.V., a global leader in power generation installations with headquarters in Turkey, has established operations in Dordrecht. This location, from which the company will serve the European market, will house production, marketing and sales activities. Aksa has been active in Europe for over 30 years and was leading its European operations from their facilities in the UK. With the impact of Brexit and the Netherlands’ increasing influence as a global genset trading hub, Aksa decided to move their European activities to the Netherlands. Aksa Power Generation Europe was assisted with its relocation by InnovationQuarter, Deal Drecht Cities and Netherlands Foreign Investments Agency.

World-leading provider of power generators

Aksa Power Generation was founded in 1968 as an electrical motor factory. The company manufactured its first generator in 1984 and became an expert in machinery and hardware for electrical energy supply in a short amount of time. Aksa has been a leading company in the power generation market for a long time and is among Turkey’s 200 largest industrial companies and exporters. With customers in 173 countries, and 19 offices and 4 representatives located in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, the company is among the top five global firms in the sector.

Aksa Power Generation manufactures gasoline, diesel, natural gas and marine generating sets, with ranges between 1 kVA and 3125 kVA as well as lighting towers and generator hardware. The equipment is manufactured in its facilities in Istanbul (Turkey), Changzhou (China) and Louisiana (U.S.A.), and has established as a pioneer within the sector. The facility in the Netherlands, which has been in operation since September 2020, will focus on both existing diesel gensets and hybrid generator production. The latter of which will have heightened attention as it stands out to be an economic, efficient and environmentally friendly technology that runs on renewable energy sources.

Leading into a sustainable future

Being among the first manufacturers of natural gas generator sets of the world, Aksa Generators withholds undisputed supremacy with respect to synchronized sets. Aksa Generators continuously increases its investments in technology to remain at the forefront of innovation in the industry with a focus on more soundproof, environmentally friendly generators with lower fuel consumption. Aksa Power Generation aims to rank among the top three global manufacturers by 2025.

Country Director Barkin Dizdaroglu: “Working on hybrid solutions will not only contribute to our revenues in being one of the top 3 power generator manufacturers in the world, but also will help to save our planet and turn our world into a better place”.

Chris van Voorden, Director of Foreign Investment at InnovationQuarter: “The investment of Aksa Power Generation in Dordrecht is a great example of our collaboration agreement with Deal Drecht Cities. We will keep elaborating with Aksa on the future possibilities to further innovate and connect them with knowledge institution and fieldlabs in our region”.

Maarten Burggraaf, Alderman of economy and finance for the municipality of Dordrecht: “We are happy with the arrival of Aksa Power Generation to Dordrecht. It is a great addition to the smart industry cluster in Drecht Cities.”

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Contact /maarten hermus Datum /25 September 2020

African Bamboo produces pioneer materials utilizing Tropical Bamboo. A Dutch-Ethiopian company, African Bamboo has been working with the leading European research institutes for many years. CEO Khalid Duri shares: “We decided to select Delft for our R&D location to build on our relations with TU Delft & TNO and the proximity of the port of Rotterdam.”

Started in 2013, African Bamboo works on bamboo-based alternatives to building materials using proprietary, smart and energy-efficient production technology. Khalid Duri shares: “We are driven by a vision of a world in which bamboo is part of everyday life, providing sustainable materials while contributing to the abatement of climate change and poverty.”

By locating their second R&D facility in Delft, African Bamboo aims at creating an innovation cluster for natural fibres in the heart of Europe. The company plans to establish high-tech laboratories and piloting facilities at a Center of Bamboo Research & Application (COBRA) and boost commercialization of products and applications, benefiting from the central location of the R&D centre at YES!Delft and the proximity to the port of Rotterdam.

InnovationQuarter assists African Bamboo, together with TU Delft, in finding the right location, introducing the company to the TU Delft campus and the region, and supporting the African Bamboo team with relocation.

Chris van Voorden, head of internationalization at InnovationQuarter: “African Bamboo is a great addition to Delft and the region. African Bamboo’s focus on building materials of natural fibres fits well in our strategy combining smart manufacturing and the impact potential on the environment. Our region’s R&D and logistic opportunities offer ideal conditions for African Bamboo research & development and connecting to the European market.”

Maarten Hermus

Senior Account Manager Horticulture & Food

Bel: +316 137 48 277

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Contact /Xiaoling Sun Datum /14 May 2020

Xiaomi is an internet company that offers smart hardware such as smartphones, wearables and smart home devices, which are connected to the IoT platform of Xiaomi. The company, which is the 4th largest smartphone brand in Western Europe, wants to establish a trading hub in the Netherlands after its successful introduction to the European market in late 2017. The Hague emerged as the ideal location for business, close to both the port of Rotterdam and TU Delft.

With more than 235 million connected devices (excluding smartphones and laptops) on the largest consumer IoT platform in the world, Xiaomi has a strong global presence in more than 90 markets. In order to scale up further on the European market, the company selected the best logistics location, in the heart of the Dutch telecom cluster and in the vicinity of TU Delft and the surrounding high-tech cluster. With its extensive knowledge in the field of Internet of Things, Xiaomi is a valuable addition to the technology cluster in South Holland.

In addition to logistics activities, the Xiaomi office in The Hague will house the financial and legal activities here and expects to hire a large team of local employees over the next 3-5 years. In the Netherlands, Xiaomi products are available for purchase through various channels.

InnovationQuarter assisted Xiaomi, together with the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, the Municipality of The Hague and The Hague Business Agency, in selecting the right location in South Holland and assisted in establishing at the WTC in The Hague.

Chris van Voorden, head of internationalization at InnovationQuarter: “Xiaomi is a great addition to The Hague and the region. Xiaomi’s IoT expertise fits well in our Digital Technology sector. Our region’s location and logistics capabilities provide ideal conditions for Xiaomi in their success in the European market. ”

Xiaoling Sun

Senior Account Manager Asia

Bel: +31 6 121 54 862

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Contact /Colinda de Beer Datum /2 April 2020

The RoboCrops event, scheduled for April 23-24, has been postponed. However, various online workshops will take place on April 24 on the theme of ‘Robotics in the agricultural sector’.

GreenTech cooperation

Due to the multitude of events that will be postponed to the autumn, we have chosen to collaborate with the GreenTech and also organize a one-day meeting in World Horti Center on Friday October 23. During the GreenTech in the RAI in Amsterdam (October 20-22), a Robotics themed area will be realized there. A substantial part of the tech programming of RoboCrops will take place there on Wednesday October 21.

More about the program at the GreenTech, in the World Horti Center and the hackathon in RoboHouse will follow soon. Youn can find current information at robocrops.tech.

Tickets already purchased are valid for the event on October 23. Participants who have already bought a ticket will be approached personally. If you have bought a two-day ticket, you will automatically receive a refund for one day. If you are not able to come on October 23, please contact events@innovationquarter.nl.

Online workshops April 24

In this age of remote work, vital industries and new ways of working together, it is more relevant than ever. Now that life is a bit different than usual, there is more time to start talking to each other online and to delve into the opportunities for collaboration. We are happy to help you with this.

The workshops on Friday April 24 last two hours each and are organized together with TU Delft, RoboHouse and Wageningen UR. If you are interested in participating, please contact Liselotte.deVries@tudelft.nl and inform us of your 1st and 2nd choice. The aim is to create joint project ideas.

Schedule:

9:00-11:00 CET – Biomechanical Engineering: “A biologically inspired soft tactile robotic harvester for secure and gentle grip of vulnerable crops”;
11:15-13:15 CET – Precision & Microsystems + Micro-electronics: “3D sensor networks and applications for autonomous, wireless sensor systems”;
13:30-15:30 CET – Cognitive Robotics / Learning & Autonomous Control: “Flexible and reliable control for autonomous robot operation in agri / horti”;
15:45-17:45 CET – Precision & Microsystems: “Design of hygienic and adaptive machines and robots through elastic mechatronics”.

Platform RoboCrops all year round

With RoboCrops, we aim to create a movement to accelerate innovation in the greenhouse. This means that as an organization we work hard to build a platform in addition to the organization of the event, where growers, technical companies and other stakeholders can meet each other. We will publish a series of informative videos in the near future, the first of which can now be seen on our channel.

More information about this will be available on our website in the near future. We hope to see you again in good health. Until then, let’s not just wait but keep moving together. If you have ideas how to do this this please share them with us and others on LinkedIn.

More information

Please contact us.

Colinda de Beer

Senior Business Developer Horticulture

Bel: +31 6 281 65 826

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Contact /Colinda de Beer Datum /11 March 2020

RoboCrops is the world’s very first event linking robotics and greenhouse horticulture. It will be organised on 23 and 24 April in The Netherlands at World Horti Center and RoboHouse. Growers, technology companies, universities and investors will be challenged to the limit. Goal: developing new horti applications using sensors, robotic arms, autonomous vehicles, AI and data. Harvesting crops is a very delicate and complex task, automating the process is not that easy. Registrations don’t only come from Europe, but also from Japan, Canada and Israel. RoboCrops provides a solution for the worldwide need to find each other and to achieve breakthroughs together.

Harvesting technology to feed the world

Even before the program is final, Lely, Panasonic, Rijk Zwaan and renowned professors confirmed their arrival. The fact that they and companies such as KINOVA and Ecoation are willing to travel from Canada to the Netherlands proves that the subject is considered to be important and urgent. The growing world population, climate change and a growing demand for safe and healthy food are global issues. It is clear that there are opportunities here for robotics.

That the very first crossover between robotics and horticulture is taking place in West-Holland is not surprising. Greenport West-Holland is the world’s most innovative region in the field of greenhouse horticulture. Because of the variety of industries in the region, there is a strong hightech community, also stimulated by several universities and knowledge institutions. Only by working together will it be possible to develop and scale up practical solutions.

You want to join RoboCrops?

More information is available on the website. You can register here.

Autonomous harvesting: to pick or not to pick?

In order for a robot to autonomously harvest crops, it must combine sense (where is the tomato?), think (to pick or not to pick?), and act (pick and place in a container). Although good progress has been made in the development of harvesting robots in general, they are still not widely used in our greenhouses. Delicate crops, such as tomatoes, peppers and strawberries, are particularly problematic. By bringing together international growers and technology companies and challenging students to develop solutions, RoboCrops hopes to set a global acceleration in motion.

Programme

23 April: robotic developments and hackathon

On 23 April growers and other attendees will be informed about the latest developments in robotics for greenhouse horticulture. The chairman of the day will be Peter Jens, Director Strategic Alliances at Koppert. He deals with agricultural, food and nutrition issues all over the world and promotes cooperation between farmers, cooperatives and research institutes. Keynotes include André van Troost, CEO at Lely, the internationally operating number one manufacturer of robots and data systems for dairy farming. Josse de Baerdemaeker is also on stage. He is Professor of Mechatronics, Biostatistics and Sensors at KU Leuven and is recognised worldwide as the founder of the basic principles in precision agriculture.

In addition to the day programme in World Horti Center, students from Delft University of Technology and Wageningen University will start that day on a hackathon in the RoboHouse fieldlab in Delft. This hackathon can be followed in the evening via livestream during the network dinner in World Horti Center.

24 April: technical challenges and hackathon

On April 24, technology companies, universities and other interested parties can explore the technical possibilities and challenges for robotics in horticulture in World Horti Center together. Chairman of the day is Jim Stolze, who started Aigency, a company that provides solutions in the field of artificial intelligence. Vegetable breeding company Rijk Zwaan will be on the programme that day and Jaimy Siebel, Managing Director at RoboValley and RoboHouse, will also provide a keynote. At the end of the day the students, who’ll pull an all-nighter for their challenge in fieldlab RoboHouse, pitch their hacks in the World Horti Center. On both days there will of be plenty of opportunities for matchmaking.

Would you like to participate in this unique event as well?

The organization of the event is currently still in full swing. You can find more information on the RoboCrops website. If you want to join us, you can register here. There is still a limited number of places available for participants, sponsors, exhibitors and speakers. In the upcoming weeks a series of vlogs about robotics in greenhouse horticulture can be followed on this YouTube channel.