InnovationQuarter invests in innovations for the Greenport sector
From left to right: Jaap Smit (King’s Commissioner in the province of Zuid-Holland), Sanne van Rennes (Oxy-Low) en Pieter van Rennes (Oxy-Low)
Jaap Smit, King’s Commissioner in the province of Zuid-Holland, and Adri Bom-Lemstra, Regional Minister (Economic Affairs), announced the investments at the international ERIAFF food and agriculture conference, which kicked off in The Hague on Thursday, 29 June. The government officials symbolically handed over the InnovationQuarter investments to the directors of the three companies. These regional resources, in combination with European funds, are aimed at boosting companies that contribute to innovation within the international agricultural and horticultural sector.
Regional Minister Adri Bom-Lemstra said,
Innovation and technological advances are crucial for the further development of the Greenport and will allow us to retain and reinforce our leading global position. With their innovative technology, Condi Food and Longbloom are well-positioned to help us achieve this.
Both companies will receive capital through UNIIQ, a fund that helps companies in the proof-of-concept phase to bring their innovation to market faster.
King’s Commissioner in the province of Zuid-Holland Jaap Smit announced the IQCapital investment in family-run business Oxy-Low and said: “I am proud that once again several companies in West Holland can take a huge step forward thanks to an investment made possible by InnovationQuarter. Companies like Oxy-Low demonstrate the region’s strength for innovation in the agricultural and horticultural sector.”
Condi Food, Warmond
Condi Food uses hyperspectral technology from the aerospace industry to assess the different characteristics of food products, including food quality. For example, the technology can be used to test the ripeness and taste of fruit and can also evaluate the freshness of products, such as salmon or sea bass. Condi Food is able to determine desired quality characteristics in a continuous, non-destructive manner with automated inline processes. In this way, the company contributes to improved food quality and safety.
From left to right: Regional Minister Adri Bom-Lemstra (Economic Affairs), Jacques van Munster van Heuven (Condi Food), Robi Nederlof (Condi Food)
Longbloom, Bleiswijk
Longbloom has developed a revolutionary process for preserving flowers. By using CO2 ‘waste’ released from the port of Rotterdam, the company can apply a special treatment that allows the quality of fresh flowers to be preserved for several months to several years. This innovative technology preserves flowers in a much more efficient and environmentally friendly way than the current production standard. The global market demand for preserved flowers is growing considerably. Whereas the current focus within the industry is on flowers with a strong structure, Longbloom can respond effectively to the rising demand because its process allows for the preservation of new and more delicate varieties of flowers. The region’s infrastructure, combined with the quality and diversity of flowers grown in West Holland, make it the ideal location for Longbloom to test and develop this technology.
From left to right: Regional Minister Adri Bom-Lemstra (Economic Affairs), Adriaan Meewisse (Longbloom)
Oxy-Low, Numansdorp
Oxy-Low serves the global market with biological insect control methods that are not harmful to people and the environment. Moreover, these methods contribute to preserving the quality of the product. International customers use Oxy-Low’s solutions to treat, package, transport and store various food and non-food commodities. Thanks to these solutions, loss of food products due to deterioration can be reduced and product quality is preserved for longer periods. With its environmentally friendly solution, Oxy-Low offers an alternative to toxic fumigation and helps its customers meet the social challenges of sustainable chains and food safety.
Francis Quint, Head of InnovationQuarter Capital, is very pleased with these three investments:
InnovationQuarter invests in innovative companies in West Holland at all stages of a company’s life cycle. With the investments in Condi Food and Longbloom from our proof-of-concept fund, UNIIQ, and the investment in Oxy-Low from IQCapital, West Holland is providing a broad-based boost to the international agricultural and horticultural sector.
