South Korea and the Netherlands exchange knowledge during innovation mission on energy smart horticulture
Last June a delegation of around thirty Korean stakeholders visited the Netherlands to gain and share knowledge on energy efficiency and sustainability in greenhouse horticulture. The delegation included (major) technology companies, investors, growers and Government. The delegation visited several Dutch companies and attended the Greentech horti-tech exhibition in Amsterdam.
Worlds apart, similar challenges
South Korea and the Netherlands are almost 9000 kilometers away from one another. At the same time shared histories and similarities in terms of societal challenges bring the two countries closer. This holds true for the horticultural sector as well. Both South Korea and the Netherlands are dealing with the challenge of labor shortages and finding the right energy mix for greenhouse horticulture. Tailoring solutions in this industry is a matter of (international) cooperation. The innovation mission was as much about experiencing the latest technologies in horticulture, as it was about showing the strength of ecosystem cooperation.
Seeing is believing: research, seed sector and high-tech growing
The program kicked off with a visit to the greenhouse horticulture research site of Wageningen University & Research in Bleiswijk. The facilities in Bleiswijk are used for research purposes, in collaboration with the private sector. On site in Bleiswijk the delegation visited several glasshouses, one of these was the so-called KAS2030 (greenhouse 2030). The aim of this greenhouse is to explore ways to produce in a fossil and emission free way. This is increasingly important for Dutch growers, as in the coming years, greenhouse horticulture entrepreneurs will have to decimate their natural gas consumption and ultimately reduce it to zero. Similar challenges exist in South-Korea. A visit to the trial greenhouse of vegetable seed company Rijk Zwaan gave an insight in state-of-the-art cultivation techniques and hybrid lighting.
In North-Holland the delegation visited Agriport A7, Royal Pride and Growy in Amsterdam. At Agriport A7 the integration of large-scale greenhouse horticulture, agribusiness, logistics and data centers showed the strength of cooperation when it comes to scaling energy efficiency and horticultural production. Proof of this we saw at Royal Pride, a large-scale growing company of vine tomatoes and cucumbers. During the last private-sector visit to Growy, the delegation got an insight into scalability and commercialization of vertical farming.
South-Korea at the center of attention during Greentech
During the yearly horticulture technology exhibition Greentech in Amsterdam, there was special attention for South-Korean visitors and participants in the innovation mission, as well as a Governmental visit from the Chungcheongnam-do province. Every year Koreans rank among the top-visitors to Greentech. This year a seminar was organized to zoom in to some of the developments in Korean horticulture. Several Korean companies presented their solutions and challenges, such as using waste heat from the steel industry for heating greenhouses and the integration of several energy sources, cultivation, waste heat and EV charging stations. The event was culminated by a MoU ceremony of the Chungcheongnam-do province, Wageningen University and Research and Yonam University.
Visit of the Governor of Chungcheongnam-do to the Netherlands
During the innovation mission and Greentech, the Governor Kim Tae-heum of the Chungcheongnam-do province visited the Netherlands with the aim of strengthening bilateral relations and push for cooperation in smart agriculture. The Governor visited several companies in the horticulture and energy sector (with a focus on ATES technology). During the Greentech the Governor signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Wageningen University and Research and the Korean Yonam College. The province and the Governor, also known as Chungnam province, are very ambitious when it comes to development of smart agriculture and are committed to work with Dutch partners.
Partners in smart-farming
High-tech horticulture is in South-Korea widely regarded to as ‘smart-farming’. The Dutch ecosystem working on technology development in Horticulture is a natural partner for South-Korean investors, technology companies and growers. The innovation mission was the stepping stone for a next-step in cooperation between the two countries. In the years to come there is great potential for setting up demonstration projects, growers’ training programs and commercial greenhouse projects. For more information and questions, please reach out to seo-lnv@minbuza.nl.