‘The Netherlands is not only a main exporter in the field of horticulture, but also leading in bringing new innovations to this market,’ Maarten Oostenbrink explains. As a Back, he supports Infrascreen and Voltiris, two scale-ups that are working hard to bring their products to the market. With his experience in being an entrepreneur himself and his time at Ludvig Svensson, Maarten knows his way around the challenges of horticulture. For one, developing an innovation for this market takes quite some time since you need to work with the plants’ schedule.
Providing scale-ups a soft landing
‘Both scale-ups are originally from Switzerland, so I guided them at first in how things work in the Netherlands; give them a soft landing. With my experience and network, I can help them find their way; from where to apply for subsidies to connecting them with relevant parties like Wageningen University and Delphy. And of course, we all know that time is crucial for scale-ups, especially budget-wise.’
Importance of innovations
From solar modules to energy-saving screens for greenhouses, why are these innovations so important? ‘The world population will likely grow to 9.8 billion people in 2050, so there is an urgent need for a more efficient way of producing food. Whether that is through energy-saving solutions or vertical farming for areas with extreme temperature and little space; new innovations take time, so it’s great to be able to do my bit in speeding things up for these scale-ups.’
Published – 7/3/24