– The latest technologies and trends in global agriculture in one place –
– The technology that Smart Farm wants now –
2021 GreenTech exhibition layout
About the event
Green Tech is an international agricultural and horticultural exhibition that started in 2014 and held biennially until 2018, and has been held annually since 2019. It is a place where companies and experts from all over the world participate to explain their products and technologies and to share their opinions with the attendees, and in-depth discussions on various topics such as trends in agriculture and horticultural industry, promising technologies, and the future of the industry. it's a seat
From left: Green Tech event hall sign and Green Tech logo
This year's event was held offline for three days from September 9 to 25 at the RAI in Amsterdam, as the Dutch government's 1.5m social distancing recommendation was lifted on September 9. The event focused on horticulture, medical cannabis, AI, and vegetables. Through the Vision Stage (studio), foreign companies that could not participate due to COVID-28 participated in the exhibition online, and European companies participated in the exhibition in person, making it a hybrid event. 30 companies participated on-site and 3 companies participated online, making a total of 19 companies that showcased products in 100 fields. Samsung Electronics was the only Korean company to participate online. A total of 118 experts from 218 countries and 10 related industries gathered to discuss industry trends and trends. Over the three days, 140 visitors from over 8 countries visited the offline exhibition hall.
Vision Stage Studio
Exhibition composition
Separate presentation halls, exhibition halls, and networking spaces were provided, allowing attendees to choose and participate in lectures, presentations, and exchanges based on the information they wanted. The Xpert Theatre was a place for agricultural industry experts to present their thoughts, while the Vision Stage was a place to introduce international companies that could not participate due to COVID-1919 online and discuss overall industry issues.
exhibition landscape
Xpert Theater
In addition, there were enough places for networking through matchmaking spaces, etc., so that I could interact with experts and companies in the industry at any time.
Matchmaking space
GreenTech Awards 2021
After a total of 6 companies were selected as candidates, the opinions of 6 judges were gathered to select 2 companies with outstanding innovation and technology and awarded them with awards. The Innovation Award, an award given to the company that developed the most innovative ideas, went to Van Iperen International, who developed Green Switch Original, a natural raw nitrate fertilizer.
Green Switch Original is the first nitrate-based fertilizer and is widely used as a fertilizer for fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants, the most grown in vertical agriculture. The judges highly valued the global application potential of Green Switch Original and highly valued that nitrate fertilizer can make a significant contribution to the circular agricultural economy.
The Concept Award, an award given to the company that developed the most promising ideas, went to Corvus Drones BV, which developed a drone capable of monitoring crops. It is a software-based drone that visually measures the distance through a camera, and it is different from the existing drones used for monitoring in that it can automatically search without colliding with the plants being grown. As agricultural production becomes increasingly digital, it has become important to improve the quality of crops through precise work. In addition, the award was given in good evaluation that it can be used in a variety of industries other than agriculture.
From left: Green Switch Original and Corvus Drones drones
on-site interview
Interview with Job Knook, Sales Manager at GreenTech
Q1) What is the purpose of GreenTech Amsterdam?
A1) GreenTech Amsterdam promotes vertical farming worldwide. Vertical agriculture is highly efficient, so it can produce many vegetables and fruits even with a small farmland area.
Q2) What is the difference between GreenTech Amsterdam and GreenTech America?
A2) GreenTech Amsterdam has a high level of agricultural technology as it is an exposition where all agricultural companies in the world gather and exchange. GreenTech America, on the other hand, is concentrated in Latin American markets, where the agricultural environment is different and the demand for advanced technologies is not yet high. Rather than being held in Amsterdam, it can be seen as an expo where solutions suitable for the local agricultural industry in Latin America are presented and information is exchanged.
Q3) More than half of the expo are Dutch-based companies. Any reason?
A3) First of all, many foreign companies were unable to participate due to COVID-19. So, easily accessible Dutch and European companies participated in this exhibition. Usually, more than 55% are foreign companies, and many come from China, the US, and Canada. However, 45% are Dutch-based companies because the Netherlands started vertical farming first and most of the leading companies in the industry are Dutch-based companies, which has a big impact.
Q4) What is the most interesting issue in the green tech industry?
A4) The mechanization of agriculture is receiving the most attention. Among them, AI technology and eco-friendliness are the most important topics. A representative example is an AI robot developed by Priva that grows tomatoes under its own judgment. Robots are on display at this fair, so we recommend you to visit them. 'Water efficiency' is the hottest topic in the eco-friendly field. A lot of water is still used for cultivation, so there is a lot of interest in how to use water efficiently.
The ultimate goal of modern agriculture is to mechanize the entire agricultural process, from planting to growing, except for the final manager. Of course, the electricity required for the process will be obtained through eco-friendly methods such as hydrogen or solar heat, and the aforementioned water efficiency will be increased to make it as eco-friendly as possible. As such, eco-friendly technologies such as automation technology and hydrogen-powered technology are all promising fields.
Q5) What advice would you give to Korean companies that want to expand their business to the Netherlands?
A5) Each country has its own strengths. China, for example, produces high-quality LEDs and glass for low wages. I think there are certain strengths that Korean companies have. If you find, research, and develop those strengths, I think there is a clear advantage in the Dutch market. Even if it is not a market with high entry barriers such as the greenhouse market, I would advise you to target a niche in the equipment and parts market required to build a greenhouse.
From left: Priva's AI robot and KG's green house
View
The global agricultural market is increasingly approaching automation. Marinus, Commercial Manager of Priva, which supplies 70% of the world's vertical agricultural machinery, said that Priva aims to simultaneously manage multiple farms through vertical agricultural mechanization. and to improve the quality of the fruit.
We need to find the strengths of Korean companies. The Netherlands ranks second in the world for vertical agriculture. In order to enter the Dutch agricultural industry, it must have its own distinct strengths and merits. We recommend targeting a niche market rather than a market with already high barriers to entry.
Green Tech America will be held in Mexico for three days from April 2022 to 4, 27. Next year's Greentech Amsterdam is planned to be held in Amsterdam for three days from 29 to 3 June 2022. More details can be found on the website (www.greentech.nl).
Written by: Jae-Hong Kang, KOTRA Amsterdam Trade Center
Source: Greentech.nl, Vaniperen.com, Corvusdrones.eu, Comprehensive data from KOTRA Amsterdam Trade Center