– 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 at Amsterdam RAI for three days from September 9 to 25 as the Dutch government's recommendation to keep a distance of 1.5m was abolished from September 9. The event focused on horticulture, medical hemp, AI and vegetables. Through Vision Stage (Studio), foreign companies that could not participate due to the corona participated in the exhibition online, and European companies participated in the exhibition in person and proceeded in a hybrid form. 28 companies participated on site and 30 companies participated online, a total of 3 companies participated and introduced products in 100 fields, and Samsung Electronics was the only Korean company to participate in the exhibition online. A total of 118 experts from 218 countries and 10 related industries gathered to discuss industry trends and trends. Over 140 days, a total of 8 visitors from over 7,500 countries visited the offline exhibition hall.
Vision Stage Studio
Exhibition composition
The presentation hall, exhibition hall, and networking space were prepared separately, so that visitors could choose to participate in lectures, presentations, and exchanges according to the information they wanted. While the Xpert Theater was a place for agricultural industry experts to present their thoughts, the Vision Stage is a place to introduce international companies that were not able to participate due to COVID-19 online and discuss overall industry issues. was operated
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 the corona virus. Therefore, Dutch and European companies, which are easily accessible, participated in the fair. Usually, more than 55% of the companies are foreign companies, and many of them are from China, the United States and Canada. Still, the reason 45% are Dutch-based is largely due to the fact that the Netherlands started vertical farming first and the industry leaders are mostly Dutch-based.
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