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In April we gave former CEO Bas Lagerwerf a nice 'Covid19 proof' farewell party. We would like to thank Bas for his commitment. 

Martin Steentjes, director of Van der Hoeven Horticultural Projects B.V., has been appointed as the new chairman of the board of Hortivation. Steentjes has been closely involved with the foundation from its inception. In addition to the appointment of the new chairman, the composition of the board has changed even more. Marco van der Velden, CEO of Berg Hortimotive Group, has joined the board.

Dutch companies join forces in joint venture for 'Smart Greenhouse Logistics’

Four leading companies have set up a joint venture for data-driven automation of internal logistics for greenhouses and packing centers within the international greenhouse horticulture. HORTILOGICS unburdens growers, producers, packers, investors and greenhouse builders completely in this area. "The market is in need for logistics specialists that offer integrated, data-driven solutions on a turnkey basis. That competence makes this joint venture unique," says Marco van der Velden on behalf of Berg Hortimotive, KOAT, HortiKey and Crux Agribotics.

Berg Hortimotive Group, consisting of Berg Hortimotive and HortiKey, has transferred the first series of Plantalyzer crop estimate robots for tomatoes to Royal Brinkman. The robot runs autonomously through the greenhouse and takes targeted pictures of the tomatoes. Vision software and algorithms assess fruit maturity and translate the images into a reliable and accurate crop estimate. ‘We are very proud of the result of the cooperation’, says board member Ramon Verdel of Royal Brinkman. ‘This is something growers have really been waiting for’.

Marco van der Velden has been Managing Director and CEO of Berg Hortimotive Group since February. Due to an increasing need of food in the world, an upscaling horticultural industry and growing scarcity of knowledge, he sees great opportunities for data-driven solutions in horticulture. Or as he calls it: Horticulture 4.0.

You might already know that we are a worldwide specialist on logistics in the greenhouse, but did you also know that we offer products who are not mainly intended to operate on the tube-rail?