Another successful GreenTech in Amsterdam, June 2018

The 3rd edition of GreenTech drew to a close on June 14th, after three successful days of sharing ideas, showcasing new products and discussing fruitful new collaborations. Held fittingly in Holland at the epicentre of the green tech world, the event brought together industry leaders and the brightest new sparks, welcoming a record 10,465 visitors from 112 countries – over half of which this year were from outside the Netherlands.

Aqua4D could be found in the Trends & Innovations Startup Lane, and we were visited by several interested groups from Spain, China, Poland, Italy, the US, and of course Holland, with the Wageningen University booth just opposite

Intérêt chinois pour le système Aqua4D

Le spécialiste EM Raymond, en pleine discussion

During the busy expo we also took some time out to visit some exciting companies who look set to shake up the scene over the coming years. Here’s a rundown of the favourite projects we came across:

  • Belgium-based 2Grow have designed a plant sensor system to monitor sap, the plant’s “lifeblood”. By following the expansion and contraction of a plant’s stem it’s possible to get a real-time insight into its stress levels and vegetative/generative state which, translated into data and graphs, provides invaluable info to growers.
  • Marco Tidona at aponix.eu has invented the “vertical barrel concept” using his proprietary 3D NFT (Nutrient Film Technology) which enables hyper-local plant production. The result will not only eliminate food waste and food miles, but also save precious space in urban areas; unsurprisingly it has recently been a hit in the megacities of Japan and South Korea.
  • Schaduf are a startup based in Egypt aiming to “develop innovative communities by covering buildings with greenery”. Taking inspiration from Stefan Boeri’s “vertical forests” in Milan and China, Schaduf currently have 100 active projects across the middle east including a bank in Cairo. Their system makes it possible to grow plants on previously barren and lifeless concrete walls and roofs.

It was also a pleasure to catch up with some familiar faces from StolzeRidder and Saint-Gobain.

Thanks to all who visited us and all those who inspired us and shared ideas, we look forward to seeing you next time!