Research, education, and advice

Landbouwraden

The agricultural attaché network (LAN) supports Dutch companies in the agricultural sector with their international ambitions. The agricultural counsellors and their teams work in the economic departments of 57 Dutch embassies and/or consulates and serve from there 77 countries.

The agricultural counsellors are available for companies and entrepreneurs from the agricultural sector in all links of the chain: from starting material (seed) (animal feed) and primary products to end products, but also the processing industry, supply, technology, services, trade and logistics. The agricultural counsellors are assisted by a team of locally hired employees, including the agricultural advisors who have an excellent local and regional network and the policy and management support staff.

Together, as agricultural teams, they can quickly provide you with the right information to do business successfully:

• finding customized market information;
• obtaining information about laws and regulations, including commodity laws, in your market;
• information on and assistance with the resolution of veterinary and phytosanitary barriers to trade;
• starting up agricultural projects and chain management.

Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo

At Brightlands Campus Greenport Venlo, the primary focus is on healthy nutrition. Innovators from business, science and education work together on innovations in healthy nutrition, future farming, and bio-circular economy. The Campus is located in a region in which the agri-food business is one of the most productive, sustainable and profitable in the world; where food innovation is in the entrepreneurs’ DNA. Campus buildings Villa Flora and Innovatoren are home to various R&D facilities, entrepreneurs and institutes.

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The Green Agenda

The Green Agenda is a programme in which knowledge institutes and entrepreneurs develop and test innovative green concepts. The objective is that entrepreneurs from the sector use these new concepts to create new earning opportunities for themselves.

The Green City foundation has a leading and facilitating role in this programme. It brings together entrepreneurs in the green sector and knowledge institutes and facilitates them in developing their green concepts and earning models. In doing so, we collaborate with Royal Flora Holland.

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Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology (Dutch: Technische Universiteit Delft) also known as TU Delft, is the largest and oldest Dutch public technological university, located in Delft, Netherlands. TU Delft has been placed in the top 200 universities in the world. By subject ranking, as of 2019, it is ranked in the top 20 engineering and technology universities in the world also ranking in the top 10 in Europe.

With eight faculties and numerous research institutes, it hosts over 19,000 students (undergraduate and postgraduate), more than 2,900 scientists, and more than 2,100 support and management staff.

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Eindhoven University of Technology

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) is a research university specializing in engineering science & technology.

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Floriworld

FloriWorld is a high-profile and alluring attraction for national and international tourists, but also for relations and administrators, scholars and students and business visitors. FloriWorld is the home base of the sector and contributes to the top of mind position of flowers and plants of consumers and stakeholders.

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GlastuinbouwWaterproof.nl is the leading knowledge platform on water for greenhouse horticulture. The partners aim to share knowledge and experiences related to the sustainable use of water with greenhouse horticultural entrepreneurs in the Netherlands.

The Greenhouse Horticulture programme strives to reach (nearly) zero emissions of fertilisers and crop protection agents by 2027. Closed water recycling loops at the level of the company or area are essential, as well as the availability of sufficient good irrigation water.

Cooperation is paramount to reach this goal. Cooperation between entrepreneurs, chain partners, researchers and governments. Waterproof Glasshouse Horticulture organises a range of projects with these parties on the optimal reuse, limitation of emissions, cultivation using alternative systems, and the development of disinfection and purification techniques.

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Greenport Aalsmeer

Greenport Aalsmeer is one of the six greenports in the Netherlands. It is the largest world trade and knowledge center for the floriculture sector with Royal FloraHolland, the flower auction, at its heart. Within the Greenport, 50,000 people work full-time daily at growing companies, the auction, trading companies, exporters, horticultural suppliers and flower and plant breeders. Together these companies ensure a turnover of 3 billion euros per year. Knowledge institutions that are active in horticulture are also partners, as are service providers and financial institutions. Because all the important parties are so close together, there is an intensive exchange of knowledge and there is cooperation with each other in many areas. The region works together in the areas of knowledge & innovation, space & accessibility, sustainability, the labor market & education and positioning & image.

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Greenport Boskoop

Greenport Boskoop is one of the six greenports in the Netherlands. This greenport has traditionally been the most famous tree-growing cluster in the world. For more than 500 years, the vast majority of companies have been active in (tree) floriculture: production, trade and services. Today, the cluster consists of more than 700 companies. The majority of the production companies, the tree nurseries, focus on growing ornamental shrubs for the visually attractive market. The rapid availability of products and services in Boskoop and the innovative capacity of the business make the establishment in Boskoop more interesting than elsewhere.

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Greenport Duin- en Bollenstreek

Greenport Duin- en Bollenstreek is one of the six Greenports in the Netherlands. This greenport is the international center for breeding, cultivation, trade, logistics and export of bulbs, flowers and plants. More than 60% of the total world trade flows in the bulb sector go through the Greenport Duin- en Bollenstreek. To further strengthen this international competitive position, the greenport works together with many parties from the region.

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Greenport Gelderland

Greenport Gelderland is one of the six Greemports in The Netherlands. It is the horticultural program for the Gelderland River area. As a public-private network organization, it stimulates innovation, sustainable development and growth of horticultural companies in Gelderland under the motto: Sustainability! GG knows what is going on among growers and connects them to each other and to governments, the business community and research. From a broad network, it focuses on the growth and development of people and the horticultural sector.

Horticulture, in combination with related trade, logistics and services, provides a lot of added value and employment locally. The total added value of the horticultural cluster is € 700-800 million. The horticultural clusters offer work to a total of 13,900 full-time jobs.

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GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord

GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord is is one of the six Greenports in The Netherlands. Just north of Amsterdam you find the most versatile agricultural area in Europe. Vegetables, meat, potatoes, fish, fruit, flowers and seeds all originate from this region. The strong link in this agri-cluster chain is GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord.  

GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord is home to Northwest Europe’s food garden. A tremendous variety of vegetables, potatoes and fruit makes its way from the land and greenhouses to consumers in both the Netherlands and abroad. GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord is a major supplier of meat and dairy products. Alkmaar is famous for its cheese and fishing is also a major industry in this region. In addition to all of its fresh food and produce, GreenPort Noord-Holland Noord is also one of the largest production areas in Europe for flower bulb cultivation, floriculture and ornamental horticulture.

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Greenport Venlo

Greenport Venlo is one of six Greenports in the Netherlands. This unique area consists of working landscapes and knowledge landscapes and is developed and managed by the development company Ontwikkelbedrijf Greenport Venlo.

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Greenport West-Holland

Greenport West-Holland is one of the six Greenports in The Netherlands. This greenport is one of the most innovative region in the field of greenhouse horticulture, with growers of vegetables and flowers, suppliers, trading companies, breeders, consultancies, personnel services, etc. They work closely together: with each other, with local and regional authorities, with top education institutions and with international research institutes.

When it comes to greenhouse horticulture, Greenport West-Holland is one of the most important regions in the world with a concentration of state-of-the-art production, delivery, trade, distribution and processing companies, all strongly interlinked. The governments in the region – together with entrepreneurs, educational institutions and research institutes – have united in a network organization: Greenport West-Holland.

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Greenports Nederland

Greenports Nederland is the platform where the six Ducth regional Greenports, the business community, governments and education & knowledge institutions work together to achieve breakthroughs and acceleration on horticultural themes that require a national approach and that are not picked up by other parties. For example: theme's like labor market, energy, healthy plants and people, innovation, internationalization, spatial planning and fresh logistics.

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HAS University of Applied Science

HAS University of Applied Sciences provides Bachelor studies and minors for the Dutch and International market in the Agribusiness, Food and Living environment.

We educate students at 2 locations in the Netherlands: 's-Hertogenbosch en Venlo

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Kas als Energiebron

The aim of Kas als Energiebron, the innovation and action programme for the greenhouse horticulture sector, is to reduce greenhouse horticulture CO2 emissions by 2 to 3% per year. This must be achieved through energy-saving innovations and the use of sustainable energy. Glastuinbouw Nederland and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality are working together on this programme.

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Maastricht University

Maastricht University (UM) is the most international university in the Netherlands and, with 18,000 students and 4,400 employees, is still growing. The university stands out for its innovative education model, international character and multidisciplinary approach to research and education.

Thanks to its high-quality research and study programmes as well as a strong focus on social engagement, UM has quickly built up a solid reputation. Today it is considered one of the best young universities in the world.

Located in the heart of Europe, UM is the most international university in the Netherlands. Half of our students and one third of our academic staff come from abroad, together representing over 100 different nationalities. Most of UM’s study programmes are taught in English, and the content of both education and research is deeply rooted in European and broader international themes.

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Naktuinbouw

Naktuinbouw (the Netherlands Inspection Service for Horticulture) promotes and monitors the quality of products, processes and production chains in the horticultural sector. The main focus is on propagating material, of national and international origin. Naktuinbouw is an Autonomous Public Body regulated by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. Naktuinbouw has three large departments for the following activities: Inspections, Laboratories and Variety Testing.

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RVO

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency supports entrepreneurs, NGOs, knowledge institutions and organisations. RVO aims to facilitate entrepreneurship, improve collaborations, strengthen positions and help realise national and international ambitions with funding, networking, know-how and compliance with laws and regulations.

RVO is a government agency which operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. Its activities are commissioned by the various Dutch ministries and the European Union.

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TNO

TNO is an independent research organisation, that focuses on nine social themes:

• Buildings, Infrastructure & Maritime : 'Robust constructions, sustainable use'
• The Circular Economy and the Environment: 'Directing and accelerating sustainability'
• Defence, Safety and Security: ‘We’re putting our knowledge and technology to work for safety and security’
• Energy: ‘Faster towards a sustainable energy supply'
• Healthy living: ‘Focussing on participation, not on the disease’
• Industry: ‘Innovating for employment, welfare and well-being’
• Information & Communication Technology: 'Interpreting and accelerating digital transformation'
• Strategic Analysis & Policy: 'Turning complex issues into concrete innovations'
• Traffic and Transport: 'Helping to create liveable, sustainable cities'

Innovation with purpose is what TNO stands for. We develop knowledge not for its own sake, but for practical application.Kom in contact

Topsector Horticulture & Starting Materials

A topsector is a sector in which Dutch business and research centers excel worldwide. The Netherlands has nine, including Topsector Horticulture & Starting Materials.

Topsector Horticulture & Starting Materials comprises all vegetable chains in the horticultural complex and, for the starting materials, the total vegetable horticulture and agri-complex. The topsector therefore consists of the starting materials, production (greenhouses and open ground) sectors and the processing, supply, trade and distribution companies. It is a broad sector with subsectors ranging from vegetables, fruit and trees to flowers and bulbs. The starting material sector is about starting material such as seed, seedlings and seeds.

Within each Topsector, the parties have bundled themselves into Topconsortia for Knowledge and Innovation (TKI). The TKIs have drawn up research agendas and objectives for the coming years. Every topsector has its own possibilities that companies can use. You can think of financing your R&D projects (research & development), hire researchers for your innovation project or find collaboration partners.

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University of Twente

The University of Twente is a multicultural community of talented, ambitious people that offers students, scientists and educators from around the world the best possible conditions:

• An innovative and vibrant campus with world-class facilities for crossing boundaries and solving complex problems – including state-of-the-art facilities, such as our world-renowned NanoLab, our newly formed Designlab and a new Technical Medical Centre currently under construction.
• An engineering approach to societal challenges, merging fundamental technological and social science research with systematic solution designing.
• Core technologies, among the world’s best, in fields such as nanotechnology and biomedical engineering, IT, robotics and geo-information science.
• Highly personal education, applying student-driven learning and project-based teamwork to foster synergy, (self-)discovery and out of the box problem-solving.
• An outstanding track record in value creation, starting up and spinning off new businesses (with some 1,000 successful ventures to date) and giving shape to new expressions of social and industrial engagement.
• Over time, inspiring, curious people have combined their experience in technology, science and engineering with social sciences to initiate change, progress, renewal.

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University of Amsterdam

The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the widest range of courses on offer. An intellectual hub with 34,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 PhD students. Connected by a culture of curiosity. More than 100 nationalities study and work at the UvA.

The university likes to attract talented international students and academics and invests in relationships and (research) networks worldwide. Teaching and research at the UvA take place in seven faculties:

• Faculty of Economics and Business 
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Faculty of Science, Mathematics and Computer Science
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Dentistry

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Wageningen University & Research

‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’. That is the mission of Wageningen University & Research. Over 6,500 employees and 12,000 students from more than hundred countries work everywhere around the world in the domain of healthy food and living environment for governments and the business community-at-large.

The strength of Wageningen University & Research lies in its ability to join the forces of specialised research institutes and the university. It also lies in the combined efforts of the various fields of natural and social sciences. This union of expertise leads to scientific breakthroughs that can quickly be put into practice and be incorporated into education. This is the Wageningen Approach.

The scientific quality of Wageningen University & Research is affirmed by the prominent position we occupy in international rankings and citation indexes. The domain of Wageningen University & Research consists of three related core areas:

• Food and food production
• Living environment
• Health, lifestyle and livelihood

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Wellantcollege

Wellant College educates its secondary vocational students on nutrition, climate and animal and animal welfare. With 175 educations, 32 locations and 4800 internship companies in the Netherlands and abroad, 1300 teachers and employees are ready to give the up-and-coming generation of professionals a place in that new society. Wellantcollege stands for modern, varied education: from Cooking to Urban Green Development, and from Healthy Animals to Water Management.

With full attention to the personal growth and talents of every student and student. With smaller schools, where everyone knows each other and the business community, region and parents actively collaborate. And with a multifaceted approach, in which teachers, students and pupils work together to explore and improve the new world of today and tomorrow.

Wellantcollege educates its students on five subjects:

• Food and health
• Water, urban green and climate
• Agrobusiness and green technology
• Living environment (including flower)
• Animal management

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World Horti Center

World Horti Center is the knowledge and innovation center for international greenhouse horticulture. This hub of collaboration is also the main innovation center of the international greenhouse horticulture sector, where business, research, demonstration, teaching and education converge, as well as providing a focus for greenhouse companies to do business.

World Horti Center is a:

• learning environment for 1200 senior secondary and higher vocational education students
• modern research center for technology, cultivation systems, crop protection and breeding
• year-round exhibition with more than 100 leading horticulture businesses

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