(L to R) Luke van Adrichem (Metazet), Paul van Dijck (Harmoniz NL) and Pim van Adrichem (HortiTech) | PROOF
On Sept. 5, 2024, PROOF officially opened its doors in Honselersdijk, Netherlands. There, three parties under one roof formed a breeding ground for innovation in horticulture. It’s a place where breeding, botany, and mechanical technology can find, complement, and reinforce each other to put innovative solutions into practice in an accessible way.
PROOF logo and lettering | Metazet
Three separate organizations are under one roof, but each partner is concerned with its own activity.
“All three of us were looking for a suitable place with the right facilities. That felt like looking for a needle in a haystack. It is therefore even better that we found what we were looking for on the Gantellaan in Honselersdijk,” says Luke van Adrichem of Metazet.
“We put our shoulders to the wheel and made the location absolutely perfect. The greenhouse is a realistic environment where we can carry out trials and the energy supply currently matches the need. With a good leg height of almost 6 meters, we simulate the growing environment of our growers. And we have divided that up into very small or slightly larger sections to be able to continue testing,” HortiTech‘s Pim van Adrichem adds.
The Benefits of Cooperation and Collaboration
That the three companies can also find each other well in joint development soon became clear. Paul van Dijck of Harmoniz NL explains the optimal climate for that spin-off. “The greenhouse layout is strictly separated. Half of it is used by Harmoniz NL in several departments for breeding and demonstration. Partly because of this, we have an increasing focus on high-tech horticulture. The other half is set up for cooperation between Metazet and HortiTech. We also strengthen each other in specific areas. That means we can test ideas against each other in confidence, think along with each other, and work together.”
Creativity and Responsiveness
Luke adds, “You can only stay ahead with distinctiveness, otherwise others will take over from you. And that requires creative thinking. That outlet for innovative creativity can be found under the PROOF banner. It feels like a playground and outlet for everyone’s innovation and development drive. When a question arises from the market, ideas immediately start bubbling up. We pick up this open innovation in the confidential environment of PROOF and we deliberately don’t involve everyone in this.”
A Breeding Ground for Horticulture
In the new premises, the central square is the condensation point where ideas and reality come together. There is sparring with the customer and with the partners who add value to innovation. The joining of forces in this incubator enables thinking beyond the horizon. “In this place, our knowledge and experience allow us to look beyond and come up with solutions that are approachable, practical, and successful,” says Pim.
A Comma on the Horizon
Finding a suitable development location was like a dot on the horizon for HortiTech, Harmoniz NL, and Metazet. With the opening of PROOF, that dot has become a comma and from there, trials will prove what the horticultural sector is capable of. In due time, the partners expect to have the right balance with each other and to live up to market expectations. By then, joint development and innovation processes will have been completed and products will be ready for the market to make noticeable strides in horticulture. And they are going to make that measurable to prove with PROOF.
