News

Fifty shades of green….. global careers in sexy horticulture: The Koppert Cress Case

The Ohio Program with the support of Syngenta and in cooperation with Jungle Talks puts the spotlight on horticultural game changers around the world via a series of 1 hour webinars starting on May 8, 2018. 

Koppert Cress, Dutch producer of Living Microgreens (otherwise known as cresses), is expanding rapidly and is now producing its healthy and flavour rich Microgreens in various parts of the world, including New York City. Living Microgreens are seedlings of unique plants, each with their own, surprising influence on your senses; taste, flavour, look and feel, there is always a plant to suit your needs. 

During the webinar, general manager Nicolas Mazard will share with you his passion and vision on a changing horticultural sector. You will learn what it takes to become successful in today’s horticulture. Nicolas will also put you to work! Koppert Cress takes its inspiration from nature and is constantly looking for new products and flavours. Nicolas will challenge you to help him find the next Microgreens innovation. 

Typically, the company adds one new product annually to its assortment of Microgreens, Edible Flowers and Edible Leaves. They market this collection via its brand name Koppert Cress with the tag line ‘Architecture Aromatique’. We will ask you to discover a new Microgreen. If you succeed, your efforts will be handsomely rewarded with fame and treasure. 

Curious to know more? Sign up for this webinar (in English) here. 

Flower Powerhouse Colombia - what can we learn from each other?

Jungle Talks kicks off 2018 with an informative webinar on the latest developments in floriculture in Colombia. The country is the 2nd largest flower producer in the world and export around 80% of its flowers to North America. Colombia's economy is booming and costs are therefore rising. Labour is also getting scarce. This all creates opportunities for suppliers of knowledge and technology. On March 21 Jungle Talks in cooperation with Holland House Colombia hosts an informative webinar for floricultural professionals interested in the latest developments. Please note that this webinar will be in Dutch. 

This webinar will also be the kick off of other activities this year, in cooperation with Holland House Colombia we will also organize a trade mission to Colombia from 21-25 May, 2018. For more information, please contact Ed Smit via ideas@ideavelop.biz. 

Working as an intern at East-West Seed in Thailand or the Philippines? 

The Netherlands is leading with regards to the production of vegetable seeds. There are many large and wellknown companies in this business, among others the family businesses of Rijk Zwaan, ENZA en Bejo. We have taken the lead regarding the improvement of varieties, sustainability, technology and production. A lesser known player in the Netherlands, but an up and coming seed producer in the rest of the world, is East-West Seed, a Dutch family company with its head office in Bangkok. In 2017 East-West Seed celebrated its 35^th anniversary.

East-West Seed was established in 1982 by Simon Groot, descendant of Nanne Groot who founded the West Frisian vegetable seed sector. Simon left former family company Sluis and Groot, after a take-over by Sandoz, now part of Syngenta. During his business trips in Southeast Asia he noticed how hard it was for the millions of smallholder farmers to support themselves. He saw an opportunity to change this situation by providing better vegetable seed so that local farmers could improve the scale and quality of their production.

Since then, the company has substantially expanded with its head office in Bangkok and branches in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Tanzania, India, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia. The more than 5000 employees still work according to Simon Groot’s mission: East-West Seed strives to improve the income of smallholder farmers in the tropics by making high quality seeds and varieties available to them. 

Last Thursday November 23, Maaike Groot, great-great-great-great grandchild of Nanne Groot and daughter of East-West Seed founder Simon Groot, shared more details on the internationalisation strategy and offered three different internship opportunities to international students and young professionals. Do you want to work as digital media content management intern in Bangkok? Or come up with innovative solutions to improve East-West Seed's seed packaging? (also in Bangkok) Or work on the reduction of post-harvest losses in the Philippines? Then pitch 'live' to Maaike Groot during our pitch webinar on 21 December and send Renee Snijders your motivation letter (for one of the positions) and C.V. before December 10. 

Stepping out of your comfort zone – The story behind Aleia Roses

Imagine, you intend to produce top quality roses for the European market. You have evaluated all pros and cons with regards to climate, labour, and distance to the main market and to the (Dutch) auctions as well as energy requirements. A traditional conclusion would make you invest either in the Netherlands or somewhere around the equator. That logic does not apply to Aleia Roses.

Aleia Roses was set up in 2016 and started with connections in Spain, Mexico and The Netherlands. How it all began was explained on Thursday, the 26th of October at 20.45 Central European Time by means of a live webinar, a so-called ‘Jungle Talk’. Will Zuiderwijk, sales director Netherlands explain why the province of Soria in  Spain was chosen as ‘the place to be’.

‘’Although we have started our project over a year ago now, we are far from finished. We intend to become a major player in the production of the leading variety Red Naomi. We still have a long way to go and based on our story, we would like to invite international young talent to join us on our journey’’, said Will. 

One month later, on Thursday, the 23rd of November, the talented young professional the company is looking for, can pitch for him during a pitch-webinar. You can listen to the masterclass of 26 October link. You can also pre-register for the pitch-webinar by clicking here.

Jungle Talks back after summer break! 
Jungle Talks returns in October 2017 with another series of interesting masterclasses and pitch webinars. Renowned horticultural players such as East West Seeds will be our guests, but we will also interview newcomer Aleia Roses. Interested in their views on internationalization? Make sure to register for our free webinars. Check out the Agenda section of this website, for more information. 

The relevance of a horticultural supplier

The story behind HortiMaX and its search for talent 

‘Being part of a larger enterprise, in our case the De Ridder Group, is not always necessary, but it makes many things a lot easier,’ said Sjaak Bakker, the new CEO of Hortimax, during a Jungle Talk last Tuesday night.

The implementation of our internationalization strategy is a good example. Being part of De Ridder Group means we have more access to knowledge and capital, but it is very important you do not neglect your company’s DNA. For HortiMaX this means that the needs and demands of its clients play a pivotal role when it comes to strategy and planning. The ABELL model is helpful in creating more focus and clarity when it comes to the implementation of future policies.

That future will mainly concentrate on adding value of the knowledge component. HortiMaX does not see the sales of its products as the ultimate goal, but as a means to transform the gained knowledge in profits for their clients, the growers. This knowledge part of what they are selling will gradually be implemented by external parties such as (international) universities, investors, consultants etc. Therefore, HortiMaX’ future strategic policy will concentrate on exploring and exploiting knowledge in cooperation with the right partner.

This is certainly not an easy task, nor one that is realized by tomorrow. HortiMaX is therefore looking for talent to help the company succeed in their ambitions. Everyone interested in being part of HortiMaX’ ambitions can apply for an internship or job. Sjaak Bakker invited the audience to participate in a so-called ‘pitch webinar’ on Wednesday July 5. Interested? Send your C.V. and motivation letter to Ed Smit via ideas@ideavelop.biz before June 30. A more detailed job description you will find here. You can register for the pitch webinar here and if you missed Sjaak Bakker’s masterclass, you can watch the recording here.

‘Think global, act local’: The international expansion of Hortimax

Supplier of horticultural knowledge and technology, Hortimax, provides its clients with what they need and sometimes that is something different than what this client first asked for. The product portfolio of Hortimax must be applicable to each market the company is active in. This principle closely relates to the philosophy of ‘Think global, act local’. Hortimax is applying this in practice around the world and the company’s ambitions do not stop here.

During our next Jungle Talk masterclass on June 7, Sjaak Bakker, Hortimax’ freshly appointed CEO will explain the company’s internationalization strategy in more detail. He will use the ABELL model and will zoom in on needs, technologies and clients/buyers. Hortimax is convinced that in the horticultural sector, technical solutions need to connect to the true needs of the growers and education and training are indispensable and are an integral part of the company’s product portfolio. Furthermore, Hortimax needs talent to realize its future ambitions. At the end of his masterclass, Sjaak Bakker will elaborate on the profile of the people he is looking for.
Therefore, internationally oriented entrepreneurs, students and others who are interested, you are very welcome to join the free webinar on Wednesday 7 June, from 19.30 CEST onwards. You can register via this link. 

Want to work at Koppert Biological Systems?
Pitch on June 8! 

At the end of his insightful masterclass Martin Koppert shared what talent he is looking for to further develop Koppert's internationalisation strategy. Interested? Click here and here for more detailed job descriptions and register here, to participate to the pitch webinar on June 8. Do not forget to send your C.V. and motivation letter to Renee Snijders before May 30. 

New Jungle Jingle! 

Jungle Talks proudly presents this new trailer on our new concept of Masterclasses & Pitch webinars! Check out the video here. Like it? Please share it! Many thanks to Ter Laak Orchids, KAS Tuinbouwcommunicatie and all others involved who made this video possible. 

50 years of sustainable innovation: the story of Koppert Biological Systems

Exactly 50 years ago, Koppert Biological Systems started producing its first predatory mite. Now, the family company is world market leader in biological crop protection and has 35 subsidiaries in 23 countries.

Koppert is no longer the ‘best kept secret’ in horticulture, but was recently selected as new Champion in the Netherland. The jury praised the company’s entrepreneurial spirit, its investments in R&D and the growing visible role in society the company is playing.

Martin Koppert, business development manager, is hosting an interactive master class on May 11 and will further illustrate the internationalization strategy of this fast growing company with the help of the MABA model or ‘’Market Attractiveness Business Assessment’’.

He will talk about international challenges in the market, competition from chemical concerns like Bayer and Monsanto and share the company’s vision on how to grow in the future, especially with regards to outdoor crops. ‘Prevention is better than cure’ is an important adagio in Koppert’s current strategy when developing new products. In addition, the company is not only considering plant health, but is convinced that healthy plants and crops lead to healthier people and foresees a more prominent role for the company in exactly this field.

This masterclass will again be concluded with an appeal to students and young professionals to assist Koppert in realizing its future ambitions. Martin Koppert is looking for talent and will share his thoughts on who and what he is exactly looking for at the end of his masterclass.

International horticultural entrepreneurs, student and everyone interested in the story of Koppert Biological Systems is very welcome to join this free webinar on Thursday 11 May, 19.30 hrs CEST. Please register via this link.

Van den Berg Roses is looking for talent!

Van den Berg Roses hosted a Jungle Talk masterclass on April 13. CEO Arie van den Berg is expanding his operations in China and the Netherlands and is looking for an innovator in the Netherlands and a marketing & sales expert in China. Interested? Please send your C.V and motivation letter to develop@ideavelop.biz before May 5.

The Van den Berg Roses masterclass has been recorded, you can listen to it here to prepare yourself. To register for the pitch webinar directly, click here.

Horticultural entrepreneurs listening to the pitch webinar, can contact the candidates not selected by Van den Berg Roses after the webinar directly via email.

Check out the more detailed job descriptions here (China) and here (NL). Please click here for the exact pitch procedure. 

In case of questions, please contact Renee Snijders, develop@ideavelop.biz. 

Internationalization: to start over or to build on?
The story of Van den Berg RoseS

For years, internationalization in horticulture was the domain of breeders/propagators and suppliers of knowledge and technology. Recently things changed. Producers have also started to become active abroad. Why is that? And how do they do that?

Arie van den Berg, CEO of Van den Berg Roses, is a great example. He currently manages companies in the Netherlands, Kenya and China, each one with its own characteristics and challenges. Did Arie start abroad as a result of what he saw happening around him or was he a pioneer and just saw opportunities abroad before everybody else? Which factors have been important for him to become active abroad? This masterclass will again kick off with a short theoretical part. We will look at the ‘Ansoff Matrix’ and analyse products and markets. In the case of Van den Berg Roses it is rather striking that the company and its two international subsidiaries are operating in two extremes of this model; market penetration in the Netherlands and Kenya and diversification in China.
Arie van den Berg will shares his choices and experience abroad with the public and will also discuss his future plans, because the ambitions of his companies have certainly not come to an end.
International students and young professionals will be invited to pitch and assist Van Den Berg Roses in their ambitions via an internship or job. The exact profile of the person Arie van den Berg is looking for will be explained in more detail at the end of the masterclass.

Entrepreneurs, students and anyone interested in international horticulture is welcome to participate in this free webinar, which takes place on Thursday 13 April from 19.30-20.30 hrs CET. To register, click here. 

Koppert Cress recruits international talent

Koppert Cress hosted a Jungle Talk masterclass on March 16 and concluded their session with an appeal to international students and young professionals to assist in realizing the dream of owners Rob and Stijn Baan: ‘Can we develop Koppert Cress into the next Uber or Facebook of international horticulture?’
Four international candidates have so far been selected to pitch on April 12. Two are looking for an internship, one is applying for an actual job and the fourth is looking for challenging assignments for his own company in horticultural projects. The candidates come from China, the Netherlands and Myanmar. Everybody with an interest in international horticulture can participate in this free webinar on April 12 from 19.30-20.30 hrs CET. 

If you want to actually pitch your ideas directly to Koppert Cress, you still can. Please send your C.V and motivation letter to develop@ideavelop.biz before Friday 7 April. You can listen to the Koppert Cress masterclass via our website to prepare yourself. Horticultural entrepreneurs listening to the pitch webinar, can contact the candidates not selected by Koppert Cress directly via email.

For more information about the job description and / or pitch webinar please contact Renee Snijders, develop@ideavelop.biz. 

Jungle Talks matches top entrepreneurs with international talent
Students meet future employers in virtual jungle

To match inspiring horticultural entrepreneurs online with top talent, is what this new Jungle Talks concept is all about: online masterclasses and so-called ‘pitch webinars’ straight from the Costa Rican jungle.

Masterclasses and pitch webinars
Each month a horticultural entrepreneur describes his internationalization strategy and shares his thoughts on new opportunities for growth. Talent is needed to turn these opportunities into reality. And that is why this entrepreneur will invite, during the masterclass, international students to digitally apply and to become part of this future. Please click here for the exact pitch procedure. 

On March 16, 20.45 hrs CET, Stijn and Rob Baan of Koppert Cress kick off this webinar series of 2017. Koppert Cress is followed by Van den Berg Roses, Koppert Biological Systems  in the months of April and May. 

Registration
Click here to register directly for the masterclass of Koppert Cress. Everyone can join these masterclasses and students from around the globe are challenged to ‘click and pitch’!

‘’Floriculture in Mexico: will the sleeping (export) giant wake up?

With a total of 18.000 hectares of ornamental produce and its enormous domestic market, Mexico is the 4^th floricultural producer in the world. Only some 20% of the production is exported, predominantly to North America. It is likely that this percentage will increase in the near future, creating opportunities for suppliers of knowledge and technical equipment. And will foreign investors find their way to Mexico to set up (export oriented) flower farms?

Our first webinar about Mexico dealt about the still juvenile sector of greenhouse vegetables. A sector that increased rapidly in the past 15 years and one that is very much export oriented. A sector driven by capital and market developments.

Floriculture in Mexico on the other hand is much more traditional. Family businesses (often rather small) dominate the market and production can be found all over the country, although most production is located in the state of Mexico. However, some companies started, like their colleagues in vegetable production, to focus on export.

Major opportunities can be found in climate control (heating, shading), irrigation and solar energy. Knowledge is needed as well. Especially when it concerns the improvement of organizational issues and marketing. Agro logistics and sales need to be improved and need to become more efficient. Especially now that new crops are gaining importance such as Anthurium and Phalaenopsis.

The agricultural department of the Dutch Embassy in Mexico has detected these opportunities. A new subsidy program, Partners in International Business (or PIB) is likely to be implemented to stimulate trade between Mexico and the Netherlands. This program will focus on imports of Dutch equipment and technology (1), logistics and marketing (2), and aims at exports to the European market (3) and identifying possible investors (4).

Tomorrow (Thursday, 10^th of November), the final ‘Mexico Jungle Talk’ will be organised and puts the spotlight on agro logistics and the Mexican phenomenon of Agro Parks. We welcome three guests: Monica Cabildo (Wangeningen UR), Oscar Woltman (FreshMex, AMPHAC) and Robert van der Geest (Energy Green House Park). To register please click on Mexican Agro Parks. 

‘’Vegetable production sector in Mexico is only warming up’’

The first Jungle Talk about Mexico focussed on vegetables. Mexican representatives from ENZA Zaden, Hortimax and Horticonnect – Plantanova where clear on one thing: Mexican vegetable exports only started around the year 2000 and no matter what, they will continue to increase. Assuming that this conclusion is correct, great opportunities lie ahead for suppliers of hardware and knowledge.

Mexico has established itself as the 7^th greenhouse vegetable producer in the world. But Mexico has many faces and needs to be well understood as a (horticultural) powerhouse, before you can start doing business. Offering your products ‘online’, without any contact with your clients, hardly makes any sense. Local presence is key to success.

The sector as such has matured. Problems can and will be solved on a production level. Education and knowledge transfer are still issues that need attention and that is exactly what the Dutch government tries to do by stimulate with so called PIB programs. Horti Connect, a cluster of Dutch companies offering knowledge that accompanies their products, is such an example.

Challenges are still there. Agrologistics still need improve. Security is an issue not to be ignored. More information on both issues can be heard during our webinar this Thursday named Mexican Agro Parks. Mexican vegetables in the North American market have great advantages over international competitors such as Guatemala, Dominican Republic and some South American countries. The sector is established. Critical volumes to facilitate large scale exports are reached. And of course Mexico borders the USA. The vegetable experts we invited for this webinar, even expect that other sectors will step into the footsteps of greenhouse vegetables.

We continue our focus on Mexico on Wednesday, the 9^th of November when Claudia Lee of Akiko and Tammo Hoeksema of Xochipilli will discuss the current situation and future perspectives of floriculture in Mexico. Interested? Please click on floriculture in Mexico.

Next week: horticulture is hot in Mexico!

Horticulture in Mexico is on the move. Click on the following links to register for next week’s Jungle Talks (horti webinars) about vegetable production in Mexico, floriculture in Mexico or to the final 1 hour session about the phenomenon of the Mexican Agro Parks.

Mexico is a horticultural powerhouse, but still offers great potential for suppliers, investors and wholesalers. Knowledge and opportunities come together during the Irapuato Trade Fair (8 – 11 November), www.expoagrogto.com, by far the biggest horticultural trade fair in the Americas. The Dutch Embassy in Mexico is facilitating a large number of Dutch companies to present themselves in a ‘Holland Pavilion’. For those who cannot visit the fair, the embassy will organize 3  ‘Jungle Talks’; online webinars about horticulture in Mexico.

The first Mexican Jungle Talk about vegetable production takes place on Tuesday, 8 November at 8.30 AM Mexican time (15.30 European main land). Today our guests will be Ruben Soto (GM  Hortimax Mexico), Juan Labastida (Marketing Specialist ENZA) and Pharis Rico (GM  Plantanova and GM Horticonnect). Is it likely that Mexico will keep increasing its surface? Will there be a shift towards more high tech and / or sustainable produce? What about the security issue, renewable energy, foreign competition? This webinar will give you a good taste of vegetable production in Mexico.

One day later, Wednesday, 9 November we will continue with a thorough analysis of the actual situation of floriculture in Mexico and the perspectives for the (near) future. We will do that with distinguished guests Claudia Lee (Director Akiko) and Tammo Hoeksema (CEO Xochipilli). Mexico has always been a sleeping giant in terms of flower exports. Is Mexico still asleep? And if so, is it likely that she will wake up soon?

And finally, on Thursday the 10^th of November, you will hear more about the typical Mexican phenomenon of setting up your horticultural facilities in a so-called Agro Park. What are the benefits of being located there? Are new Agro Parks planned in Mexico? Is the concept applicable in other countries? Oscar Woltman (CEO Freshmex / Chairman Amphac / Agro Park Queretaro and Robert van der Geest (Business Developer United Farms / COO Energy Greenhouse Park) will tell you all about it.

Jungle Talks are organized frequently and are always free of charge. If you would like to receive regular updates, you can register here for the Jungle Talk newsletter. For additional questions or more information, please contact Ed Smit via ideas@ideavelop.biz 

What about floriculture in Colombia?

Colombia remains an international powerhouse in floriculture. Almost 7.000 hectares of flower production in greenhouses of which some 75% is exported to the North American market.

Due to peace negotiations with FARC and much more political stability, the economy has been thriving for well over a decade. Foreign investment increases rapidly, especially the main urban centres such as Bogota and Medellin, are developing fast. The same can be said for the surrounding areas around these major cities, Rio Negro (Medellin) and La Sabana and Cundinamarca (Bogota). These same regions are responsible for over 95% of protected flower production in Colombia.

Due to all this economic activity, labour gets more expensive and, moreover, scarce. Alternative jobs are available in a great number of sectors. As a result, productivity will have to increase in Colombia to protect its competitive advantages over (sleeping) giant Mexico and even African countries that start exporting flowers to North America with direct flights.

The current rate of the Peso against the dollar is a great help for all exported goods from Colombia. However, if Colombia keeps growing economically with the same pace, investments will have to be done in issues like post-harvest equipment, hydroponic systems, heating (including improved greenhouse structures) and measurements to improve (internal) logistics.

Colombia is there to be discovered for a number of foreign supply companies. Make sure you go well-prepared. Colombia offers no opportunities to amateurs! In addition, Colombia might be interesting for growers/investors who want to get involved and willing to set up joint ventures or cooperate in a different way.

If you would like to know more about Colombia, you can join a trade visit in week 35 visiting a great number of companies in both Medellin and Bogota during the first international Flower Trials. For more information, please contact Ed Smit, ideas@ideavelop.biz or 00506-88418125.

Jungle Talks Live at the GreenTech!

Jungle Talks successfully participated to the international horticultural trade fair GreenTech 2016. From our own booth we promoted the organisation of horti webinars and we're currently working on new ideas for webinars to come. You'll hear more about this soon! GreenTech's media partner KAS Magazine made a nice movie impression from Jungle Talks at the fair, our booth and the live sessions we did, check it out here!

Prize winner
During the network cocktail at the end of the first fair day, Erwin Cardol, program manager of Seed Valley was awarded with our Jungle Talks prize....a two week holiday to Costa Rica! Check out more here (in Dutch)

Prize Contest Jungle Talks
WIn a two-week tropical holiday to Costa Rica! 

Jungle Talks is a new concept in the horticultural sector and intends to exchange and transfer knowledge between horticultural professionals and to make crossovers between horticulture and other sectors.

Being a new initiative in a new and still to be developed market, the organizer of Jungle Talks, Ideavelop S.A. from Costa Rica, has decided to open a contest to stimulate creativity and to help improve Jungle Talks on any possible level. Of course we are looking for ‘the golden egg’ but in case no golden eggs are presented to us, we will settle for a silver egg!

First prize: A Green Circle trip to Costa Rica for 2 persons (double room) in the low season (September – Mid November or April – Mid June). The Green Circle can be considered as the most creative way to explore Costa Rica in a timespan of two weeks. This statement is backed by NatGeo Traveller from The Netherlands by means of a cover story in their spring issue of May 2015.

More info on the Green Circle can be found at www.the-green-circle.com or www.edventure.biz.

In case the winner of the first price would prefer to travel in different months, the difference in costs for both The Green Circle as such as well as for both tickets, will be on the expense of the price winner.

Note: in the months of September and October, hotel Ylang Ylang will be replaced by hotel Congo Bongo (www.congo-bongo.com) on the Carribean coast of Costa Rica.

Please copy and fill out the table below as complete as possible, either in English, Spanish or Dutch and send it to Ed Smit via ideas@ideavelop.biz before Sunday June 12, 2016.

Jungle Talk: Shaping the future: from agri- to nutri-culture

Prof. Dr. Ir. Tiny van Boekel, working in food quality and product design and known from Dutch television program RTL Late Night, Lars Charas, ‘gastronomic author’ and founder of Feeding Good and Peter Maes, corporate marketing director Koppert Biological Systems are our guests in this very special Jungle Talk on Tuesday, the 26^th of April, 19.30 Dutch time. The central theme is the relation between healthy plants, healthy food and healthy people.

After WW II the so-called ‘Green Revolution’ improved food production, both in quantity and in quality. Prices went down, production volumes increased and now a growing part of the world population has access to affordable food.

Now, dealing with the future challenge of having to feed 9 billion people in 2050 large scale production still dictates the daily life of most agri- and horticultural producers. Large scale and monoculture production, often combined with pesticides and synthetic fertilizers have exhausted soils in many places.  

Is this the way to continue or can we find alternatives?

A healthy soil is supplying elements to the plant, making it more vital and healthy and less vulnerable to pests and diseases. Healthy plants are providing solutions to prevent malnutrition. Can we try to combine natural solutions with modern technology for a sustainable future? Can we focus on healthy food instead of calories only? Can this be done in a sustainable way? What can we learn from nature?

Our guests invite you to join the discussion on sensible solutions for food production and food technology. Join our debate on Tuesday evening April 26 at 19.30 hrs.

You can register to participate in this Jungle Talk (like always, free of charge) via this link. The only thing you need to do is to be online (regardless where you are in the world) and make sure your internet connection is working properly. Please note this webinar will be conducted in English. 

NethWork Case: Knowledge Transfer 2.0

The Jungle Talk of Tuesday March 1, will focus on ‘cooperation based on knowledge transfer and exchange.’ The Dutch cluster NethWork, this month’s ‘inspirator’, is doing this already via its Executive Manager Training in the Netherlands (third edition in June 2016) and so-called Roadshows in Central America.
Goal: to sell more products and services in emerging markets. Means: practical training sessions in the Netherlands and company visits to (potential) clients to bridge cultural gaps.

Are you a Dutch horticultural entrepreneur and do you want to get in touch with (excellent) horticultural managers from Central America? Or are you a horticultural manager from Central America and do you want to know more about the leading horticultural producer in the world? Then you shouldn’t miss this Jungle Talk! The participating Dutch companies, but also Central American managers who visited the Netherlands during previous trainings will explain why this way of knowledge transfer and exchange is so efficient and useful.  

Central American managers of companies like Dümmen Orange, Ball Seeds, Detpon, Vita Farms (Foremost, KP Holland) and Plantas y Flores Ornamentales (the second largest lily grower in the world) will share their experiences with representatives of the NethWork members Priva, Van der Heide, Luiten, Van der Knaap Substrates and JconnectA.

You can register to participate in this Jungle Talk via this link. The only thing you need to do is being online (regardless where you are in the world) and make sure your internet connection is working properly. Please note this webinar is in English.

In three weeks’ time we will ‘travel’ to the southern Dutch province of Limburg and the most sustainable company of the Netherlands: Gulpener Bier. The company’s CEO, Jan-Paul Rutten, now also known in the horticultural sector after his inspired presentation at the award ceremony of the  ‘Tuinbouw Ondernemers Prijs’ in January of this year, will be our guest. We will also welcome Roger Engelberts, director of Imagro, a renowned bureau in the field of strategy and communication for the agricultural and food sector. ‘Creative Entrepreneurship’ will be the central theme of this particular Jungle Talk. Please note this Jungle Talk will be in Dutch.  

We first look forward to a very interactive Jungle Talk on Tuesday, 1 March (19.30 hrs in the Netherlands, 12.30 hrs in Central America).