Wageningen, The Netherlands
June 3, 2026
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is launching HortINspire: a new international network for protected cultivation. The network brings together growers, companies, knowledge institutions and other parties around the world to share knowledge and practical experience more quickly and make it easier to apply. HortINspire will be presented on 10 June during GreenTech in Amsterdam.
In controlled environment agriculture (CEA), growing conditions and cultivation processes are actively managed. This includes the efficient use of water, energy and labour, as well as climate control in the production of food, flowers and other crops. Knowledge in this field is developing rapidly worldwide, but is not always easy to find or directly applicable. What works well in one region often needs to be adapted elsewhere to the climate, available technology, financing, market and local knowledge needs.
A network that helps parties find each other more quickly
HortINspire is intended for parties looking for expertise, as well as those who want to share their own knowledge. The network brings together practical questions, scientific knowledge and new solutions in controlled environment agriculture. “It will be a place where growers, companies, knowledge institutions and other parties can find each other, and where valuable collaborations can emerge,” says initiator Jacqueline van Oosten of WUR Greenhouse Horticulture. “From Wageningen University & Research, we bring in our own knowledge, but the network is explicitly intended to work both ways. We want to share knowledge and learn from experiences and solutions in other regions.”
A practical route to knowledge and contacts
HortINspire therefore offers a practical route to knowledge and collaboration. Members become part of an international network around CEA and can take part in region-specific thematic sessions, online expert sessions and networking events. Through the online member portal, they can ask questions, share knowledge and exchange experiences.
Membership is open to organisations and professionals involved in controlled environment agriculture, with an initial focus on protected cultivation: from growers and technology developers to knowledge institutions, governments and advisers. This broad approach is deliberate. “Knowledge about controlled environment agriculture only becomes valuable when it is applied in practice,” says Van Oosten. “A grower brings different questions to the table than, for example, a government body or investor. By bringing these parties together, HortINspire strengthens collaboration around controlled environment agriculture.”
For more information about HortINspire, visit https://www.hortinspire.com.
Topics
Species
