Sparter's market introduction
No fewer than 1.163 European small and medium enterprises (SME) submitted project applications in this round. After a tough selection process, the best companies were invited for a second assessment. This was done in the form of an interview in front of a panel of innovation and business experts. Ad Vermeer and Thérèse van Vinken pitched their project to a jury of seven experts. Cerescon is one of the 57 SMEs that were awarded a subsidy. "The granting of this subsidy to us, indicates that Cerescon is one of the most innovative and promising European SMEs ", says Ad Vermeer. He invented the Sparter and is the co-owner of Cerescon.
Horizon 2020 is a European subsidy programme that runs from 2014 to 2020. With a total budget of almost €80 billion, the European Commission hopes to stimulate innovation and research. Only high-quality innovative projects with technical as well as social interests are considered. There is a lot of competition. The cumulative success rate for SME-phase 2 is only 5,5 %.
Working asparagus harvesting robot
Sparter is a unique concept. It has a patented underground detection method. It also has integrated modules. These are for cutting the asparagus, plastic handling and soil-bed repair. The cutting robot cuts the asparagus off from the top of the bed. It removes these in one smooth motion. It then shakes the soil off the knife and places the asparagus on a conveyor belt. For the grower, cutting costs are halved when compared to manual harvesting. This method of detection and cutting also means less damage to the asparagus. This, in turn, results in a higher yield. The asparagus also does not bloom or discolour. Mechanical harvesting does not only yield more but also better quality asparagus.
Cerescon
Thérèse van Vinken
5 De Geestakkers
5591 RC Heeze
info@cerescon.com
www.cerescon.com