As automated data collection and AI-driven decision support become a big focus in greenhouse management, Austrian agritech company avemoy is driving its European expansion with a clear focus on the Netherlands. The company's entry into the advanced greenhouse markets coincides with the appointment of Arjen de Haan as Sales Director for the Netherlands, reinforcing avemoy's ambition to establish Hortiscan as a practical monitoring tool for commercial tomato production.
Addressing labour constraints through autonomous scouting
For Arjen, the decision to join avemoy was closely linked to the structural challenges facing greenhouse operators. "The Hortiscan technology directly addresses the future shortage of available workforce for scouting in greenhouses," he explains. Manual crop inspection is becoming increasingly difficult to scale, while the demand for consistent, high-quality data continues to grow.
According to him, the strength of Hortiscan lies not only in automation, but in its ability to improve over time. "The AI-driven technology keeps learning and becoming more effective," he says, pointing out that this creates a foundation for future applications beyond tomatoes. "Being involved in innovative horticultural companies has always motivated me, especially when the technology contributes to a more sustainable future for Dutch greenhouse production."
© avemoy
Flexibility as a differentiator in greenhouse monitoring
While various camera systems and robotic platforms are entering the greenhouse market, he highlights their flexibility. "The drones themselves are impressive, but the AI is what makes them effective," he notes. "Hortiscan provides a flexible and fast tool that delivers detailed scanning and data interpretation without complex installation."
Unlike fixed systems, the autonomous drones can operate throughout high-tech tomato greenhouses without requiring infrastructure modifications. "There are already robots and camera solutions available, but Hortiscan is a plug-and-play system that gives a very detailed scan of the greenhouse, combined with a dashboard that is easy for growers to work with."
From early detection to better production planning
The increasing pressure on growers to improve efficiency and predictability makes early detection and data-driven planning essential. He sees immediate value in image quality and AI analysis. "The camera quality allows deficiencies and diseases to be spotted earlier than with the human eye," he explains. "That enables more preventive crop management."
Beyond crop health, production forecasting plays an important role. "With yield prediction tools, growers and their partners can plan production and deliveries more accurately," he says. "This helps reduce food waste and improves performance indicators toward retail and supply chain partners."
Designed for greenhouse realities
Hortiscan's navigation concept (fully autonomous operation without GPS) was developed specifically with enclosed greenhouse environments in mind. According to Arjen, this has clear practical advantages. "The system doesn't require structural changes," he says. "A standard power connection and Wi-Fi are enough, which means no additional investments before deployment."
He also emphasizes data security as a growing concern among professional growers. "All data is collected and processed locally at the Edge Charger. Until the final report is generated, everything remains on-site. That makes the system both flexible and secure."
The Netherlands as a testing ground for European adoption
With its concentration of high-tech greenhouse operations, the Netherlands continues to act as a proving ground for new cultivation technologies. Arjen expects developments there to influence adoption elsewhere. "AI, robotics and automation will only become more important. The Dutch horticultural sector has always been the innovative base for new solutions, and success here often leads to roll-outs in other regions and crops."
He believes that combining multiple data-driven systems will ultimately push the industry toward autonomous growing. "When existing and emerging technologies are connected effectively, the next step becomes achievable," he adds.
Arjen sees systems like Hortiscan becoming embedded in everyday operational planning. "It supports daily decisions around harvesting, crop maintenance and disease control," he explains. "Those decisions can be made earlier and more precisely, with fewer inputs and less loss."
For growers, this translates into tangible operational benefits. "Using tools like Hortiscan allows production to become more economical, while improving overall quality."
The avemoy team will be attending Fruit Logistica in Berlin this year. Visit them at Stand C10, Hall 3.1.
For more information:
avemoy
Arjen de Haan, Sales Director
[email protected]
www.avemoy.com
