Vertical Farming World Congress 2025
Event Programme
Bringing together vertical farming operators, investors, suppliers and customers, the 6th annual Vertical Farming World Congress is designed to help develop and advance the sector’s future. It is the most substantial dedicated event of the year, featuring two days of conference sessions, networking with key industry figures.
Discover this years speakers
Tuesday
0:00 pm
VERTICAL FARM VISITS
Visits to Growy and Philips GrowWise Centre
Visits to Growy and Philips GrowWise Centre
(Exact timings to be confirmed)
Wednesday
9:00 am
OPERATING PROFITABLY
Welcome address: Driving price competitiveness
Ard van de Kreeke, Founder of Growy, Netherlands
9:15 am
OPERATING PROFITABLY
Achieving farm level profitability
Tisha Livingston, Chief Executive Officer of Infinite Acres, Netherlands and President of 80 Acres Farms, United States
9:30 am
OPERATING PROFITABLY
Size, scale and affordability
Henry Gordon-Smith, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Agritecture, United States
9:45 am
OPERATING PROFITABLY
Questions and discussion
10:00 am
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
Panel discussion on raising funds, investment criteria, investor influence, efficiency best practice and governance
Dr Phillip Lee, Managing Director of Evolve International, UAE
Peter Bachmann, Managing Director – Sustainable Infrastructure for Gresham House, United Kingdom
David Verbitsky, President and Managing Director for Verbitsky Capital, United States
Additional speakers to be announced
10:45 am
NETWORKING BREAK
Refreshment and networking break
11:15 am
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP
Developing the next generation of GigaFarms
Andrew Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer of Intelligent Growth Solutions, United Kingdom
11:30 am
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP
Using AI for new strawberry strategy
Speaker to be announced
11:45 am
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP
Questions and discussion
0:00 pm
SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
Reducing energy costs, increasing productivity
Professor Leo Marcelis, Chair of Horticulture and Product Physiology at Wageningen University, Netherlands
0:15 pm
SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
Developing autonomous growing in space
Dr Jen Bromley, Chief Scientific Officer of Vertical Future, United Kingdom
0:30 pm
SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
Electro-agriculture in near total darkness
Robert Jinkerson, Associate Professor of Chemical Environmental Engineering at University of California, United States
0:45 pm
SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
Questions and discussion
1:00 pm
NETWORKING BREAK
Lunch and networking
2:00 pm
SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY
Setting standards for sustainability measurement
Tom Stenzel, Executive Director of CEA Alliance, United States
2:15 pm
SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY
Fair treatment on energy, grants, planning and tax
Tristan Fischer, Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Fischer Farms, United Kingdom
2:30 pm
SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY
Panel discussion
3:00 pm
NETWORKING BREAK
Refreshment and networking break
3:30 pm
WORLD OF GROWTH
Equitable, sustainable, global
Marc Oshima, Chief Executive Officer of Babylon Micro-Farms, United States
3:45 pm
WORLD OF GROWTH
Expansion through high value crops
Speaker to be announced
4:00 pm
WORLD OF GROWTH
Creating a national network to replace imports
Andy O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer of GoodLeaf Farms, Canada
4:15 pm
WORLD OF GROWTH
Exporting to SE Aisa
Speaker to be announced
4:30 pm
WORLD OF GROWTH
Aiming for 500 modular farms across Middle East
Maan Said, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Crysp Farms, UAE
4:45 pm
WORLD OF GROWTH
Questions and discussion
5:00 pm
Close
7:00 pm
NETWORKING BREAK
Gala Industry Dinner
Canapes and drinks reception followed by a gala industry dinner.
10:00 pm
Close
Thursday
9:00 am
RETAIL PARTNERSHIP
Developing an Unbeleafable brand
Mike Hedges, Chief Executive Officer of GrowUp Farms, United Kingdom
9:15 am
RETAIL PARTNERSHIP
On display in a shopping centre
Chris Davies, Chief Executive Officer of Harvest London, United Kingdom
9:25 am
RETAIL PARTNERSHIP
Extending to home delivery
Halil Beşkardeşler, Co-founder of Plant Factory, Turkey
9:35 am
RETAIL PARTNERSHIP
Panel discussion
10:00 am
NETWORKING BREAK
Refreshment and networking break
10:30 am
CROP INNOVATION
Coffee, cosmetics and cotton
Roel Janssen, Chief Business Officer of Planet Farms, Italy
10:40 am
CROP INNOVATION
Hydroponic coffee farming
TShane Johnson, Founder of Big Guns Coffee & Farm, United States
10:50 am
CROP INNOVATION
Indoor hop cultivation
Speaker to be announced
11:00 am
CROP INNOVATION
Multiplying productivity for wheat
Diego Gomes, Founder of 100% Livre, Brazil
11:10 am
CROP INNOVATION
Questions and discussion
11:40 am
PRODUCTION INNOVATION
Molecular farming
Speaker to be announced
11:50 am
PRODUCTION INNOVATION
Smart mobile farms
Raymond Mak, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Farmacy HK, China
0:10 pm
PRODUCTION INNOVATION
Potential for biostimulants
Wilson Boardman, Chairman and Technical Director of Evoponic, United Kingdom
0:20 pm
PRODUCTION INNOVATION
Questions and discussion
0:45 pm
NETWORKING BREAK
Lunch and networking
2:00 pm
Close