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
.png)
Tuesday
10:00 am
VERTICAL FARM VISITS
Tour A (09.30 - 18.30): Visit to Growy and Philips GrowWise Centre
Tour departs for visit to vertical farm Growy in Amsterdam, followed by the Philips GrowWise Centre in Eindhoven, returning at 18.30
Please note: Access to the GrowWise Centre is restricted to non-competing organisations
2:15 pm
VERTICAL FARM VISITS
Tour B (14.00-16.15): Visit to Growy
Tour departs for visit to vertical farm Growy in Amsterdam, returning at 16.15
4:30 pm
VERTICAL FARM VISITS
Tour C (16.15 - 18.30): Visit to Growy
Tour departs for visit to vertical farm Growy in Amsterdam, returning at 18.30
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: rise of the GigaFarm
Andrew Lloyd, Chief Executive Officer of Intelligent Growth Solutions, United Kingdom
11:30 am
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP
Using AI for new autofarms
Gary Chen, Chief Executive Officer of Zhejiang PUKU Agricultural Technology Co,
China
11:45 am
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP
A new revolution in strawberry cultivation
Stefan van der Voort, Key Account Manager – Indoor Farming for Philips Horticulture LED Solutions, Netherlands
11:55 am
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP
Questions and discussion
0:15 pm
SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
Reducing energy costs, increasing productivity
Professor Leo Marcelis, Chair of Horticulture and Product Physiology at Wageningen University, Netherlands
0:30 pm
SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
Yield potential, environmental impact and resource use
Professor Francesco Orsini, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Bologna, Italy
0:45 pm
SCIENCE AND NUTRITION
Questions and discussion
1:00 pm
NETWORKING BREAK
Lunch and networking
2:00 pm
WORLD OF GROWTH
Achieving growth through technology and cost efficiency
Tristan Fischer, Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Fischer Farms, United Kingdom
2:15 pm
WORLD OF GROWTH
Equitable, sustainable, global
Marc Oshima, Chief Executive Officer of Babylon Micro-Farms, United States
2:30 pm
WORLD OF GROWTH
Creating a national network to replace imports
Andy O’Brien, Chief Executive Officer of GoodLeaf Farms, Canada
2:45 pm
WORLD OF GROWTH
Aiming for 500 modular farms across Middle East
Maan Said, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Crysp Farms, UAE
3:00 pm
WORLD OF GROWTH
Questions and discussion
3:30 pm
NETWORKING BREAK
Refreshment and networking break
3:45 pm
SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY
Setting standards for sustainability measurement
Tom Stenzel, Executive Director of CEA Alliance, United States
4:00 pm
SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY
Panel discussion joined by
Tristan Fischer, Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Fischer Farms, United
Kingdom
Dr Eri Hayashi, President of Japan Plant Factory Association
4:15 pm
START-UP PRIORITIES AND PITFALLS
Panel discussion moderated by
Rebekka Boekhout, Founder of Phyto by RCB, Co-founder and Editor of Vertical Farm Daily and joined by
Molly Montgomery, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of AeroFarms, United States
Tisha Livingston, Chief Executive of Infinite Acres, Netherlands and President of 80 Acres Farms, United States
Jesper Hansen, Chief Commercial Officer of YesHealth Group, Taiwan
5:00 pm
Close
6:30 pm
GALA INDUSTRY DINNER
Cocktail drinks reception
7:30 pm
GALA INDUSTRY DINNER
Gala industry dinner
10:00 pm
Close
Thursday
9:00 am
RETAIL PARTNERSHIP
Developing an Unbeleafable brand
Will Howard, Managing Director and Chief Commercial Officer of GrowUp Farms, United Kingdom
9:15 am
RETAIL PARTNERSHIP
Integrating with city life, redeveloping 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
Meeting of minds in Coop joint venture
Endre Harnes, Chief Commercial Officer of Avisomo, Norway
9:45 am
RETAIL PARTNERSHIP
Questions and discussion
10:00 am
RETAIL PARTNERSHIP
Sponsor presentation: Smart farms are not plug and play
Reinier Donkersloot, Indoor Farming Consultant for Airlux Technologies, Netherlands
10:10 am
NETWORKING SESSION
Refreshment and networking break around sponsor and exhibitor displays
10:30 am
CROP INNOVATION
Beauty and beyond: the next big thing
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
10:40 am
CROP INNOVATION
Beauty and beyond: the next big thing
Roel Janssen, Chief Business Officer of Planet Farms, Italy
10:50 am
CROP INNOVATION
Hydroponic coffee farming
T.Shane Johnson, Co-founder of Big Guns Coffee, United States
10:50 am
CROP INNOVATION
Indoor hop cultivation
Speaker to be announced
11:00 am
CROP INNOVATION
Making spinach viable using AI
Dr Céline Nicole, Associate Professor in Digital Controlled Environment Agriculture at
Maastricht University, Netherlands
11:20 am
CROP INNOVATION
Questions and discussion
11:40 am
PRODUCTION INNOVATION
Developing autonomous growing in space
Dr Jen Bromley, Co-Investigator for the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space, United Kingdom
11:50 am
PRODUCT INNOVATION
Root zone revolution – unlocking yield and quality
Jack Farmer, Chief Scientific Officer of LettUs Grow, United Kingdom
0:00 pm
PRODUCT INNOVATION
Trialling hybrid systems including direct sunlight
Jean-Pierre Coene, Chief Executive Officer of Urban Crop Solutions, Belgium
0:10 pm
PRODUCTION INNOVATION
Root zone revolution – unlocking yield and quality
Jack Farmer, Chief Scientific Officer of LettUs Grow, United Kingdom
0:30 pm
PRODUCTION INNOVATION
Questions and discussion
0:45 pm
NETWORKING BREAK
Lunch and networking around sponsor and exhibitor displays
2:00 pm
Close