{"id":2925,"date":"2020-09-28T12:37:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-28T10:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/impacttu.nl\/?p=2925"},"modified":"2021-06-21T12:56:56","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T10:56:56","slug":"nominees-announced-for-the-2020-top-sector-tu-innovation-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/impacttu.nl\/en\/news\/nominees-announced-for-the-2020-top-sector-tu-innovation-prize\/","title":{"rendered":"Nominees announced for the 2020 Top Sector T&U Innovation Prize"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Zoetermeer \u2013 The nominees of the second edition of the Top Sector T&U Innovation Prize have been announced. The jury has selected the following six nominees from among the twenty-six entries: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applied Drone Innovations B.V.<\/strong><\/td>Delft<\/td>adinnovations.nl<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Delphy Digital\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>Bleiswijk<\/td>delphy.com<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
PATS – Bat-like drones<\/strong><\/td>Delft<\/td>pats-drones.com<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Sigrow Stomata Camera<\/strong><\/td>Wageningen<\/td>sigrow.com<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Vertigo Technologies\/FRESCO<\/strong><\/td>Delft<\/td>vertigo-tech.com<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Vivent SARL<\/strong><\/td>Vaud, Switzerland<\/td>phytlsigns.com<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Chairman of the jury Harrij Schmeitz of the Dutch Horticulture and Starting Materials Top Sector (Topsector Tuinbouw & Uitgangsmaterialen, T&U) was impressed by the entries.\u2018The quality of the entries was high, not only in the breadth of the technology but also in the crops: from greenhouse to cultivation in the open field, and from tomatoes to blueberries. It was not an easy challenge, but the jury nominated these six entries for the follow-up to the competition on the basis of the material presented.\u2019  <\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the jury, each of the six nominees presented an innovative invention that demonstrably contributes to the further development of \u2018unmanned growing<\/em> concepts\u2019. <\/em>Automation and robotisation are important to horticulture. By further automating cultivation, harvesting, grading and packaging in the greenhouse, open field, shed and\/or vertical farm, horticulture can take giant steps forward towards the realisation of efficient cultivation techniques, labour savings, a reduction in the use of crop protection agents and a continuous business process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Innovation Prize was open to both Dutch and international entrepreneurs (early stage, start-ups, scale-ups) presenting an innovative technology that simultaneously contributes to sustainability and\/or circularity.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards ceremony<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The six nominees will present their innovations on Tuesday, 6 October at the HeroFestival<\/a> in The Hague to both the jury and the participants of the event. The ceremony will also be broadcast via livestream. The jury will base its selection on these presentations. The public will also be able to vote from 7 October via IMPACT2025.nl<\/a>. The awards ceremony will take place on 23 October 2020 during the \u2018RoboCrops the Gathering\u2019 event to be held at World Horti Center in Naaldwijk. It goes without saying that this event will take the applicable COVID-19 measures into consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TU Delft AgTech Institute<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The second edition of this award is made possible in conjunction with the TU Delft AgTech Institute. The winning team will receive:<\/p>\n\n\n\n