New company Division Q: 100% focus on sustainable innovation for greenhouse horticulture, Sustainability is a necessity

Energy crisis, surface water pollution, nitrogen emissions; in these dynamic times, the raison d'être of greenhouse horticulture is under pressure. Sustainability is a necessity. In this area, Koppert Cress plays a leading role in horticulture. However, the company wants to take the next step and grow entirely emission-free in the coming years. The company is therefore fully committed to innovation by collaborating with promising startups and inspiring the rest of the sector to follow suit. Koppert Cress has therefore decided to create a new company that will 100% focus on its sustainable innovations: Division Q.

In summary, the aim of Division Q is to enable Koppert Cress to grow emission-free by sustainable innovation and to being the gateway to horticulture with sustainable innovations.

For many years, sustainable innovations have been an important pillar in the success of Monster-based greenhouse farming company Koppert Cress. The company attaches great importance to producing its cresses and gastronomy specialties as sustainable as possible. For instance, Koppert Cress was one of the very first large-scale users of LED lighting and makes unique use of heat and cold storage, solar thermic- and aqua thermic energy. The company also likes to open its doors to startups to pioneer their new greenhouse technologies. In 2016, this already earned Koppert Cress the Koning Willem I Plaquette as the Netherlands' most sustainable SME company.

For the future, Koppert Cress is setting the bar even higher. Besides growth in the sales of cresses and specialties, is making the company even more sustainable an explicit part of its business plan. By 2025, the company wants to be CO2 neutral, to no longer use fossil fuels and to discharge only clean water. In other words, cultivation will be completely emission-free. To achieve this goal, Koppert Cress is launching a new sister company: Division Q. All sustainable innovation projects at Koppert Cress will be carried out by Division Q. And as an impact investor in promising startups, Division Q will also actively engage in sharing these techniques and experiences with the rest of the horticultural sector.

This new division is a wink to Q; the clever inventor from the James Bond series. Not only did Q actually exist, he advised Bond writer Ian Flemming, Q also stands for 'Quartermaster'; exactly the role Division Q is taking on.

Based on international standards for CO2 emissions, Division Q initiates and realizes projects to reduce Koppert Cress's emissions. In addition to its own developments, such as solar thermal energy and bioreactors for water purification, collaborates DivisionQ intensively with startups. In recent years, PATS (drones), Thermeleon (heat batteries), PAR+ (coating) and BBBLS (insulation), and a handful of others have tested and scaled up their innovations at Koppert Cress.

With 10 hectares of very diverse greenhouses (80 different types of cultivation!), a team fully geared to innovation, a unique network and publicity, creates Division Q the preconditions for innovations to reach maturity in practice. The company does not want to become 'just another incubator for startups', but wants to be the gateway to the sector.

Division Q wants to make an impact across the sector. Therefore, the company will not only carry out innovation projects focused on Koppert Cress, but also make these techniques available to the rest of the horticultural sector. Division Q will participate as an early-stage investor in promising startups. Together with partners, Division Q will also roll out its own innovations through licenses.

Product developer Bart van Meurs will lead Division Q. He has worked on technical innovations within Koppert Cress since 2010 and has also led various, mostly sustainability-oriented innovation projects in greenhouse horticulture. Naturally, Van Meurs will work closely with the Koppert Cress team and figurehead Rob Baan.

The official launch of Division Q took place on Wednesday 28 September. All parties that have a role in Division Q's projects were present in Monster: startups, other partners and facilitating companies. After introductory words from Rob Baan, Bart van Meurs and the management of Koppert Cress, the companies themselves took the floor. Inspiring introductions followed in one-minute pitches, which were followed up during the drinks. The glass could be raised to a promising start of Division Q. 'Shaken, not stirred' of course!

More information -> www.divisionq.nl