Hortapp, submitted by Chelle van der Meijde on behalf of students from Green Tec Wellant College Delft and ConnectedGreen, submitted by René Voogt from Boskoop and presented by Maaike de Reuver, have been chosen as Best Idea of Plantarium 2017.
Six companies and five student teams competed against each other for the Best Idea Plantarium 2017 on Thursday, 24 August. They will advocate their innovations in a short pitch to a professional jury, which is made up of representatives from the Greenport Boskoop, Rabobank, Gouwestreek, the Chamber of Commerce and business. The jury was very enthusiastic about the content and quality of the pitches.
Students category
In the student’s category, Hortapp was declared Best Idea. This app is invaluable to companies that employ a lot of students or temporary workers. It gives insight into the operations of the company in a modern way. The jury said the following about this app: “The app is simple, effective and practical, and is a solution to a familiar problem. The app is not only suitable for the horticultural sector but it can also be used more widely.
Business category
ConnectedGreen is a smart platform for monitoring and easily maintaining green projects and gardens. It uses wireless sensors placed in strategic locations. The measurement data is combined with botanical information and weather data in the Cloud. If action is required, this is communicated via the app. The jury considered this presentation as an innovative start-up that, initially, can be used mainly in larger projects and can be adapted for use by consumers at a later stage.
Awards
The Best Idea in the student’s category won a sum of € 1000, and in the business category a PR package worth € 1000. The awards were presented by the chairwoman of the jury, Rabobank Gouwestreek’s Lindsey de Graaff.
The 35th edition of Plantarium was being held from 23 to 26 August 2017 in the Plantarium building at the International Trade Centre Boskoop-Hazerswoude. Further information can be found at www.plantarium.nl.
