Shaping the future of horticulture and robots together

Grownetics

03 Apr 2026 — 1 min read

Shaping the future of horticulture and robots together Imagine: a robot gently picking a ripe strawberry without turning it into jam, a drone flying through a greenhouse to assess the health of cucumber plants, and sensors that detect exactly when a tomato is ready for harvest. From its opening in june 2026, researchers, students, and businesses will collaborate here to build the future of horticulture, where technology and biology go hand in hand.

"We had to remove a partition wall and an intermediate floor to make the lab large enough for testing drones, robotic arms, and sensors." Peter Keunen, building manager at Maastricht University, adds, "It was a big job, but now we have a space that's truly suited to our experiments." © Brightlands High Tech Agro The lab is equipped with the latest technology: from touch-sensitive collaborative robots (cobots) that work safely alongside humans, to mobile robot carts that navigate greenhouses. "More and more high-tech equipment will be arriving during 2026," says Leonard.

Why this matters: This matters when it gives operators a clearer way to manage water, nutrients, and root-zone risk. That kind of control usually improves both resource efficiency and crop consistency.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do retrofit and environmental-control choices matter so much?

Because these decisions affect every crop cycle that follows. A better control strategy can improve consistency and efficiency, while a poor one can lock in operating drag.

What should operators focus on when reading design or retrofit stories?

They should focus on what changed operationally: better climate stability, lower energy use, improved crop balance, easier labor, or cleaner control over inputs.

Topline Farms avoids up to $50,000 in yield loss by managing compartment by compartment

Source: HD.com Topline Farms operates several locations in Ontario, Canada, including a 4.9-hectare (12-acre) facility dedicated to beef tomatoes. The site runs 6 climate-controlled compartments and supplies the Canadian retail market. Their grower is responsible for crop strategy, climate setpoints, and the day-to-day decisions that determine yield and

New LED lamp and LED wristband at Wivid at GreenTech

Source: VFD.com A centerpiece of the stand is the Cosmic Mini Toplight, a 600W fixture. "Thanks to the one-to-one plug-in design, growers can switch to LED quickly, without complex modifications to the installation or the power grid. That makes the Cosmic Mini particularly interesting for both new-build projects

"We observed that there was a specific tone that no insects approached"

Source: VFD.com Biocaptur, a Spanish company specializing in light-based pest control systems, is developing a new technology using light barriers to repel specific insects before they infest crops. After prior sampling to assess pest population levels in the plots, the team placed various lighting devices directly on specific crop

Vertical farm CAPEX as low as €650 per square meter

Source: VFD.com Investment figures well above €1,500 per m² of growing area have made it hard to build a compelling business case, especially when competing against greenhouse or open-field production. At medium and large scale, it drops to €730 and €650, figures that are difficult to ignore."