Conference Program
Date/Time
Topic
Speaker
2. September 2021
11:00
Registration
Coffee/Lunch
12:30-13:25
I. Opening remarks and keynote speeches
Welcome Remarks – Christine Zimmermann-Lossl, AVF Chairwoman
StM Hubert Aiwanger, Bavarian State Minister of Economic Affairs, Regional
Development and Energy
StM Michaela Kaniber, Bavarian Minister of State for Food, Agriculture and
Forestry
Walter Heidl, President of Bavarian Farmers Association (BBV)
13:30-15:00
II. Keynotes on the New Food System
Vertical Farming and Planetary Boundaries
Cultured Meat, Pioneering a cleaner way of making beef
Challenges of the Global Food System
Sustainable Investment and Innovation for the New Food System
Maximilian Loessl,
Co-Founder and CEO of Agrilution
Prof. Mark Post,
Mosa Meat and Maastricht University
Christine Gould,
Founder and CEO of Thought For Food (TFF)
Kieran Mahanty,
Director in Growth Team, Blue Horizon Corporation
14:50-15.10
Coffee Break
15:10-16:45
III. Parallel Breakout Sessions (Format: Roundtable & Workshop)
Session A: New Innovations in Vertical Farming (Roundtable)
Dr. Laura Cammarisano, Scientist at IGZ, Facilitator
Session B: Swarming the Future: Insects for Food and Feed (Workshop)
Thea Otto, AVF Project Manager, Facilitator
Session C: Holistic Vertical Farming – Unique Selling Points
(Roundtable)
Dr. Jenna Bell, Senior VP of Nutritional Science of Sensei Ag,
Facilitator
Session D: Being in the Know on Investors’ Expectations of Vertical
Farming (Roundtable)
Kieran Mahanty, Director in Growth Team, Blue Horizon
Corporation, Facilitator
Presentation of Summaries of Breakout Sessions
Topics and Speakers
Intro
Growth without light & fruits without plants by Lucas van Zee
Session A: Strawberry Harvest Automation, Dominik Feiden, Co-Founder and CEO of Organifarm;
Rethinking Horticulture Lighting, Dr. Prash Makaram, Founder and CEO of Crocus Labs GmbH;
Intravision Group, Per Aage Lysa,CEO/Owner;
iFarm Growtune: Super App for Vertical Farming, Max Chizhov, Co-Founder and CEO iFarm;
Intravision Group, Per Aage Lysa, CEO;
Scalability, innovation and profitability in the CEA industry – Thomas Ambrosi, CEO Ono Exponential Farms, Italy;
Session B: Market Overview and Challenges, Marian Peters, CEO of New
Generation Nutrition B.V. (NGN) Insects in Food
Session C: On Health, Dr. Jenna Bell, Senior VP of Nutritional Science of Sensei Ag;
On Special Crops – Saffron, Wasabi, Winter-Strawberries, Eszter Simon, CEO of PhytonIQ;
On the Unique Selling Points of Vertical Farms, Maximilian Loessl,
Co-Founder and CEO of Agrilution;
Session D: An Introduction to Investor’s Evaluation Process for a Vertical Farming;
Enterprise, Kieran Mahanty, Director in Growth Team, Blue Horizon
Corporation;
Annette Schoemmel, Co-Founder of XanaduAlpha AG, CH
16:55-17:40
IV. Panel — AgTech Future & Impact
Transition scenarios, Role of education, Financing the transition,
Business models, Smart cities, Urban agriculture
Maximilian Loessl, Co-Founder and CEO of Agrilution
Prof. Mark Post, Mosa Meat and Maastricht University
Prof. Jasper den Besten, HAS University of Applied Sciences
Fabio Ziemssen, CEO of NX-Food
Annette Schoemmel, Co-Founder of XanaduAlpha AG, CH
Gertjan Meeuws, Co-Founder and CEO of Seven Steps to Heaven
17:45-18:20
Special Presentation
The Future of Food, Eva Keretic
19:00
Dinner for VIP Guests and Speakers
3. September 2021
8:30
Registration
9:00-10:00
V. Latest Scientific Developments in Vertical Farming (15 mins each)
Controlling Growth and Quality Based on Physiology of the Plant
Prof. Leo Marcelis, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Smart Green Grow for Vertical Farming – Development of AI & Precision
Data Solution for Improving Food Production and Sustainability
Prof. Chungui Liu, Nottingham Trent University, United Kingdom
The Robotic Vertical Farm and a Microalgae Vertical Farm
Prof. Joel Cuello, The University of Arizona, U.S.A.
New Cultivation Systems, Prof. Jasper den Besten, HAS University
10:05-10:50
VI. Startup Pitches
Organifarm, Dominik Feiden, Co-Founder and CEO, Germany
Kasveista, Rosario Iacono, CEO, Germany
Lite+Fog, Martin Peters, Co-Founder and CEO, Germany;
Q&A + Voting
10:50-11:15
Networking Break
11:15-13:15
VII. Overview of Global Trends in Vertical Farming
Cultivating Medicinal Plants and Berries in Vertical Farms, Per Aage
Lysa, CEO of Intravision Group, Norway
Growing Edible Cities in the Philippines: The National Urban Agriculture
Program of the Philippines, Gerald Glenn Panganiban, Director of
National Urban Agriculture Program, Department of Agriculture of the
Philippines
Advances in LED lighting, Seoul Semiconductor Korea/GE
Andreas Pohl, Senior Manager at Seoul Semiconductor
Smart Carbon Upcycling: The Energy Solution for Vertical Farming,
Peter Westerhoff, Inhaber UES Umwelt Energiesysteme GmbH, Rainer Janzen CEO of Lujan UG
Is Africa Ready for Vertical Farming? Francis Njuakom Nchu, Director
of Community Development Volunteers for Technical Assistance
(CDVTA), Cameroon
Enabling Innovation in Vertical Farming through Research, Market knowledge and Coorporation Alexander Gerfer, CEO and CTO of Würth Elektronik eiSos Group GE
13:15-14:00
Lunch Break
14:00-14:30
VIII. Sustainability Certification Program for Vertical Farming
Christine Zimmermann-Loessl, AVF Chairwoman
Prof.Joel Cuello, Vice Chair AVF
Henry Ernst, Assessment Manager, Control Union (UK)
14:30-14:55
IX. Investor’s Perspective: How to Start a Vertical Farming Business
Annette Schoemmel, Co-Founder and Managing Director XanaduAlpha
AG, CH
14:55-15:45
X. Startup Pitches
Spacefarm, Tusya Gharibashvili, Head of CEA Project, Georgia;
Crocus Lab, Dr. Prash Makaram, CEO, Germany;
Q&A + Voting
15:45-16:00
Coffee Break
16:00-16:30
XI. AVF Vanguard Award Ceremony
Inaugural 2021 AVF Vanguard Award for Government Leadership in
Harnessing Innovation for Sustainable Food Production
16:30-17:00
XII. Summary and Discussion
Key take aways, next steps
17:00-18:30
Special Presentation
Green Bronx Machine and Stephen Ritz: Growing Something Greater!
Organized by: StMELF, StMWi, AVF
Moderator: Frank Sprenger
Conference Language: English