Tour 1 – Viaverda – Vervit – Agrotopia
Viaverda
Viaverda is a practice-oriented agricultural and horticultural research centre, specialising in potato cultivation, vegetable production, ornamental horticulture and greenmanagement.
Viaverda operates across two sites. The Kruisem site the focuses on potato and vegetable cultivation where improved varieties are tested and cultivation techniques are optimized. In Destelbergen, activities centre on ornamental horticulture and greenmanagement, with trials and demonstration fields for crops such as cut flowers, floristry, and tree nurseries, as well as applications for private and public green space managers.
During the technical tour, we will visit our greenhouse complex and vertical farms in Destelbergen. Since initiating trials in 2008 on the effects of light spectra on ornamental plant quality, Viaverda has expanded its infrastructure with two indoor vertical farms installed in 2018 and 2019. Current research in vertical farming focusses on plant quality, energy-use efficiency related to lighting strategies and climate control, water-use efficiency, and autonomous monitoring of plant growth, pests and diseases.
Vervit
Vervit was founded in 2009, as a plant tissue culture lab dedicated to develop and exploit new technologies for the production of elite plant material for the Agriculture and Horticulture markets. Temporary Immersion Systems was quickly adopted as ‘in-house’ technology. Resulting in the invention of a new bioreactor platform, revolutionary and perfectly adapted to the micropropagation industry (SETIS™ Systems).
Since then, Vervit has been active in the micropropagation of different plant species, specifically cash crops for the European market, being the production of potato clonal seed stocks as the main focus. The integration of certified greenhouses for virus-free plant materials and recently a modern vertical farm, have completed the cycle within Vervit’s production system, able to deliver the best plant quality. In the vertical farm with 4 cultivation layers resulting in over 1000m² of cultivation area, microgreens are cultivated and in vitro plants are hardened.
Agrotopia
Agrotopia is a state-of-the-art research and innovation greenhouse in Flanders, dedicated to advancing sustainable and high-performance greenhouse horticulture. During this visit, we showcase applied research on vertical farming, with a strong focus on translating scientific knowledge into technically robust and economically viable solutions.
Vertical farming research at Agrotopia addresses key challenges in controlled environment agriculture, including resource efficiency, crop performance, and system design. Current research focuses on lighting strategies, crop-level climate control, and the interaction between light spectra, plant physiology and development, and product quality.
A distinctive feature of the research infrastructure is the integration of vertical farming towers within a greenhouse environment. These towers form a hybrid cultivation system, combining vertical stacking with the dynamic use of natural light. Research explores light distribution across layers, supplemental LED strategies, and crop uniformity, enabling the evolution of vertical farming principles under semi closed conditions. This approach bridges indoor vertical farming and high-tech greenhouse production, with key indicators including productivity per ground area, energy efficiency, and economic feasibility.
In parallel, Agrotopia develops data-driven cultivation strategies using sensors, imaging, and decision-support tools to improve monitoring, crop steering, and input efficiency. Through close collaboration with growers, technology developers, and academic partners, Agrotopia integrates vertical farming research into a broader and resilient food production context.
