Lectures on current and future-oriented technology topics

The Innovation Center Horticulture Technology in Hall 4 is a forum where trade visitors can expand their knowledge about current and future-oriented technology topics such as sustainability, gate reduction, automation and energy. The forum will be accompanied by an exciting supporting programme.

The specialist programme is designed with innovative approaches to solutions for potential challenges within the industry and presents products and projects that aim to improve the future of horticultural technology in a sustainable and future-oriented way.

The exhibition area is extended by guided tours that start several times a day and offer insights into future-oriented technology trends. The starting point for the tours is the Innovation Center for Horticultural Technology.

Register for the program here

Register for the guided tours here

The stage program:

TUESDAY - 28.01.2025 - Future Trends

10:30 – 11:15 a.m., Landesverband Gartenbau NRW: Garden shows in NRW: a driving force for sustainable urban development, Dr. Achim Schloemer – Managing Director of the German Federal Garden Show Society, Hans-Christian Eckhardt – Chairman of the North Rhine-Westphalia State Working Group on Horticulture and Landscape Planning, Annette Nothnagel – Managing Director of the Neuss 2026 State Garden Show, Sylvia Weigner – Head of the Management Staff Unit management IGA Metropolis Ruhr 2027, Wolfgang Gebing – Mayor, Regional Garden Show Kleve 2029, Susanne Brambora-Schulz – Managing Director Federal Garden Show Wuppertal 2031

3:00 – 3:30 p.m.: Greenhub solutions: Vertical Farming as a hybrid future trend in horticulture: Increasing efficiency and throughput, Kay Plat, managing director

3:30 – 4:00 p.m.: Urban greenery: THE Box – Modular design meets modern distribution, Lisa Kraft-Scheiderer, managing director

4:00 – 4:30 p.m.: Novocarbo: Biochar in substrates, Florian Lage, Expert Key Account Manager

4:30 – 5:00 p.m.: Let's Grow: Soil Fertility & Microbiome: How the use of Let's Grow Biogarden products affects plant health, Arthur Zilleckens, Sales Manager

Wednesday - 29.01.2025 – Sustainability, moderated by Philip Testroet (Deputy Managing Director, Industrieverband Garten (IVG) e.V.)

11:00 – 11:30: HORTICERT: Certification for sustainable substrates and transparent supply chains, Julia Ostrowski, Senior Project Manager GHG

11:30 – 12:00: Floragard: Miscanthus as a peat substitute at Floragard – potentials, perspectives and challenges, Dr. Simon Grießer, Specialist Department Horticulture

12:00 – 12:30: Kokosflora: On the way to sustainable growing media and HORTICERT certification, Ramkumar Palanisamy, Managing Director

12:30 – 1:00 p.m.: Gramoflor: “Certified sustainability meets innovation” HORTICERT® and news from peat substitute research, Ulrike Fockenberg, Head of Sustainable Product Development

1:00 – 1:30 p.m.: Global Nature Fund: Management and Promotion of Biodiversity in Ornamental Plant Production, Louisa Lösing, Deputy Head of Unit “Business & Biodiversity” & Annekathrin Vogel, Project Manager Lake Constance Foundation

WEDNESDAY - 29.01.2025 – Professional Horticulture, moderated by Robert Scheuß (Horticulture Consultant, Industrieverband Garten (IVG) e.V.)

2:00 – 2:30 p.m.: ZVG/ INIFES gGmbH: Sustainable further training for skilled workers – the QUAGA project “Securing the qualification of horticultural skilled workers” is presented by Alexander Kühl, QUAGA project coordinator

2:30 – 3:00 p.m.: Biobest: The way to low-residue cut flower production, Koen Merkus, IPM & Pollination Specialist – Ornamentals

3:00 – 3:30 p.m.: Agvolution/ CLIMAVI: Precise measurement, efficient action: Save water and labor with CLIMAVI, Thomas Maier, Software Engineer

3:30 – 4:00 p.m.: Humintech: Humic acids as biostimulants to increase nitrogen uptake and reduce salt stress, Dr. Yasser Dergham, Technical and Sales Manager

4:00 – 4:30 p.m.: Geisenheim University: “Peat-free ornamental plants – what does this mean for the consumer?” – Presentation of results from various research projects and papers; Prof. Dr. Kai Sparke, Professor of Horticultural Economics

4:30 – 5:00 p.m. STEP Systems & University of Hohenheim. “Rotary Garden” – a new system for the production of cannabis; Harald Braungardt, shareholder STEP Systems & Prof. Dr. Simone Graeff-Hönninger, University of Hohenheim

THURSDAY - 30.01.2025 - Green Dialogues

11:00 – 11:45 a.m. Panel discussion Meet & Greet IGA 2027 – The largest garden festival in the world; Hendrik Klar, Managing Director FVG Folien-Vertriebs GmbH, Stefan Lohrberg, Managing Director TAS Emotional Marketing GmbH, Michael Hermes, Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications Landgard Service GmbH, Lydia Frotscher, Head of Horticultural Exhibitions IGA 2027 Deutsche Bundesgartenschau Gesellschaft mbH, Patrick Krian, Head of Marketing, Sponsoring & Ticketing IGA 2027 gGmbH, Dorle Bubelweit, Head of Art, Culture & Exhibition IGA 2027 gGmbH, Oliver Herrmann, Marketing Manager IGA 2027 gGmbH & Ticketing IGA 2027 gGmbH, Dorle Bubelweit, Head of Art, Culture & Exhibition IGA 2027 gGmbH, Oliver Herrmann, Marketing Manager IGA 2027 gGmbH

1:00 – 1:45 p.m. Panel discussion moderated by Philip Testroet – IVG Mandatory for reusable packaging in 2030 – What is the horticulture industry doing? Floor Schamp, Sustainability Project Manager VGB Netherlands, Flora Späth, Euro Plant Tray, Jutta Lehmann, Hornbach Garden & Johannes Kronenberg, Landgard

2:00 – 2:30 p.m. Geisenheim University of Applied Sciences. Do you have a plant? Attitudes towards and insights into the home cultivation of cannabis in Germany; Dr. Mira Lehberger, Professor of Horticultural Economics

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture. Project FiniTo – practical implementation of peat reduction, Corinna Behm & Nicola Daldrup

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. University of Hohenheim. Outdoor tunnel cultivation of cannabis; Christian Büser

3:30 – 4:00 p.m. LED lighting in cannabis cultivation, Torsten Schober & Prof. Dr. Simone Graeff-Hönninger