These were the speakers at the Strawberry Day 2026
During the Strawberry Day 2026, several speakers shared their knowledge and insights. Couldn’t you attend, or would you like to revisit a presentation? Below you can view a large selection of the speakers’ presentations!
Henny van Gurp | Network coordinator Soft fruit at Glastuinbouw Nederland
Henny van Gurp has been involved as organizer and chairman of the Strawberry Day since 2022. In daily life, Henny van Gurp is the Soft Fruit Network Coordinator at Glastuinbouw Nederland and Program Manager of the innovation program “Knowledge in your Greenhouse” within the greenhouse horticulture sector. He is located in the middle of the strawberry sector network where all policy matters and research come together. His passion is to help entrepreneurs solve collective issues on the themes of energy, plant health, labor, water, spatial planning and innovation.
Klaas Walraven | Manager of the Soft Fruit Team
As a consultant, Klaas Walraven provides advice on all strawberry crops grown on substrate, from propagation, tray plant cultivation to production crops on racks and in the greenhouse. The focus of his work area is, in addition to the Netherlands and Germany, on North-West Europe. In addition to the physical advice visits, Klaas also provides digital advice. Traveling to other growing regions both within the Netherlands and NW Europe keeps him sharp. As an advisor, he must respond to the climate conditions that apply there. Challenges in the work include developing new cultivation concepts, working with new varieties and the use of sensors.
View the presentation of Klaas Walraven
Adri Bom-Lemstra | Chairwoman Glastuinbouw Nederland
Since 2021, Adri Bom-Lemstra has been chairwoman of Glastuinbouw Nederland, the sector organization for gardeners.
Adri Bom-Lemstra was 28 years old when she entered politics. In 1994 she was elected to the Wateringen municipal council. Later she became chairman of the CDA in the municipality of Westland. After 15 years she retired from municipal politics.
She was deputy dike manager at the Delfland Water Board from 2009 to 2015. In this position she ensures water safety. She then becomes a director for the province of South Holland. Here she focuses on economics, housing and the environment.
View the presentation of Adri Bom-Lemstra
Wilco van den Berg | Manager Data & Digitalization at trade association GroentenFruit Huis
“Measuring is knowing, data is doing”
Together with colleagues from the Data & Digitalization team, we collect and analyze relevant data about fruit and vegetables, or from data to insights and impact. Young adults could use a push to eat more strawberries. How? The collective EU soft fruit campaign “A Hand of Summer” has already reached many millions of young adults in its first year. The campaign has started strongly, but how does that translate into sales? You will hear more about the impact on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. To the LinkedIn profile of Wilco van den Berg.
Gijs Heineke | Sourcing Director Fruit and vegetables and Flowers & Plants
Gijs Heineke has 20 years of broad business experience in food retail; Unit, Sourcing, Sales, Operational, Key Account and Project Management. The last 12 years with a specialization in sourcing fresh. Always thinking and acting across the entire value chain. Together with growers, breeders and partners, he is building a future in which better food is accessible to everyone. Where the strawberry not only symbolizes growth, but also the power of cooperation and innovation.
Martin Scholten | Advisor at WUR/Aarhus University & Imagro
Dr. Martin Scholten is an ecologist and from that background he thinks about new future perspectives for our food system and the transitions that are necessary for this. As far as he is concerned, the carrying capacity of the earth is leading. As a strategic advisor, he is involved in area-driven transitions in rural areas in both the Netherlands and Denmark (Aarhus University). He was a member of the management board of Wageningen University & Research for many years. He is also an honorary doctor at Scotland’s Rural College.
In 2017, Scholten was at the basis of the LVVN vision ‘Agriculture, nature and food: valuable and connected – the Netherlands as a leader in circular agriculture’; and was also a member of the Advisory Board on Nitrogen Problems (“Remkes Committee”). He is a source of information for politics and policy not only in The Hague circles, but also in Brussels and Denmark.
Maurice Wubben | VersMarketeer
For Robocrops, Maurice Wubben is the walking desk for questions from growers in greenhouse cultivation about automation, digitalization and robotization: “We discuss the questions in the team and can get started with the grower more quickly. Robocrops also provides expertise about the steps to be taken. and choices and many contacts with development companies nationally and internationally.”
View the presentation of Maurice Wubben
Ingrid Blom | Theme specialist Labor at Glastuinbouw Nederland
As a labor theme specialist, Ingrid Blom is concerned with a collective labor agreement for greenhouse horticulture and the rules surrounding temporary work and safe working for employees. The sector wants to offer fair and good work to (international, flexible) employees. Together with entrepreneurs and HR employees, she is committed to achieving this.
Albert van der Burg | Labor and safety expert at Stigas
As a labor and safety expert, Albert van der Burg supports social partners about safe, healthy and vital work for employees in greenhouse horticulture. Working safely, healthily and vitally is important for a healthy sector.
Silvester de Nooijer | Research Greenhouse Horticulture at Delphy
Silvester is the team leader of the research team working on innovative greenhouse technologies, energy saving, and sustainable cultivation at the Delphy Improvement Centre in Bleiswijk.
View the presentation of Silvester de Nooijer
Kaz Vermeer | Head of Commercialization at Voltiris
Kaz Vermeer is Head of Commercialization at Voltiris, the developer of spectral filtering solar panels for greenhouse horticulture. In this role he is responsible for the introduction of Voltiris into horticultural practice. And with success: more than 2,000 Voltiris modules are already operational in projects in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Switzerland.
Gondy Heijerman | Soft fruit researcher at Delphy
Gondy Heijerman is a Soft Fruit researcher at Delphy. Within Delphy she is responsible for carrying out various studies at the research location for soft fruit: Delphy ISFC. This also includes transferring knowledge during meetings and through publications and articles.
Working at Delphy and Delphy ISFC offers her the opportunity to contribute to the cultivation of strawberries and soft fruit of the future. The sector faces major challenges, and together with a driven team and in close collaboration with growers, it continuously searches for practical solutions and improvements.
With the Delphy ISFC team, she contributes to sustainable cultivation of strawberries and soft fruit, in which people, planet & profit are central.
View the presentation of Gondy Heijerman
Iza de Bruijn | Consultant at Koppert Nederland
Iza de Bruijn works as a consultant at Koppert Nederland. She provides technical advice on biological crop protection using natural enemies and green solutions. She does this in the cultivation of strawberries, various vegetables and in public green areas. We work closely with colleagues, growers and distributors to achieve optimal results within a green cultivation strategy.
View the presentation of Iza de Bruijn
Lianne van Wijk | International Technical Manager Ornamental Horticulture at ICL Group
Lianne van Wijk together with her colleagues, ensures that ICL specialists all over the world have a suitable product package available that helps growers grow healthy plants of excellent quality. ICL’s main products are Osmocote, Water soluble fertilizers (Peters range and Universol), Micromax and H2Gro. Product development is an important part with the current major focus on the development of a new Osmocote with a more quickly degradable coating.
View the presentation of Lianne van Wijk
Jeroen Schwering | Chairman of the National Strawberry Commission
Jeroen Schwering is chairman of the National LTO Strawberry Crop Committee and board member of the Strawberry Research Foundation.
