The Horti Academy recently hosted an event titled "Working Smarter and Safer with AI" at Tomatoworld, attracting over sixty attendees, including many cultivation businesses, suppliers, and trading companies. As reported by Greenport West-Holland, experts shared insights on how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance a company's efficiency and what is needed to achieve this.
AI is poised to help accomplish more work with the same workforce, but this transformation requires engagement from all generations within a company. According to Jacco Vooijs of Glastuinbouw Nederland, AI is no longer optional but essential: "By 2050, a significant portion of manual labor must be replaced by robotics and AI."
This shift demands understanding and knowledge of AI tools, trust in supply chain partners, a willingness to share information, and most importantly, a clear vision for integrating AI and cybersecurity into your business strategy. AI offers opportunities but also brings responsibilities, particularly concerning legislation and safe business operations.
AI specialist Serge de Beer demonstrated current AI capabilities, such as automatically translating videos or creating instructions with AI—each a time-saving application, provided you critically assess the outcomes and carefully consider the information you input.
Josephine van Luik from the Cyber Resilience Center Greenport emphasized the importance of digital security. While many companies have fire safety plans, they often lack a cyber resilience plan. A video message from Corné Houtepen of Kwekerij de Groot illustrated this necessity: "One day, you could suddenly find yourself hacked."
Collaborative work, learning, and innovation
Participants, along with Michiel de Vos and Henriëtte van der Waal from the Smart Makers Academy, engaged in an exercise using the sailboat canvas to identify driving forces and obstacles, all insights that are foundational to the Digitalization Metro Line of the Horti Academy. Colinda van Robocrops discussed workshops that help businesses implement robotics.
Anneke Postma of Horti Academy stated, "By exploring possibilities together, understanding what is needed, and organizing and learning collectively, we strengthen our sector's capacity for change. Work, learning, and innovation converge here, with the Horti Academy playing a crucial role."
The "Working Smarter and Safer with AI" event was made possible through the Greenport Horti Campus Katapult program.
Source: Greenport West-Holland