Industry and suppliers
Horticultural industry
Industry partners are central to translating Hort2thefuture’s research into solutions that can be adopted across the horticultural sector. The project works with businesses across horticultural value chains to ensure that new products, technologies and practices respond to real commercial needs and can contribute to more sustainable and resource-efficient production.
Through trials, demonstrations and co-creation activities, Hort2thefuture is developing and validating solutions including peat-free growing media, innovative fertiliser products, advanced irrigation and fertigation strategies, and approaches to improving soil health and reducing compaction. Working with industry helps the project assess the practicality, performance and potential for wider uptake of these solutions.
Technology, input and service providers
Suppliers of growing media, fertilisers, irrigation technologies, machinery, digital solutions and other horticultural inputs and services have an important role in accelerating the transition towards more sustainable horticulture.
Hort2thefuture brings together research and industry expertise to develop, test and optimise new products and technologies under real growing conditions. This creates opportunities for suppliers to contribute technical knowledge, explore new applications and markets, and support the development of solutions that can be scaled beyond the project.
The project will also generate evidence, tools and practical knowledge to support innovation and informed decision-making across the horticultural supply chain.
Latest news for industry
Busy days at Apelsvoll: Cover crops for healthier soils
The growing season is well underway at NIBIO’s Apelsvoll Research Station. Two field trials have been established toI investigate how cover crops can improve soil health and make horticultural production more sustainable and resilient. NIBIO is...
The challenge of defining “sustainable growing media”: Why the term is used incorrectly and what needs to be done about it
Abstract: The term “sustainable growing media” is widely used in horticultural research, policy, and industry, yet its meaning remains ambiguous, inconsistently applied, and often unsupported by evidence, undermining the very decisions it is meant...
Oxygen microbubble irrigation: A promising strategy to reduce soil compaction in melon
Within the Hort2theFuture project, Saad Khahli, a master’s student at the Technical University of Cartagena (UPCT), and with the technical support from the JUAN AZCUE company, investigated the use of oxygen microbubbles in irrigation water to...
NIBIO: Testing innovative soil management techniques to boost soil health
New field trials explore sustainable methods to improve soil structure and crop resilience As part of the Hort2thefuture project’s Work Package 5, NIBIO Apelsvoll is pioneering novel approaches to enhance soil health and reduce compaction in...
From lab to field trials: Sharing progress at the Hort2thefuture joint meeting in Norway
In early 2025, partners of the Hort2thefuture project gathered in Oslo for a joint meeting hosted by NIBIO (the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research). This three-day event brought together scientists, researchers, and industry stakeholders...
The Magic factory: Turning biowaste into tomatoes
A visit to a circular innovation hub in Norway As part of the Hort2thefuture project, Vlaco visited The Magic Factory, an innovative Norwegian facility that transforms food waste into fertiliser and compost. Located in Sem, the plant is leading the...