The technology-focused subsidiary of U.S.-based 80 Acres Farms has established a unique Field Lab and Experience Center in The Hague, province of Zuid-Holland. The Field Lab and Experience Center will enable Infinite Acres to collaborate with companies in the Dutch agrifood ecosystem, driving growth in the indoor farming sector and advancing agtech innovation.

Renowned for its highly efficient growers and advanced high-tech horticultural community, the region of Zuid-Holland, also referred to as the Greater Rotterdam-The Hague area, is the ideal location for Infinite Acres to expand its operations.

Tisha Livingston, CEO of Infinite Acres and co-founder of 80 Acres Farms:

“Innovation requires collaboration. By bringing partners into our research center, we’re closing a feedback loop and accelerating our learnings, for the benefit of farmers everywhere. This is a collaborative space where we can innovate to solve global problems.”

Advancing indoor farming with cutting-edge technology and international collaborations
Infinite Acres’ Field Lab and Experience Center will integrate cutting-edge technology and collaborative partnerships to elevate the indoor farming industry, create sustainable farming solutions, and strengthen Zuid-Holland’s position as a leader in agrifood innovation. At the new R&D facility, researchers and experts from Infinite Acres will collaborate closely with various global and Dutch (based) companies, including Siemens, Signify, SICK, and TTA, which are directly supporting the project.

In 2023, Siemens and Infinite Acres announced their partnership to establish the Field Lab and Experience Center, combining Siemens’ state-of-the-art hardware and software with Infinite Acres’ operating platform and controlled-environment growing technology. The new center will also draw key insights and expertise from Infinite Acres’ R&D facilities in the United States.

Dirk De Bilde, CEO of Siemens Nederland:

“With challenges like a growing population, climate change which amongst many other severe consequences leads to soil degradation, we must rethink traditional food production. Digitalization and cutting-edge technologies such as AI are key to scale the sustainability impact in food production and vertical farming industry, and it is people who develop this technology to positively impact others. The opening of the Field Lab and Experience Center is an important milestone and sets a new standard for collaboration in indoor farming – it shows our shared commitment to a more sustainable future.”

Indoor farming shortens supply chains, reduces food waste and produces more food with fewer resources, promising a healthier, more sustainable future. At Infinite Acres’ research center, the company and its partners can now accelerate the development of sustainable, eco-friendly, and healthy food cultivation solutions globally.

Leveraging local agtech expertise and research talent

The new center will welcome student researchers from top Dutch institutes Wageningen University & Research and Delft University of Technology, along with other universities from the Netherlands and the USA. Infinite Acres, already a member of Wageningen University’s Club of 100, will benefit from the nearby Dutch research institutes. This proximity to a skilled and diverse talent pool in high-tech and agrifood industries will drive the center’s goal of advancing indoor farming research and development.

Maarten Hermus, Account Manager Horticulture & Food at the regional economic development agency, InnovationQuarter, who assisted the company to establish in The Hague:

“We are thrilled to welcome Infinite Acres to Zuid-Holland, where they will significantly contribute to our region’s innovation ecosystem. Their state-of-the-art research center will not only advance indoor farming but also reinforce the region’s position as a global leader in sustainable horticultural solutions.”

About Infinite Acres and 80 Acres Farms

Infinite Acres is a Dutch-American technology company with a green thumb. Founded in 2019 as a subsidiary of 80 Acres Farms, Infinite Acres combines Dutch horticultural technology with American manufacturing and processing technology for industry-leading innovation in hardware, software and plant genetics.

80 Acres Farms, its parent company, is based in Hamilton, Ohio. For nearly a decade, 80 Acres Farms has been a global leader in the indoor farming industry, with facilities in the United States and Europe. Today, the company’s production farms supply fresh produce and grab-and-go meals to more than 1,500 retail locations across the eastern United States.

About the region

Zuid-Holland has the highest concentration of advanced greenhouse cultivation globally. The innovation spectrum spans from fundamental to applied, practical, and commercial applications. Located between Europe’s foremost logistics hub – the Port of Rotterdam, the world-renowned Wageningen University specializing in agriculture, and the celebrated high-tech sector centered around Delft University of Technology. Read more and download our guide to partnerships and networks organisations, international companies that already have set up shop in our region, funding and incentives, talent and recruitment.

Source: Infinite Acres, Siemens (in Dutch), Invest in Holland