Smart farming isn’t plug and play, says Airlux Technologies’ Reinier Donkersloot

NETHERLANDS – At the Vertical Farming World Congress 2025 in Amsterdam, Airlux Technologies’ Business Development Manager, Reinier Donkersloot, shared a grounded view of how real progress in smart farming happens.

“It’s great to see how transparent and open the industry has become,” he said. “We’re moving beyond competition.”

After more than ten years in vertical farming, Donkersloot has learned that success takes time, planning, and collaboration. When he entered the field, many dismissed vertical farming as a passing idea.

But his determination to prove its value led him from Philips to his own consultancy in 2016, and now to Airlux Technologies.

At Airlux Technologies, Donkersloot connects lighting and climate systems to the daily realities of indoor farms. “You don’t just start, sell something, and walk away,” he said.

“You develop along the way.” His approach is based on co-creation with growers. “I bring technical and operational expertise to projects that strengthen our customers’ business cases.”

A clear example is Airlux’s partnership with Growy in Amsterdam, where the company provides lighting systems for both current and future farms. “You need to have the product in the market at an affordable price because that’s what opens new markets again,” Donkersloot said.

“People who might not be able to buy the produce at this moment will be able to in the future, and then the market really opens up.”

Designing for affordability

Donkersloot said that affordability starts with “reverse engineering.” “It’s really calculating backwards,” he explained.

“What are you producing? What are your goals? Especially for startups, it’s important to identify your goals because you will make very important decisions along the way that affect your financial results.”

He advised new companies to stay lean. “Some people want to have all the C-levels in place before the first crop is even grown. But it’s much better to build your company along the way. Sometimes you have to look for that first revenue to make it play.”

Energy, labor, and efficiency

“Energy and labor are two of the main cost items in a farm’s profit and loss,” Donkersloot said. “An energy strategy starts with two things: efficiency and sourcing. Where does your energy come from, and what is its price?”

He added that automation improves both cost and reliability. “Machinery is easier to maintain than people and generally makes fewer mistakes, so it’s a risk-mitigation item as much as a cost item.”

Airlux Technologies supports efficiency by linking lighting and climate under one modular platform. “If you change one, you need to change the other,” he said.

“Lighting and climate are very closely related. That’s why we combine both, and if needed, we apply water cooling to reduce the heat within the system and the energy needed for cooling again.”

Market context and future outlook

Globally, the smart farming market is valued at USD 16.61 billion in 2024, with precision agriculture accounting for 35–46% of that share. More than half of all farmers worldwide have adopted or are open to adopting smart agtech tools.

North and Latin America are showing strong growth in adoption, while Europe experienced a 7% dip between 2022 and 2024. At the same time, global agri-food tech investment reached USD 16 billion in 2024, showing strong institutional confidence in the sector.

For Donkersloot, the way forward depends on affordability. “Cost parity should be the goal for vertical farming to drive the industry forward,” he said. “We need to make this affordable.”

He added that the numbers are improving. “We see CapEx levels now between 1,300 and 1,500 euros per square meter, which is significantly lower than what we saw ten or twelve years ago when 2,500 euros was a regular figure. The target should be 1,000 euros per square meter to really open that mainstream market.”

Donkersloot’s view captures a growing truth in smart agriculture: vertical farming isn’t plug and play, but with patience, sound engineering, and steady partnerships, it can deliver lasting results.

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