Events

Do you want to be able to look back and tell the story of your company’s success? Join this masterclass on securing your future. Be part of the conversation on how to ensure your brilliant business doesn’t end in a brilliant failure.

Many businesses excel at delivering their product or service, but ensuring your company is still standing strong in five or ten years is a different challenge altogether. As you grow—adding more employees, increasing revenue, or expanding internationally—running a business becomes significantly more complex. Many companies don’t survive what is often called the “Valley of Death.”
What risks should you be aware of? What needs to be firmly in place as an SME owner? How do you stay in control and safeguard your company’s future? And how do you make sure you come out the other side of the Valley of Death?
The real question is: when should you start? … Now.

Martijn Croon and Lizanne Jakobs will guide you through it all in this free masterclass. We’ll cover topics such as:

• How do you define your long-term vision: your story, your future?
• How do you set clear, specific goals for yourself and your team?
• Financial control of your business: insight and overview bring peace of mind
• How do you identify your key risks and turn them into a clear plan of action?

There will, of course, be plenty of time for your questions. Afterwards, you’re warmly invited to join us for a networking drinks reception.

Lizanne Jakobs is a well-known speaker in the field of entrepreneurship. She is the founder of Brilliant Work, a multi award-winning coaching, consultancy and training firm for SMEs. Together with a team of 20 experts, they support entrepreneurs and their teams in growing and professionalising their businesses—often making use of a wide range of subsidy schemes.
Lizanne has over 15 years of experience as a business coach, holds a degree in Corporate Communication, and is known for her engaging and highly practical approach.

Martijn Croon is a business advisor at Countus, a full-service mid-sized accountancy firm with 25 offices across the eastern Netherlands, specialising in supporting SMEs.

Martijn Croon (MSc in Business Administration, Master in Finance & Control, and a Registered Business Succession Advisor) is a former entrepreneur himself. With over 25 years of advisory experience, he has witnessed both remarkable successes and notable failures.
For Martijn, it’s not the numbers that form the foundation of success, but the entrepreneur’s story. His passion lies in helping business owners shape and write that story for themselves.

Programme:

• 15.50 Arrival and welcome
• 16.00 Start
• 17.30 Drinks and networking opportunity
• 18.30 End

This masterclass will take place at the Frisokazerne site (Frisopark 4, Entrance C, 6711 WZ Ede).
The sessions will be held in Dutch.

Participation is free of charge. Registration is required.

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For years, the Dutch nature debate has been dominated by nitrogen reduction. Rightly so, because the nitrogen pressure on nature reserves is high and must be reduced. But nature hasn't recovered yet. In many areas, soils are now so acidified and emaciated that less nitrogen alone is not enough.

This is where the next phase of nature policy begins: management, conservation and restoration.

In this series, we investigate what is needed for this. What additional measures can really kick-start nature restoration? What role can highly targeted forms of fertilization play? How careful should you be when it comes to such interventions in large ecological systems? And how do you monitor whether what you're doing actually works?

We talk about recent practical experiences, new recovery strategies and the question of how the Netherlands can develop nature policy that is not only legally defensible but also has an ecological effect.

The relationship with the Habitats Directive is also central. Because if lost or weakened biotopes have to be resettled, the question is inevitable: what starting situation are we actually assuming? And what does it mean if the road to recovery is not only through nitrogen reduction, but also through active soil and nature restoration?

This series is about the most difficult and important question of the moment: how do we show that we are doing what we can to really restore nature?

At the Foodlog Café @WFC on Thursday, May 7, 2026, we will discuss these questions with the alderman of the Municipality of Ede and the driver of the Veluwe approach Jan Pieter van der Schans.

By connecting promising food and agtech start-ups and scale-ups with visionary investors and companies, F&A Next accelerates innovation in the agri-food sector.
The Netherlands, the second largest agricultural exporter in the world, is a leader in sustainable agriculture. At the heart of it lies Food Valley and Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the best agricultural university in the world. F&A Next offers access to this vibrant center of agri-food innovation.

Our event includes two days of networking, pitching and debating the dynamics of food and agriculture. F&A Next is where the future of food systems takes shape.

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WFC Network is the community at the World Food Center site.
Are you not located at the WFC site? Then you are certainly more than welcome! WFC Network is an open community where everyone who works directly or indirectly to create a healthier and more sustainable food system is welcome. Whether you're an entrepreneur, policy maker, or just interested in what's happening on the WFC site — you're more than welcome.

Will you join us?
You can always walk in. A message to community manager David de Bruijn (06 18480399) is appreciated, but is not an obligation.

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The 4th NIZO Protein Functionality Conference brings together the latest scientific and technological advances in protein functionality, with a strong focus on plant‑based and fermentation‑derived proteins. It offers a unique platform for experts from academia, research institutes, and industry to exchange insights and translate research into practical solutions for next‑generation protein ingredients and foods.

The program covers protein functionality across diverse biological sources, linking fields such as protein chemistry, processing, physics, formulation, sensory science, nutrition, and sustainability. Participants will gain deeper insight into designing and producing foods that meet consumer expectations while supporting global sustainability goals.

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Conferentiethema’s

Abstracts are invited on the following topics and should be submitted using the online abstract submission system. Deadline: 24 April 2026

The focus of the conference will be on the following aspects of plant protein functionality:

• Innovations in plant and single-cell protein ingredient production & processing.
• Interactions between proteins and other food components: impact on texture, stability, and sensory properties.
• Advances in protein analytics: linking composition, structure and reactivity with functionality and nutritional value with cutting-edge analytical tools.
• Improving protein functionality through fermentation: enhancing taste, digestibility, and techno-functional properties.
• Fermentation-derived proteins: production strategies, downstream processing, functional characteristics, and food applications.
• Sustainability as a driver for innovation: integrating environmental goals from ingredient production to final product.
• Diversity as a strength: expanding plant-based sources to build a resilient protein supply chain.

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On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the 2026 Region Foodvalley Innovation Award will be presented to the most innovative entrepreneurs. The prizes are presented in the sectors: Agri & food, Industrial & logistics and ICT sector. This happens during a festive meeting. This evening, we will present two prizes per category, the professional jury prize and the audience award.

The winners of the 2025 Regional Foodvalley Innovation Award were Unica (ICT), Movexx (Manufacturing and Production Companies) and AgroCares (Agrifood). The public awards went to Eatpol (ICT), Movexx (Manufacturing and Production Companies) and Wageningen City Brewery (Agrifood).

Sign in

Are you an entrepreneur in the Foodvalley Region and do you have an innovative product, process or service that you want to sign up for the innovation award? Then click on the link below. We also encourage smaller SMEs to apply, because innovative ideas arise in companies of all sizes. Registration is open until August 31, 2026.

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You're invited to a festive BBQ at our StartLife offices on the Wageningen University campus. Whether you're a startup, a StartLife mentor, or simply part of our community, join us to meet and connect with our 14th batch of startups.

Nadrie succesvolle edities in Amsterdam is Plant FWD uitgegroeid tot hét Europeseevenement voor professionals in alternatieve eiwitten. We zijn trots dat hetevent in 2026 in De Regio Foodvalley wordt georganiseerd en waar meer dan 1.000changemakers uit het voedsellandschap samen zullen komen: van startup totinvesteerders, retailers, beleidsmakers, experts in gezondheidszorg, chefs enonderzoekers.

Meteen gloednieuwe locatie, een bredere blik op de eiwittransitie en hetvoedselsysteem en een sterk inhoudelijk programma is deze editie klaar om teverbinden, ondernemerschap te stimuleren en waardevolle ontmoetingen tefaciliteren en samen één van de grootste uitdagingen van onze tijd aan aan tepakken: hoe we voedsel produceren én consumeren op een gezondere, duurzameremanier.

Watstaat er op het menu?
🎤 40+inspirerende sprekers van toonaangevende bedrijven zoals Robin Food Coalition,Picnic, Plant Futures, WUR, Jumbo, De Efteling, Do it Organic en meer  
🤝 Netwerkenmet 1.000+ professionals uit het hele food ecosysteem en ontmoet de meestinnovatieve start- & scale-ups, retailers en investeerders

🍽️ Proef en ontdek de nieuwste food innovaties inplant-based, balanced proteins, organic én novel foods op The Market

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Nadrie succesvolle edities in Amsterdam is Plant FWD uitgegroeid tot hét Europeseevenement voor professionals in alternatieve eiwitten. We zijn trots dat hetevent in 2026 in De Regio Foodvalley wordt georganiseerd en waar meer dan 1.000changemakers uit het voedsellandschap samen zullen komen: van startup totinvesteerders, retailers, beleidsmakers, experts in gezondheidszorg, chefs enonderzoekers.

Meteen gloednieuwe locatie, een bredere blik op de eiwittransitie en hetvoedselsysteem en een sterk inhoudelijk programma is deze editie klaar om teverbinden, ondernemerschap te stimuleren en waardevolle ontmoetingen tefaciliteren en samen één van de grootste uitdagingen van onze tijd aan aan tepakken: hoe we voedsel produceren én consumeren op een gezondere, duurzameremanier.

Watstaat er op het menu?
🎤 40+inspirerende sprekers van toonaangevende bedrijven zoals Robin Food Coalition,Picnic, Plant Futures, WUR, Jumbo, De Efteling, Do it Organic en meer  
🤝 Netwerkenmet 1.000+ professionals uit het hele food ecosysteem en ontmoet de meestinnovatieve start- & scale-ups, retailers en investeerders

🍽️ Proef en ontdek de nieuwste food innovaties inplant-based, balanced proteins, organic én novel foods op The Market

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Voedsel werd decennialang goedkoper. Schaalvergroting, lage energieprijzen en druk op boereninkomens duwden de prijs omlaag.

Sinds de oorlog in Oekraïne kantelde dat beeld. De voedselprijzen stegen hard. De inflatie zakt inmiddels, de prijzen in de supermarkt niet.

In een nieuwe podcastserie onderzoekt Foodlog de economische krachten achter dit nieuwe speelveld. We spreken met landbouweconomen, financials, grondstoffenexperts, retail en verwerkers.

Voedselinflatie bedroeg de afgelopen 5 jaar circa 25%. De algemene inflatie bleef rond 10%. Die eerste joeg de tweede aan, onder meer via hogere loonkosten. De mondiale keten blijkt kwetsbaar. Bedrijven zoeken hun aanvoer dichter bij huis.

Is dit tijdelijk? Of bewegen we naar een nieuw prijsregime waarin voeding structureel een groter deel van het huishoudbudget vraagt?

Daar gaan we het in het Foodlog Café @WFC op donderdag 2 april 2026 over hebben. Meld je hier aan.

WFC Network is the community at the World Food Center site.
Are you not located at the WFC site? Then you are certainly more than welcome! WFC Network is an open community where everyone who works directly or indirectly to create a healthier and more sustainable food system is welcome. Whether you're an entrepreneur, policy maker, or just interested in what's happening on the WFC site — you're more than welcome.

Will you join us?
You can always walk in. A message to community manager David de Bruijn (06 18480399) is appreciated, but is not an obligation.

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What if the proteins on your plate could be produced without farmland, livestock, or a major environmental footprint? Microbial proteins, produced by the fermentation of microorganisms, offer a promising solution to feed a growing population while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and land use. In this lecture, we will discuss how microbes can convert sugars, agricultural waste and even CO₂ into nutritious proteins, the technologies behind these processes and the social implications.

Ready to unleash the power of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), like ChatGPT, and take your business to unprecedented heights? Then take a chance now and participate in the “Applying Generative AI in the Manufacturing Industry” process. Learn how AI can be the key to reducing costs, increasing quality and customer satisfaction, and boosting both productivity and sales.

On February 25th, Starthub Wageningen, Wageningen Campus, and Wageningen Ondernemers Contact are joining forces to host a special “Campus meets City” drinks event.

Whether you are a campus entrepreneur, a local business owner, or a professional looking to expand your network, this event is designed to bring together the expertise of the entire Wageningen ecosystem. Join us for an informal evening to see what is happening on campus and to strengthen the connections between our city and campus communities.
NOTE: registration is obligatory.

A webinar on process and microbial modelling, including food safety quality aspects of food processing. For all bioeconomy stakeholders, where possible with a focus on BioInnovators (Technology Owners).

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Can you be a poultry farmer and not eat your own eggs? In the film De Vegan Veehouder (The Vegan Livestock Farmer), photographer and documentary maker Kadir van Lohuizen follows Limburg poultry farmer Ruud Zanders. After the bankruptcy of his large-scale poultry businesses, Ruud started a smaller and more sustainable operation. This new concept, Kipster, has since attracted worldwide attention and is on the verge of an international breakthrough. But meanwhile, the farmer himself is increasingly questioning the why of keeping animals for food. For his own consumption, he now avoids meat, dairy and eggs as much as possible. Do we really need animals in the global food system?

On February 2nd, the documentary comes to Ede, right in the heart of the area with the highest poultry density in Europe. We will have an open conversation with the sector and other interested parties about the societal challenges facing the poultry industry. What future is there for chicken farmers? When are you doing well, or well enough, in terms of animal welfare and/or extensification? And what does that mean for the international market? What fits in the region? The conversation will be moderated by the initiator of the Foodlog Café @WFC: Dick Veerman.

Feel like getting warmed up beforehand? In the lead-up to the Foodlog Café @WFC XXL, Foodlog made 3 podcasts to get you in the mood."

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What to expect

19:00 | Walk-in with coffee & tea
19:30 | Documentary The Vegan Livestock Farmer & Good Talk led by Dick Veerman with Ruud Zanders, among others
21:00 | Drinks & bites
22:00 | End

Practical

• Monday, February 2, 7:00pm - 10:00pm
• The Mauritskazerne in Ede (free parking)
• Participation is free of charge, but full = full! You can register here.

The film was commissioned by The Food Revolution Foundation, with support from, among others, the Barth-Misset Fund. The tour is made possible in part by the province of Limburg, Triodos Foundation and the Symbio Foundation.

The main partner of this Ede edition is the Municipality of Ede. Made possible in part by Next Venue/De Mauritskazerne.

The future is literally on our plate. But are we truly on track towards a resilient, healthy and fair food system?

With 2030 drawing near, now is the moment to pause and take a clear-eyed look at where we stand. Have we made enough progress, or do we need to accelerate? Is speeding up really the way forward, or is doing things differently the key?

What will be your role? What does your organisation need to stay on course or perhaps to find a better one? After all, being ‘off course’ can also mean taking an alternative route, discovering that the path looks different from what we expected, or even redefining the destination itself.

On 11 December, during the Foodvalley Partner Event 2025, we’ll take a critical and collaborative look at those questions.

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WFC Network is the network organization for the World Food Center site.
Are you not located at the WFC site? Then you are still very welcome! WFC Network is an open community where everyone who works directly or indirectly to create a healthier and more sustainable food system is welcome. Whether you're an entrepreneur, policy maker, or just interested in what's happening on the WFC site — you're more than welcome.

Will you join us?
You can always walk in. A message to community manager David de Bruijn (06 18480399) is appreciated, but is not an obligation.

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From December 10 to 19, a national touring photo exhibition about PUM and its projects will be shown at the Agrobusiness Park (Business & Science Park Wageningen).

In six high-quality photo panels, the exhibition shows how international entrepreneurs and Dutch experts work together on sustainable solutions. With powerful images and short stories, PUM shows how specialist knowledge, such as agriculture, food, circular systems and entrepreneurship, can directly contribute to positive, sustainable impact.

For professionals, researchers and entrepreneurs within the Wageningen Science and Business Park, the exhibition offers an inspiring insight into how knowledge exchange accelerates innovation worldwide. It shows how expertise from the Netherlands, in cooperation with local entrepreneurs, makes concrete progress in sustainable development possible.

The panels are on the hiking trails and at the roundabout.

Stop by and discover the stories behind these impactful collaborations.

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In the Netherlands, the subject is still little known. It is already more on the map in the US, Belgium and France. Electrical currents leak to the Earth's surface if they are not properly insulated. Cow farmers in particular notice this in their animals. For example, they don't want to drink anymore and perform significantly less.

Experts suspect that stray current also has a significant impact on people. It is also likely to have an impact on the safety of metal pipes in the soil and even on the lifespan of buildings. The leakage current that will circulate can be prevented by now taking into account the isolation of new infrastructure. If there are no rules for this in electrifying countries, we will soon face high recovery costs if it turns out that the effects are significant.

The Foodlog Café @WFC on December 4 is about what we now know about stray electricity and what is wise to do already.

Why you should absolutely attend Taste Growth

You can expect an impactful afternoon filled with:

• About 100 change makers from retailers, food service, start-ups, corporates, investors, policy makers, innovators, researchers, future talents and more.

• Inspiring keynote and break-out sessions from over 10+ industry leaders.

• Networking & matchmaking for 1-on-1 industry meetings.

• Outrageously good plant-based F&B by fermentation master Christian Weij
  

Bringing you another packed program

During this second edition of Plant FWD in the Valley, we'll explore the challenges and opportunities facing scale-ups in plant-based and alternative proteins today. Together with Plan Fwd's Town Lotte Sluiter As our moderator, you can count on an inspiring and interactive program packed with valuable insights from leading entrepreneurs and experts like:

• Dodging The Valley of Death together with Birgit Dekkers - founder & CEO at Rival Foods
• Mastering the Populist Play with Bas Erlings - Former Campaign Strategist
• Success stories at Efteling with Inan Shahin - Culinary Innovation Specialist
• Justice, Hope, Future together with Hannah Prince - Climate Activist & Lawyer

And more speakers to be confirmed!

Plant FWD 💚 Foodvalley Region

Plant FWD deliberately chooses Ede as the location for this event because of its strong connection to sustainable food innovation. The Foodvalley Region is a pioneering hub where entrepreneurship, scaling, knowledge, production and innovation converge to shape the future of our food system.

In a time when sustainability faces growing challenges, this region offers perspective: a place where entrepreneurs, researchers, and innovators collaborate on practical and scalable solutions for a healthy, plant-forward future.

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As the name suggests, Sharing Innovations is all about sharing the latest innovations and applications. All this with the aim of stimulating innovation, especially in crossovers, in the Foodvalley region. An important goal of the event is to link scientific research to practical applications for SMEs by visualizing and thus stimulating regional cooperation and cross-sectoral innovation in the Foodvalley region. Photonics & AI are promising and also widely used techniques that offer solutions to many challenges in multiple sectors. With keynote speakers on technology, research and application, we want to inform, inspire and connect. In addition to the keynote speakers, we will also do this with break-out sessions.

Putting a lot of the same plants together is asking for trouble, because diseases make it super easy to spread. And for beetles and other pests, a field filled with nothing but crops they love is a treat. That's why we use toxins in fields and greenhouses.

But pesticides are under fire. The public has trouble with it. In France, the public protested vehemently against a decision by parliament to re-authorize a previously banned drug. NU.nl recently headlined: “Use of pesticides viewed with increasing suspicion”. Citizens file legal proceedings against farmers, gardeners and growers. The Den Bosch Court banned an authorised remedy at the end of July. Spraying is in danger of becoming subject to licensing. Harvests would deteriorate sharply and food would become even more expensive.

The Ctgb admissions authority is under fire. The NVWA supervisor complains that compliance with the rules is too low. Farmers complain that drugs are banned much faster than better ones come in return. It can't go on like this. How, then? That's what we're going to talk about on November 6 with an impressive list of experts, their critics, and the Ctgb and the NVWA themselves.

It's not just about watching movies, it's about stimulating the senses. In addition to film screenings, the festival organises various activities such as tastings, workshops and interactive programs that connect visitors to the world of food in a meaningful way.

Take part in the Career Day on Wednesday, October 15, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and meet 85 top employers! This event is your chance to discover internships, vacancies, and career paths while expanding your professional network.

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On 14 October, we celebrate fifteen years of StartLife and look ahead to what is next in Food & AgriTech. Join 250+ founders, investors, corporates, and partners to discover cutting-edge AgriFoodTech innovations tackling global food and agriculture challenges.

Nature-based strategies to benefit people and ecosystems

“Building with Nature” is a concept in sustainable design and engineering. It means working with natural processes rather than against them—for example, by creating future-proof infrastructure, cities, and landscapes. In this way, both people and ecosystems benefit.

In this immersive event, you will experience the beauty of nature and hear first-hand from Jaap van der Salm, associate partner at the H+N+S Landschapsarchitecten, about projects developed with this approach, as well as the challenges and opportunities it presents. His story will be complemented by the Nature Us video installation and a commentary from Dr. Kehui Xu, Director Coastal Studies Institute at Louisiana State University (USA). This event is organized in collaboration with the ESG Programme Green Climate Solutions.

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In an increasingly polarized food system, Food Inspiration uses experience as a means to reconnect the plate to the soil. How? Through presentations, workshops, tastings, discussions, wild picking trips and meetings. The goal is to restore the broken bond between farm and fork, between guest and crop. Food Inspiration puts the magic of the everyday in the spotlight: the value of the Earth.