Dümmen Orange’s new Breeding Technology Centre in the Netherlands, has been virtually opened. Carola Schouten, the Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (and vice Prime Minister), contributed to this milestone with a video message for all employees.
The Breeding Technology Centre (BTC) is home to all Dümmen Orange’s research facilities in the field of breeding technology & traits to realize faster breeding and selection processes, enabling access to superior products for customers worldwide. The BTC is also the home for scientists and breeders who jointly develop next generation varieties in a smarter way. It houses laboratories, offices, meeting rooms, climate chambers and greenhouse facilities for all research disciplines needed for our traits and technology programs.
The opening was conducted virtually, due to COVID-19, and is the final chapter of an eighteen-month construction period in which Dümmen Orange realized one of the world’s largest laboratories for ornamental research.
Carola Schouten, the Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, contributed to this special occasion with a personal video message: “I hope your new research centre is only the first of many more sustainable steps in breeding. If you continue to increase the natural resistance of flowers and plants, the need for chemicals and other additives can be reduced significantly. Ultimately, this benefits the entire ornamental horticulture sector. And we can continue to enjoy the most beautiful flowers with a clear conscience.”
Dümmen Orange’s Managing Director R&D Hans van den Heuvel states: “The trait and technology program requires a multidisciplinary approach with scientists, associates and assistants from various research domains like phytopathology, plant physiology, genetics, genomics, cell biology, computational science and trait discovery. In our BTC we bring these scientists and our breeders together to develop innovations. Already today, breeding at Dümmen Orange is not just crossing and selection anymore, but a data-driven process. Breeding has become predictive, and with more data on DNA and traits being added to our operating systems, its predictive power will only increase.”
Hugo Noordhoek Hegt, CEO of Dümmen Orange, summarizes the importance of Research & Development for the future of our industry and his enthusiasm for the new BTC: “The impact of our trait and technology program is huge. It brings us next generation varieties with unique traits, and it enables next generation breeding. We are thankful for the commitment of our shareholders to realize this investment so we can help our customers and the value chain faster and with better, more beautiful and more sustainable products.”
