Proefcentrum Hoogstraten

Name

Proefcentrum Hoogstraten

Legal name

Proefcentrum Hoogstraten vzw

Website

https://proefcentrum.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural and Horticultural Research Services

NAICS

Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Nutrient Management Planning & Fertility Programs (AFACABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

CEA Monitoring, Sensors & Automation Software (SCADA, IoT, Climate/Recipe Control) (AFAAAHAG), Greenhouse Vegetable Production (Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Leafy Greens) (AFAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Horticultural research services
• Greenhouse crop research
• Strawberry cultivation trials
• Agricultural advisory services
• Plant research center

Headquarters

HQ city

Hoogstraten

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees providing access to professional journal Proeftuinnieuws, personal login to archive, telephone assistance, one farm visit, access to trials, invitations to activities, and extranet access
2. Crop advisory services: Tailor-made advisory services with biweekly or weekly farm visits providing advice on climate control, fertilization, water management, cultivation planning, chemical and biological crop protection. Price determined based on contract duration, location, company structure, and advisor experience
3. Project-based research funding: Research funded through various public and private sources including Coöperatie Hoogstraten, Flemish Government, Province of Antwerp, European funds (Horizon Europe, Interreg, EFRO, LIFE), Boerenbond, VLAIO, and private research commissioned by third parties under GEP label
4. GEP research services: Good Experimental Practices certified research for plant protection product efficacy testing, fully paid by clients commissioning private research to test products for practical value

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Proefcentrum Hoogstraten is a Belgian non-profit applied research center that conducts GEP-certified variety, crop protection, and cultivation trials on strawberries, tomatoes, and sweet peppers under greenhouse and substrate systems, and delivers the resulting expertise to commercial growers through advisory services, calculation tools, and information dissemination.

Product overview

Proefcentrum Hoogstraten is a practice-oriented research center offering a comprehensive portfolio of research services and advisory tools for horticulture, specializing in strawberry, tomato, and sweet pepper cultivation. The portfolio consists of core research services (GEP Research, Crop Advisory, Monitoring/Scouting), specialized calculation tools (Rainwater Collection, Water Reuse Trayfield, Lightning Tool), diagnostic services (Flower Bud Research, Collective Crop Registration), and digital platforms (Extranet, Digital Tour). Services are complemented by the B3W soil and water quality guidance service. All offerings are designed to support sustainable horticultural production through applied research and practical implementation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strawberry Cultivation Research and Trials Applied research and variety/cultivation trials on strawberry production under glass and substrate for commercial soft-fruit growers.
• Tomato Cultivation Research and Trials Greenhouse tomato variety trials, crop protection studies, and growing-system research for commercial greenhouse vegetable growers.
• Sweet Pepper Cultivation Research and Trials Applied research on sweet pepper varieties, crop protection, and protected-cultivation techniques for commercial greenhouse vegetable growers.
• GEP-Certified Crop Protection Trials Good Experimental Practice (GEP) certified residue and efficacy trials for crop protection products, performed under accredited protocols for registration purposes.
• Grower Advisory Services Individual crop-technical advisory services for member and contracted strawberry, tomato, and sweet pepper growers covering irrigation, fertilization, integrated pest management, and crop husbandry.
• Agronomic Calculation Tools Online and offline calculation tools that support growers with substrate composition, irrigation scheduling, and fertilization planning for protected crops.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 trials conducted per year across three main crops
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Agrolink VlaanderencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2014Unique collaboration platform between 18 Flemish key knowledge institutions aiming to be the recognised contact point for agro-industry, research community, and policy in agriculture and horticulture. Promotes synergy through thematic and sector platforms for knowledge exchange, future research discussion, and strategic consultation.
• AGHRANT (Agricultural and Horticultural Research in the province of Antwerp)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation platform of 4 research centres (PCH, PSKW, Proefbedrijf Pluimveehouderij, Hooibeekhoeve) and the Agriculture Department of Province of Antwerp. Established to strengthen synergies and research activities, increase knowledge exchange, and address common challenges. Results in leading and partner roles in continuous series of successful European projects.
• Praktijkcentra PlantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership recognised by Flemish government between research centres active in plant production research in Flanders (Inagro, KBIVB, LCG, LCV, PLVB, PCA, Pcfruit, PCG, PCH, PCS, PSKW, VCBT). Research programmes optimally coordinated and grouped into one research programme per subsector, resulting in one annual report covering 800+ trials and projects with public funding.
• Coöperatie HoogstratencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial support for operating and investment costs. Coöperatie Hoogstraten participates in project-based research costs and provides logistical support for start-up and development of various projects. Major supporter since 1955 alongside PCH and VITO Hoogstraten.
• Interreg Vlaanderen-Nederland consortium (ENERGLIK project)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean cross-border cooperation funding climate-neutral greenhouse horticulture research. Includes Thomas More, Botany, Wageningen University, Maurice Kassenbouw, Plant Lighting, and Maastricht University as partners.
• Thomas MoremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in ENERGLIK project for energy-efficient greenhouse horticulture innovation.
• BiobestmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration in Biosupport project to develop prediction models for beneficials and pests in greenhouse horticulture. Creating Decision Support System (DSS) to support growers in determining control strategies.
• KU LeuvenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner in NeViCON project for sustainable management of Nezara viridula in pepper, cucumber, and aubergine cultivation.
• Proefstation voor Groenteteelt (PSKW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in PraKeTo project for ToBRFV virus management in tomato cultivation, along with PCG, Scientia Terrae, and six tomato growers.
• PcfruitmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in MUCOR project for management of Mucor fruit rot fungus in strawberry, providing practical validation of strategies.
• ILVOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in MUCOR project (Vlaio landbouwtraject HBC.2021.1051) for analyzing Mucor cases in strawberry.
• InagromajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in Zero Waste project for sustainable valorization of waste streams from vertical cultivation in greenhouse horticulture.
• UGentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Zero Waste project (VLAIO-LA HBC.2020.3193) for developing sustainable cultivation techniques and valorization of plant residues.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ILVO (Instituut voor Landbouw-, Visserij- en Voedingsonderzoek): Flemish government agricultural, fisheries, and food research institute with much broader mandate and resources. Participates in many of the same projects (e.g., MUCOR) and consortia, but operates at significantly larger scale across all agricultural sub-sectors.
• Wageningen University & Research: Netherlands-based global leader in agricultural and horticultural research. Partner in ENERGLIK and similar cross-border projects. Much larger scale and broader crop/geography coverage; competes for the same EU funding and high-end research commissions.

Direct peers

• PCG (Provinciaal Proefcentrum voor de Groenteteelt): Provincial Belgian vegetable research center covering greenhouse vegetable trials and grower advisory. Closely aligned as a member of Praktijkcentra Plant and AGHRANT networks, with overlapping crop scope and funding channels.
• Pcfruit: Belgian fruit research center collaborating with Proefcentrum Hoogstraten on the MUCOR project (Mucor fruit rot in strawberry). Comparable applied research/advisory model focused on fruit cultivation with similar GEP-related capabilities.
• Delphy: Dutch horticultural consultancy and applied research provider offering crop advisory, trials, and digital tools for greenhouse growers. Directly comparable business model combining fee-based advisory services with applied research for protected horticulture.
• Inagro: Flemish agricultural and horticultural research and advisory center with comparable applied research scope across multiple crops. Strong overlap in greenhouse trials, advisory services, and EU project participation, with broader crop coverage than Proefcentrum Hoogstraten.
• PSKW (Proefstation voor Groenteteelt Sint-Katelijne-Waver): Belgian vegetable research station sharing greenhouse trial infrastructure, advisory services, and AGHRANT network participation with Proefcentrum Hoogstraten. Most direct peer for tomato and vegetable research in the Flemish system.

Emerging players

• Thomas More University of Applied Sciences: Belgian university of applied sciences with horticultural research programs. Partner in ENERGLIK project alongside Proefcentrum Hoogstraten; emerging applied research capacity in greenhouse technology and sustainable cultivation systems.

Regional players

• NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany): UK-based applied agricultural and horticultural research organization offering variety trials, agronomy services, and contract research. Comparable applied research and advisory service model, primarily serving UK growers.

Others

• Agrolink Vlaanderen: Collaboration platform of 18 Flemish knowledge institutions of which Proefcentrum Hoogstraten is a member. Not a direct competitor but a key network partner for coordinated research programs and policy engagement in Flemish agriculture and horticulture.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/proefcentrum-hoogstraten

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Proefcentrum Hoogstraten