Demeter42 A story of supervisor-student collaboration
The tension between limited resources and population growth is a pressing global challenge. The greenhouse industry plays an important role in addressing this challenge. However, the industry also faces emerging problems: the number of experienced growers is declining and young people show less interest in agriculture. Wageningen University spin-off company, Demeter42, revolutionises agriculture using new technology like AI and modelling. This not only improves efficiency but also inspires young students to engage with new technologies in horticulture.
After graduating from Professor Leo Marcelis’s Horticultural Production Physiology Group at Wageningen University & Research, Didi Qian, founder of Demeter42, worked at Delphy, an agricultural consultant company in the Netherlands. She witnessed firsthand the challenges brought by talent shortages and environmental changes in the industry. She believes that technological innovation, especially artificial intelligence and modelling technology, could solve that problem.
Supervisor-student collaboration
In 2018, Didi Qian discussed this idea with Professor Leo Marcelis. Together, they decided to launch the “Big Data Quantification and Modelling for Modern Agriculture” project, combining academic and industry forces to explore how AI and modelling technologies could be applied to intelligent greenhouse systems for real-time analysis and decision-making. After the project was completed in 2024, Didi Qian and another PhD graduate from the project, Dr. Xinyuan Min, founded the Wageningen University spin-off company, Demeter42, with support from supervisors and the Knowledge Transfer Office of Wageningen University & Research. The company applies models and AI algorithms to help clients make informed decisions at every stage of greenhouse design and operation. Demeter42’s mission is to revolutionise agricultural decision-making with the support of AI and modelling technology. Growers can shift from passively responding to proactively predicting, planning and managing production.
Next steps
As Demeter42 continues to grow, Professor Leo Marcelis initiated the forward-looking “Greenhouse in Transition” project. This initiative focuses on exploring more sustainable greenhouse systems and driving the green transformation of the horticultural industry. Professor Leo Marcelis invited Demeter42 to participate in the project, joining forces with the university and numerous industry partners to develop a new generation of greenhouse systems that maximise resource efficiency and flexibly respond to environmental and market changes, thus paving the way for sustainable development and enhanced resilience in the sector.
The future of agriculture lies in people. The collaboration between supervisors and students, as well as the close cooperation between Wageningen University and enterprises, exemplifies how academia and innovative companies can join forces to tackle the challenges of sustainable agriculture and accelerate the green transition. And hopefully, this partnership inspires more young people to engage in modern agriculture thanks to technological innovation and industrial upgrading.
