'Inspiring ideas on the use of artificial intelligence in the green sector'

On 9 January, Veiling Rhein-Maas held its Customer and Supplier Day for the first time after a three-year break due to the coronavirus pandemic. The main topic of the event was "Artificial intelligence and its impact and opportunities for the green sector." Attendees learned a lot about the different types of artificial intelligence (AI), the latest developments in this area, and the opportunities that it holds for the flower and plant trade and the logistical sector. The topic was met with great interest from Veiling RheinMaas customers and suppliers, with around 500 of them joining us for the day.

Cees Hoekstra

"We are particularly pleased that we were finally able to hold our Customer and Supplier Day again. We were able to build on the success of the events before the pandemic - as demonstrated by the good attendance and the lively discussions between our attendees
and with the exhibitors. In addition, many people in our sector are now starting to take a closer look at the use of AI in horticulture, so we really had our finger on the pulse with the main topic for our Customer and Supplier Day," explained Günther Esser and Cees Hoekstra, Managing Directors of Veiling Rhein-Maas. Jürgen Schultz, owner of Schultz Blumenhandel & Logistik in Straelen-Herongen, also confirmed this positive impression. "It was very nice to once again be able to meet directly with so many other suppliers and other contacts from Veiling Rhein-Maas. The fact that 500 people attended clearly shows that the Customer and Supplier Day was exactly the right event to start the year. I took the opportunity to take part and had many good conversations."

At the beginning of the event, Günther Esser and Cees Hoekstra presented the latest developments, projects, and activities of the auction. This was followed by a guest lecture by Dr Lea Beiermann, a renowned economist and author in the field of AI who works for Ada Learning GmbH. In her presentation, she outlined the development of AI in recent years right up to the release of ChatGPT, which made AI accessible to the masses for the first time. Dr Beiermann also discussed the differences between classic and generative AI and explained terms such as machine learning and deep learning. She then went over the different areas of the sector in which the various forms of AI can be used, and in some cases already are. Examples included the care and health monitoring of plants, interactions with customers, inventory management, market and trend analyses, and the use of resources such as electricity and light. In all these areas, AI can be used to optimize and automate processes or create recommendations for action based on existing data.