Ridder is an international family-owned company with more than 65 years of experience in greenhouse horticulture. The company develops solutions for growers in controlled environment agriculture, ranging from mechanical systems for climate control to digital services and robotics. To take the next step toward data-driven and ultimately autonomous greenhouses, Ridder entered into a partnership with NetRom Software. This case describes how that collaboration led to the development of an innovative open platform and how it has helped Ridder establish itself as a recognized innovator in the market.
The greenhouse horticulture sector is evolving rapidly. Companies are becoming larger and more knowledge-intensive, while labor shortages are driving the need for further automation. Modern greenhouses are equipped with a wide range of sensors that allow growers to continuously monitor and adjust variables such as light, water, CO₂, and temperature.
Ronald Debeij, Manager Product Development and R&D at Ridder, sees large-scale data analysis as the foundation for the next phase in digital horticulture. Smart technologies support growers with analytics and predictive insights; the next step is decision-making supported by AI, without requiring manual intervention.
Achieving this requires a platform. For Ridder, it quickly became clear that this platform needed to be open: external providers with expertise in areas such as lighting, irrigation, or CO₂ management must be able to integrate, with data centrally stored and securely managed.
‘‘When facing technological uncertainties, NetRom experts actively contribute and provide proactive guidance. You often do not yet know how well-defined your own ideas are.’’
RONALD DEBEIJ, MANAGER PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT and R&D at RIDDER
Ridder decided to outsource the development of the platform and selected NetRom Software. Within the team, there was initially limited enthusiasm for working with a nearshore partner.
This perception changed after a visit to the NetRom Campus in Romania. Ronald Debeij noted: “By the end of the first day, I had two highly motivated product managers and a very positive software developer.”
The collaboration began with a proof of concept (PoC) for greenhouse managers. This was followed by HortOS—the overarching open platform—and Ridder Productive, a module for benchmarking performance. Debeij explained: “You can say that grower A produces two kilograms more, but if grower B uses less energy per kilogram, who is actually performing better?”
In the years that followed, additional modules were introduced for crop management, yield forecasting, and external integrations. This has enabled Ridder to increasingly automate cultivation decisions, moving toward the development of fully autonomous greenhouses.
Successful collaboration through nearshoring requires more than well-defined contracts. Ronald Debeij stated: “It is essential to remain in control: having a clear vision, well-defined goals, and team members who recognize their contribution in the final outcome. Above all, it requires strong human connection.”
“If we achieve a success here, they celebrate with cake in Romania.” This culture of shared ownership has strengthened the collaboration. Regular demos, in which NetRom team members participate as full colleagues, help maintain engagement and continuous knowledge sharing.
Working in an Agile manner has further reinforced the collaboration. When facing technological uncertainties, NetRom experts actively contribute and provide proactive guidance. As Debeij noted: “You often do not yet know how well-defined your own ideas are.”
The collaboration has helped Ridder strengthen its position as an innovator in the market. Ronald Debeij stated: “NetRom enables us to continue growing as an innovative organization, with recognition from both customers and the market. We have won multiple awards.”
Ridder received the GreenTech Innovation Awards for NoNa+ (water treatment) and the CO₂ Optimizer. Debeij also highlighted the internal impact: “It increases awareness that we are performing well and innovating effectively. Our mechanical products are being controlled more intelligently—demonstrating synergy between our business units.”
From the initial proof of concept (PoC) to an open platform with modules for benchmarking, crop management, and yield forecasting, Ridder—together with NetRom—has established the foundation for the autonomous greenhouse of the future.
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