1. Orange Grove Masterclass Agro-Food Entrepreneurship
Athens, 11 &12 December 2013

2. Orange Grove Masterclass Agro-Food Entrepreneurship
The food industry sector is one of the largest and most important manufacturing sectors in Europe. It is
the second largest (after metal) in the manufacturing industry, with 14.5% of total manufacturing
turnover (€917bn for the EU-27).
However, the food industry is characterised by fragmentation. There are few European multinational
companies competing worldwide with a wide variety of products but 99% of all enterprises in the food
sector are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The size of the European common market holds
many opportunities for young companies wishing to stimulate innovation and develop new products
The Netherlands is the world's second largest exporter of agricultural products, after the USA. Together
with the USA and France, the Netherlands is one of the world's three leading producers of vegetables and
fruit. It supplies a quarter of the vegetables that are exported from Europe. Dutch agricultural
entrepreneurs use efficient and sustainable production systems and processes, resulting in a productivity
that is five times higher than the European average. Of the one hundred most competitive products
produced in the Netherlands, about half derive from the agriculture and food sector and Holland is a
global market leader in machinery for, for example, poultry and red meat processing, bakery and cheese
production.
The Food Valley region, centered at Wageningen University and Research Center, is one of the most
authoritative agri-food and nutrition research centers in Europe. StartLife as part of the Food Valley, has
been fostering entrepreneurship and actively supporting agro food entrepreneurs since 2005.
Part of the StartLife “Fostering Entrepreneurship Programme” are masterclasses to facilitate future and
established entrepreneurs in developing an international business proposition.
The Orange Grove Masterclass on Agro-Food Entrepreneurship will explore the potential for Greek young
entrepreneurs and university graduates to explore the possibilities of the European market, tapping into
the Dutch expertise in agro-food entrepreneurship and develop new network contacts.
Programme Orange Grove Masterclass on Agro-Food Entrepreneurship
December 11 - December 12, 2013
Venue: Orange Grove, Vas. Konstantinos 5-7, Athens
Target Content Program: Obtaining (new) knowledge followed by how to use the theory in practice.
Focus on chain industry, policy, politicians, innovations, economic values. What is the added value to the
customer, what is the client perspective.
Welcome Dinner Tuesday December 10, 19.30 -21.30 hrs
Location: Orange Grove Athens
Guests: key note speakers, participants and the organisation
Host: Jan Versteeg, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Day 1 - Wednesday December 11, Morning
Theory and orientation on the agro food domain in Greece and the Netherlands
08.30 - 09.00
Welcome coffee, registration of participants
09.00 - 09.15
Opening by Ambassador Jan Versteeg
09.15 - 10.00
Key notes on the Greek, Dutch and international scope of entrepreneurship with examples
and best practices of customer need trends and demands
Christos Katsanos, DKG Group; Laurens Hartman, Karanika Domaine; Kyriakos Kyriakopoulos,
ALBA Graduate Business School
10.00 – 10.15
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Coffee Break

3. Day 1 - Wednesday December 11, Morning (cont’d)
10.15 - 11.30
Panel discussion with the key note speakers and the participants, developing best practices
11.30 - 12.30
Success story by G. Mitrakas, Morning Tales Wageningen
12.30 - 14.00
Lunch and meet & greet participants and organisation for team formation
Day 1 - Wednesday December 11, Afternoon
Develop your proposition based on customer needs
14.00 - 15.00
From idea to customer need analysis and customer empathy maps by Jan Meiling and Gitte
Schober (StartLife, the Netherlands)
15.00 - 16.00
Development of customer empathy maps by the participants (6 groups)
16.00 - 17.30
Feedback sessions with StartLife, participants and experts on the customer empathy maps
Day 2 - Thursday December 12, Morning
Develop your proposition towards the market need using innovative building blocks
08.30 - 09.00
Welcome coffee
09.00 – 10.30
Key notes on developing and growing your company in Greece and the Netherlands in an
innovation context with Nikos Efthymiadis (Redestos Efthymiadis Agrotechnology) and Bart
Hoeflaak (PPM Oost NV, The Netherlands)
10.30 – 11.15
Panel discussion on company development
11.15 - 11.30
Coffee break
11.30 – 12.00
Lean start-up methodology using customer insights by Jan Meiling and Gitte Schober
(StartLife, the Netherlands)
12.00 – 13.00
Develop your proposition and business model in an innovative and customer oriented
environment
13.00 - 14.00
Lunch
Day 2 Thursday December 12, Afternoon
14.00 – 16.00
(Cont’d) Develop your proposition and business model in an innovative and customer
oriented environment
16.00 - 16.30
Breakout sessions develop a power pitch
16.30 – 17.00
Wrap-up and lessons learned
17.00 - 19.00
Networking event with power pitches of the participants and a Tasting exhibit
Audience: Participants Masterclass, speakers, Wageningen alumni, selection from NL Embassy
agribusiness network, mentors Orange Grove and Agro-media.
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