Crop Scientist Internship

Farmvent; Wageningen; Remote; EUR 6,700 - 10,000; Full time

Job summary

Farmvent in Wageningen is seeking a Plant Sciences intern for our R&D team to design and run experiments on microgreens, leafy greens and hydroponic substrates, with results deployed in client locations within months.

Starting January 2027 for 4–6 months at World Food Center ROOTS Innovation Campus in Ede, you will own research from hypothesis to harvest, collaborate with engineering and business teams, and gain real-world impact.

Qualifications

• Enrolled MSc student in Plant Sciences at a Dutch university.
• Available for 4–6 months.
• Startup mindset: scrappy, proactive, results-driven.
• Passion for sustainable food systems and vertical farming.
• Must remain enrolled at a Dutch higher education institution during the internship.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute experiments with hydroponic substrates, microgreens, and herbs.
• Optimize pre-sown cultivation protocols for in-store vertical farming systems.
• Analyze growth data and translate findings into actionable insights.
• Support farm operations and maintenance at client locations.
• Collaborate closely with our engineering and business teams.

Skills

Startup mindset

Autonomy

Results-driven

Passion for sustainable food systems

Proactive

Education

MSc in Plant Sciences

Tools

Hydroponic cultivation

Substrate research

Job description

We're looking for a Plant Sciences intern to join our R&D team and help shape the science behind our onsite vertical farming systems. You'll design and run your own experiments on microgreens, leafy greens, and hydroponic substrates — and see your results deployed in real client locations within months.

This isn't a support role. You'll own your research from hypothesis to harvest.

Starting : January2027

Duration: 4–6 months

& World Food Center - ROOTS Innovation Campus - Ede

Compensation: Monthly allowance

Responsibilities

• Design and execute experiments with hydroponic substrates, microgreens, and herbs
• Optimize pre-sown cultivation protocols for in-store vertical farming systems
• Analyze growth data and translate findings into actionable insights
• Support farm operations and maintenance at client locations
• Collaborate closely with our engineering and business teams

Must Have

• Currently enrolled MSc student in Plant Sciences (or related field) at a Dutch institution
• Available for 4-6 months
• Startup mindset: scrappy, proactive, results-driven
• Passion for sustainable food systems and vertical farming
• Proactive, results-driven, and comfortable working with a high degree of autonomy
• You must remain enrolled at a Dutch higher education institution throughout the entire internship period

Nice to have

• Ability to adapt quickly in a fast-paced startup environment
• Additional languages
• Comfort with remote communication and independent work
• Experience with hydroponic cultivation or substrate research

What We Offer

Real-world impact — Your R&D work directly shapes commercial vertical farming systems used by actual customers — not theoretical prototypes.

Competitive compensation — Monthly internship allowance.

Lead your own research — Full ownership of substrate and microgreens experiments, from design through to implementation.

Startup immersion — See firsthand how innovations move from lab bench to live market in a fast-paced agtech environment.

WUR ecosystem access — Based at StartHub Wageningen, with direct connections to founders, investors, and the broader university network.

Cross-functional learning — Collaborate with engineers, business teams, and clients. This is far more than lab work.

Career launchpad — Over 90% of our interns transition into a paid role at Farmvent or within our network after graduation.

Mentorship — Guidance from experienced plant scientists, with opportunities to contribute to publications.

Entrepreneurial skills — Build real business acumen: pitching experience, startup methodology, and commercial thinking alongside your technical expertise.

Purpose-driven mission — Contribute to sustainable food systems while building a portfolio of tangible, real-world achievements.

What's great in the job?

Real ownership — You lead your own R&D project, not just assist. Your experiments directly determine what goes to market.

Fast impact — See your work deployed at actual client locations within months. Startup speed beats corporate bureaucracy every time.

Full-cycle learning — Experience the full journey: research → prototype → customer deployment. Walk away with both scientific depth and real business skills.

Founder access — Work directly with leadership in a small team where your voice genuinely shapes decisions.

Career launchpad — We're proud that over 90% of our interns transition into a paid role at Farmvent or within our network after graduation. This internship is genuinely the front door to a full-time career in agtech.

Perfect timing — Vertical farming is exploding. Build deep expertise in a booming field right from the ground up.

WUR ecosystem — Based at StartHub on Wageningen Campus. Network with entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators from day one.

Scientific freedom — Design experiments, test hypotheses, and learn from failures. The perfect balance of structure and creativity.

Genuine mission — Tackle real food security and sustainability challenges with tangible solutions — not paperwork.

Human scale — A small, passionate team with weekly celebrations and a culture where you're valued, not just a number.

Inclusive culture — A collaborative team that actively values diverse perspectives and backgrounds.

Farmvent is revolutionizing urban food production by bringing vertical farms directly into retail spaces and restaurants. We combine automation, IoT, and plant science to enable hyperlocal, sustainable food production at scale.

Our mission:

Make fresh, locally-grown produce accessible everywhere while minimizing environmental impact.

We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.

We're a small, passionate team moving fast. Here, your work goes straight to market, not into a drawer.