UK Urban AgriTech (UKUAT)

🎄 Join Us for the Final UKUAT Networking Lunch of 2024! 🎉 Let’s wrap up the year with festive cheer, great conversations, and exciting reflections on what’s to come in 2025! 🌟 📆When: Thursday, 19th December 🕛Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM 🎤Hosts: Mark Horler & Katia Kouloumprouka Zacharaki 📢 Topic: Feast and Network- The Last of 2024! ✨ 👥 Who’s Invited: All UKUAT members 🔗 How to Join: Check your inbox for the link ahead of the event. What to Bring: 🎁 Your favorite festive drinks and nibbles 🎄 Something jolly to wear (optional but encouraged!) This is your chance to connect with enthusiastic individuals, organisational members, and academics from across the urban agritech space while celebrating the year that’s been. Don’t miss this opportunity to mingle all the way 🎶🎄!

Real-time plant feedback shows higher yield and lower light consumption "We're super excited about the results of this lighting study, as growers can have a 'Green Conversation' for the first time. Roughly speaking, we 'ask' the plant how it feels about producing more biomass, and based on the 'reply' we get, adjustments are immediately made to the growing conditions," says Dr. Jim Stevens, Senior Innovation Consultant at InnoPhyte Consulting, a provider of Science-as-a-Service startup. This UKRI-funded research focuses on a vertical farming system for cultivating basil that optimizes light usage by adjusting it in real-time to meet the plants' needs, addressing the challenge of high energy costs. Amongst others, InnoPhyte aims to show how chlorophyll fluorescence could be used in a feedback system. At the heart of the device is a chlorophyll fluorescence probe linked via computer to LED lights, allowing it to detect plant stress and adjust light intensity accordingly. https://lnkd.in/e5NBQcMq

That brings us to the end of CropTec 2024!🌱✨Thank you to everyone who joined us! #CropTec #arable #arablefarming #arablemachinery #farm #farmlife

"It’s so good to spend some time away from the computer.” Yesterday we had our first Festive Wreath Making workshop of the year 🎄 and it was so much fun! Using fresh, aromatic herbs—that can be grown on our hydroponic systems—we added a unique touch (and scent!) to these festive decorations. 🎄✨️ Take a look 👇 👇 #officefarm #corporatesustainability #growatwork #urbanfarm #officefarming #wreathmaking

Each new V-FAST vertical farm is designed to deliver high-quality, fresh food at a lower cost compared to traditional indoor farms using grid energy. The consortium's partners are exploring innovative projects that combine vertical farming with renewable energy generation and High-Density Hydro® energy storage. Together, we're setting the stage for a more sustainable and efficient future in food production! 💡  #VFAST #VerticalFarming #RenewableEnergy #SustainableFuture

🌳 This #NationalTreeWeek, we’re proud to showcase one of our newer UKUAT members, The Tree Lab who are redefining how we grow trees for #sustainable forestry and reforestation. Based in Scotland, The Tree Lab combines cutting-edge technology with a commitment to nature. Using vertical farming techniques, they start trees indoors under LED lights, creating the ideal environment for growth before transitioning them to #polytunnels or outdoor settings. Here’s how The Tree Lab is driving innovation in forestry: 🌱 Fast and Predictable Starts: Tailored, climate-controlled environments allow trees to #germinate year-round, ensuring timely and reliable planting stock. 🌿 Accelerated Growth Cycles: Advanced growing methods speed up tree development to address seedling shortages and meet planting demands. 🌱 Enhanced Survival Rates: Optimised conditions lead to higher survival rates and more efficient use of scarce seeds, including those from rare or ancient trees. 🔬 A Hub for Research: Their facility supports cutting-edge R&D, testing growth media and collaborating with academia to improve tree health and resilience. 🔒 Reduced Disease Threat: Enclosed systems during the early stages minimise disease risk and reduce the need for pesticides. 🌳 Supporting Nature: By complementing traditional forestry methods, The Tree Lab ensures a reliable, sustainable local tree supply. Through innovation and sustainability, The Tree Lab is helping to create healthier forests and greener futures. Give them a follow and check out their instagram to see their progress! https://lnkd.in/eNjt4hmv #Sustainability #ForestryInnovation #UrbanAgriTech #Reforestation #TheTreeLab

Another brilliant conference hosted by Rhianna Rees and the Scottish Seaweed Industry Association in Oban last week. Here are some key takeaways: 🌿 Seaweed biostimulant = a cash crop: Seaweed biostimulants are poised to become the industry's primary revenue driver. 🔬 More research required: Farmers need multi-year studies to validate seaweed's benefits. Ongoing trials are essential to solidify this revenue stream. 🌊 Seaweed’s next evolution: Novel compounds like fucoidan will drive the next phase of the seaweed industry. 📊 Know your seaweed: Farmers must track species, strain, harvest conditions, and composition to confidently match products with the right buyers. 🏗️ Think big: Scaling up is key to reducing costs and driving the next evolution of the industry. For a more detailed reflection on the 2024 SSIA conference, visit the following link. https://lnkd.in/eUaAUP-6

We will co-fund up to eight studentships in our PhD projects call.📣 💰 🥼 Academic partners are invited to submit industrially-relevant PhD projects that work with an industry partner and start in October 2025. All areas and sectors of IB are eligible. Projects must have an industrial partner. Applications are invited until midday on 2 December 2024. https://buff.ly/4eYoBPJ #biotechnology #industrialbiotechnology #IB #PhD #PhDproject #futureworkforce #skills #skillsandtraining #PhDStudentship

We're very proud to be one of 13 tech companies selected to be showcased at the COP29 UK Pavilion. Aeroponic technology can help us grow more food, with less impact on the environment. Learn more about the innovators at the UK Pavilion: https://lnkd.in/eYYiFByK #UKatCOP29 #COP29 #sustainablefarming #sustainablefood

🌍🌾 Imagine fresh salads and fruits grown right in Scotland's central belt, powered entirely by local renewable energy! The V-FAST consortium is working to make it a reality with their innovative combination of vertical farms and energy storage technologies. By stacking crops in soil-free, climate-controlled environments, these farms minimise water, fertiliser, and pesticide use, making them not just efficient but environmentally friendly too. 🍃 Get ready for a new era of sustainable food production in Scotland!  #VerticalFarms #Sustainability #ScotlandGrows #VFAST