United Arab Emirates

AeroFarms starts building AgX research center in Abu Dhabi

Thu, 24 Jun 2021 19:36:24 GMT

Newark, N.J.-based AeroFarms, a Certified B Corporation and indoor vertical greens grower, has started building AeroFarms AgX Ltd., its wholly owned subsidiary, in Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates.

AeroFarms AgX is should be open and running in the first quarter of 2022, according to a news release.

In partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, AeroFarms AgX’s goal is to advance sustainable controlled environment agriculture and vertical farming and help address broader global agriculture supply chain issues.

In 2020, the investment office agreed to provide $150 million in incentives to bring global agtech pioneers to Abu Dhabi, including its partnership with AeroFarms to build a vertical farming facility dedicated to developing next-generation agriculture in arid and desert climates.

The research at AeroFarms AgX is expected to enable new business lines, technologies and growth of the AeroFarms platform, while serving as a hub for regional expansion.

“This important milestone for AeroFarms AgX is another step in the realization of Abu Dhabi’s mission to ‘turn the desert green,’” Tariq Bin Hendi, general director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, said in the release. “AeroFarms AgX will add to the growing capabilities of Abu Dhabi’s agriculture ecosystem while benefiting from the emirate’s plentiful land, natural heat, competitive energy prices, access to research universities and skilled talent.”

At 54,000 square feet, AeroFarms AgX will employ a projected 60 engineers, horticulturists and scientists and will have laboratories for organoleptic research and precision phenotyping, phytochemical analysis, advanced speed breeding, as well as next-generation machine vision, machine learning, robotics and automation.

AeroFarms AgX will work with local universities on research projects to tackle problems of agriculture within desert and arid climates.

“This is an important development for AeroFarms as we expand globally and leverage our R&D and growing expertise,” AeroFarms cofounder and CEO David Rosenberg said in the release. Researchers will work in plant science, vertical farming and automation, accelerating innovation cycles and commercializing products.

“Our vision has always been to leverage our expertise in plant biology and build on our successful history of collaborating with government, universities, industry and major international companies,” Rosenberg said. “We are pleased to take this step forward and proud to be a catalyst for helping to establish the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as a global hub for AgTech innovation.”

Founded in 2004, AeroFarms has grown more than 550 varieties and developed multi-year strategic partnerships ranging from government to major Fortune 500 companies to help solve agriculture supply chain needs.

On March 26, AeroFarms agreed to combine businesses with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: SV). Upon the closing of the business combination, AeroFarms will become publicly traded on NASDAQ under the new ticker symbol, “ARFM.”

AeroFarms debuts R&D vertical farm in UAE

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 20:45:26 GMT

Vertical farming company AeroFarms has officially unveiled AeroFarms AgX, its newest indoor vertical farm focused on bringing innovative R&D to the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East.

At 65,000 square feet, AeroFarms AgX is the largest indoor vertical farm of its kind for R&D in the world, according to a news release.

“AeroFarms has been expanding globally for both our commercial and R&D indoor vertical farms, leveraging our growing expertise and proprietary technology platform that can help solve a broader array of agricultural challenges,” David Rosenberg, co-founder and CEO of AeroFarms, said in the release. “We are incredibly proud of the amazing international turnout and support at the highest levels for our grand opening of AeroFarms AgX, and our ongoing partnership with Abu Dhabi Investment Office reflects our bigger commitment to help transform agriculture, accelerate innovating cycles, and commercialize new products for the region and the world.”

With the support of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, AeroFarms AgX will advance next-generation agriculture in arid and desert environments, the release said.

The facility is supported by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office as part of its goal to create sustainable investment opportunities to further next-generation agriculture in arid and desert environments, the release.

AeroFarms AgX has already made several key hires locally and will employ over 60 engineers, horticulturists and scientists for its high-tech laboratories conducting organoleptic research and precision phenotyping, phytochemical analysis, as well as research on next-generation machine vision, machine learning, robotics and automation, the release said.

AeroFarms AgX plays a key role in Abu Dhabi’s agtech ecosystem by working with local companies and universities on research projects to tackle problems of agriculture within desert and arid climates.

Related: The Whole Foods Market deal with indoor vertical farm brand AeroFarms

A ribbon cutting and grand opening began with a keynote address by Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, UAE minister of climate change and environment; included a collaboration agreement signing with UAE investment company Silal; and concluded with an inaugural first bite of greens, led by Rosenberg, and a tour of the leading R&D projects happening at AeroFarms AgX.

“Abu Dhabi has made it a priority to advance technological solutions that further economic progress for the region and beyond, and agtech falls perfectly into this category,” Abdulla Abdul Aziz AlShamsi, acting director general of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, said in the release. “ADIO’s mission is to help innovative companies like AeroFarms start, scale, and succeed in Abu Dhabi by providing access to the emirate’s innovation ecosystem and infrastructure. We’re excited for AeroFarms to start the next phase of its journey and contribute to solving global agriculture challenges from its advanced facility in the UAE capital.”

One of the goals for AeroFarms AgX is to be a hub of innovation, bringing together key strategic partners like Cargill and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture’s Precision Indoor Plants Consortium for R&D collaboration, according to the release.

AeroFarms signed a formal collaboration agreement with Silal, advancing earlier exploratory work under a memorandum of understanding. The collaboration is expected to focus on improving the genetics and seedling quality of vegetable and fruit varieties to become more resilient and tolerant to extreme growing conditions, the release said.

The quality of a seedling is an essential factor for crop establishment, growth and yield. The partnership will also focus on evaluating and testing crops that have large consumer demand, including tomatoes and peppers. The trials and experiments on the crops will be conducted at AeroFarms AgX.

AeroFarms will be hosting its Second Annual AeroFarms AgTech Innovation Summit at the Rosewood Hotel in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 16, bringing together over 24 speakers and over 750 participants from more than 60 countries to discuss the future of food and agriculture, the release said.

Crop One Holdings wins indoor farming award

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:20:59 GMT

Oakland, Calif.-based vertical farm operator Crop One Holdings won the Best Innovation in Indoor Farming Award at the 2019 Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The company, which also owns FreshBox Farms in Millis, Mass., was recognized for being a leader in confronting core environmental, economic and social issues, including combining spatial optimization with resource efficiency to grow leafy greens year-round, according to a Crop One news release.

In 2018, the company announced a $40 million joint venture agreement with Emirates Flight Catering to build a vertical farming facility in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The controlled environment facility will be 130,000 square feet and use much less water than outdoor farms use to produce three tons of herbicide-free and pesticide-free leafy greens daily, according to the release.

“This award is a testament to our commitment to responsibly feed our planet’s 7.4 billion people,” Crop One Holdings CEO Sonia Lo said in the release. “We are firm believers in building a more sustainable world and aim to continue being a thought leader in this industry.”

The company’s patented grow process allows its farm to grow 400 acres worth of outdoor-grown produce in 1 acre of warehouse space, according to the release.

Environmental sustainability, innovation, productivity and impact was the global conference’s judging criteria.

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