A growing market

As the indoor vertical farming industry is rapidly advancing across all aspects, including technology innovation and adoption, cultivation knowledge and procedures, market growth and consumer awareness, to name a few, the UHF R&D facilities in Venlo and Brussels are key to identifying and personalising our process. In addition to fine-tuning our methods, these facilities present the opportunity to combine sources of expertise along with knowledge of in-house employees to fine-tune cultivation procedures and growing conditions.

The pace of the growing market is an opportunity for UHF to further strengthen our expertise. Not only will we have access to the highest quality products and services, we will also have access to the wide range of intellectual property, expertise and advice from the growing industries and sources that feed into the indoor vertical farming industry. Some of these sources include:

Commercial consultants: More and more consultants worldwide are embracing the indoor cultivation techniques perfected in vertical farming. With this level of entry into the field, the UHF growers and farm managers have more opportunities than ever before for technical and operational support.

Research institutions and/or universities: Despite being a young industry, universities and research institutions have eagerly adopted higher education programs to study and prepare the next generation of professionals and often are at the forefront of uncovering new techniques. By accessing these sources, UHF will have up-to-the-minute information and research on all aspects of the industry.

Seed companies: Many larger seed suppliers have their own research facilities and test varieties specific for indoor cultivation before putting them at commercial scale in the market. Growers at seed companies can provide very valuable information on the growing conditions for the seeds they sell, and will be an important source for growers and managers at UHF farms as we continue to test new products.

Suppliers: Lighting and climate companies are invaluable sources of information on the operation, maintenance and efficiency of their products from their own in-house research activities. As such an important part of the efficiency of our farms, UHF will lean on the expertise of our suppliers to ensure our facilities are functioning at optimal levels.

Substrate suppliers: While these companies generally don’t provide cultivation knowledge, they are experts on the substrate materials on the market, and are able to advise on irrigation methods and strategies specific to the hydroponic growing process we conduct at Urban Health Farms.

Currently, UHF is conducting R&D at our facilities in Brussels and Venlo with commercial research entities and consultants where our team is gaining valuable insight, experience and knowhow on standard operating procedures, as well as helping us to streamline the growing process. Simultaneously, we will soon open the UHF Campus at the expanded Venlo facility for crop validation and testing. Here, we will also identify new crops that can be grown in a vertical farm to the benefit of our growing customer base.

Our ongoing recruitment of new talent and expertise will expand our team of professionals. As a team, UHF talent will work under the guidance and expertise of our in-house expertise as well as working closely with our partners and advisors and the ever-expanding industry sources.