Innosuisse research projects kicks off to optimize vertical farming

In February 2022, YASAI AG began a collaboration with fenaco, Agroscope and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) as project lead in an Innosuisse research project. Specialists of all partnering institutes work on improving the sustainability, quantity, quality, and profitability of YASAI’s vertical farming operations. The three-year project will be supported with an investment of close to CHF1 million (US$1.08 million) sourced from industrial partners and Innosuisse.

With the Innosuisse project, YASAI aims to demonstrate the feasibility of sustainable vertical farming, integrated into the smart cities of tomorrow. Reducing costs and anchoring sustainability in their production model are key targets. Research results should affect the quality and affordability of YASAI's products.

Climate change, population growth, and loss of arable land threaten the resilience of global and local food systems. Recent events have further exacerbated pressures on agricultural value chains, leading to a global rise in food prices. YASAI is on a mission to democratize access to local, high-0quality food produced sustainably with its soilless vertical farming system. Therefore, a number of fields of research will be performed to secure future local food production.

Sustainability: The Ecotechnologies and Energy Systems Research Unit, ZHAW focuses on circular sustainable solutions in the fields of resource management, energy, and ecosystems, by closing water and nutrient cycles. "Our team will focus on reducing the environmental footprint of YASAI by investigation of substrate quality, and selection of light and fertilizer profiles," said project leader, Dr Zala Schmautz. "The impact of these sustainability aspects will be evaluated using the lifecycle assessment (LCA) method".

Quality: Agroscope, the Swiss Institute for Agricultural Research will focus on the improvements of yield and quality, as well as a comparative study of different crop cultivation systems, led by Agroscope executive member Dr Christoph Carlen.

Packaging solutions: The Food Packaging Research Group, ILGI of the ZHAW aims to develop sustainable and innovative packaging technologies. The team around Professor Dr Selçuk Yildirim will put emphasis on selecting sustainable packaging materials, processes, and designs without compromising the quality of the products.

Profitability: In cooperation with fenaco and the Institute of Natural Resource Sciences of the ZHAW, YASAI will work on improving its farm’s profitability to create a business opportunity for farmers. "The key to profitability lies in scalability and automatization of the processes. We currently produce relatively small volumes and selected products, but aim at increasing these step by step," commented Daniel Schwab, Project Leader - Vertical Farming at fenaco.