What was the challenge/ problem addressed?
The droughts which accompany us more frequently and unfortunately reliably require a rethinking and/or new ways of thinking. We see an indoor farm which can be operated CO2-neutral and economically as an important contribution to take this into account. Furthermore, the plants should be produced ecologically, in the sense of nature conservation and to gain the necessary acceptance in the society. Therefore the project idea is to realise an indoor farm (also called vertical farm),which will supply our region (or the concept for it of course also other regions) with your agricultural products ,and is CO2-neutral, sustainable and practically automated; Through an energy-neutral and as automated as possible plant production, the added value of the products shall be increased and these agricultural products will attract high prices in the market, this in turn will make farmers to have an increase in their farming business. The products will have been produced in a friendly and healthy environment.
How did you solve the problem?
In order to produce CO2-neutral products, the entire product cycle or CO2 footprint ( Scope 1,2 and 3 according to the greenhouse gas protocol) must be considered. The project activity is to work out the requirements for a CO2-neutral footprint together with an energy consulting company. This includes for example, the sustainable use of materials, the design of energy supply (e.g. by means of a PV system, geothermal energy or a CHP unit) as well as environmental aspects such as the exclusive use of rainwater for irrigation without drinking water consumption.
What is innovative in your practical case?
Our project offers a new approach regarding practice use, automated software and benefit.
What are the success factors in solving the problem?
Success factors are some new findings in technique but also we found out that new technique always needs time to be developed.
Unexpected fails, if any
So far there is no failure.
Lessons learned
Since the project is just in the conceptual phase,alot has not been learnt but we believe that as it progresses we are learning:So far some of the learnings include:
We have come to realise that it is not always beneficial to clearly tell the project aims in detail (as the application for this supported project wants to have). Sometimes it is better to just keep the aim of the project in focus.
So far, we have also realised that having a clear objective of the project and plan of project activities is important for the project to succeed in a better way. Having specialists on board is very key as they offer their professional experiences as well as their views in determining the next steps of a project.
What role does the advisor or advisory service play within the practical case?
They were sharing knowledge and assisting in determining the next steps of the projects according to the plan of activities.
Can your approach be transferred and/or adapted for other innovation challenges and regions?
Yes.
For sharing the experience on the good practice, please contact Martin Obermair (MartinObermair@web.de)
