URBAN HARVEST – Indoor Farming Systems and Consultancy – Brussels, Belgium

Urban farm indoor 1

 

Introduction:

Urban Harvest is a young engineering company active in the development and commercialisation of vertical farming solutions with a focus upon cutting propagation techniques, strawberries and leafy green production. The Company focuses upon offering problem solving technology which is both effective and affordable, based upon commercial experience as herb growers for large scale retailers. They provide vertical farming technology, contract researching for specific projects and also consultancy services. These include technical, commercial and financial.

Indoor farming systems based upon cutting propagation methods:

Urban Harvest utilises cutting propagation techniques which result in the highest genetic match between parent plants and their offspring. These solutions allow for a predictable yield throughout the year.

Why indoor Farming?

Urban Harvest considers that indoor farming techniques can solve common problems associated with propagation in greenhouses, including eliminating unpredictable climate and growing conditions. They believe that vertical stacking in indoor farms is more efficient, as space is expensive in greenhouses, with cuttings requiring too much area. The Company considers that vertical farming techniques can lead to greatly improved yields per m2 and can ensure higher-quality rooting of young plant cuttings.

Leafy greens and microgreen indoor farming system:

Urban Harvest promote the growing of local, tasty and sustainable leafy greens and micro greens in just about any location. Such produce is easy to grow and vertical farms are becoming a very popular model for agricultural production all over the world. Demand for these crops is increasing. Year-round sustainable production from indoor farming systems can help new entrepreneurs to create robust supply chains and provides interesting new niche markets.

Strawberry Production:

The Company has developed an indoor strawberry growing system. Strawberries are a product which are very much in demand, however, they can’t traditionally be grown everywhere due to environmental constraints. Indoor farms make this possible. Furthermore, production can be kept as local as possible to ensure the quality of the strawberries is not impacted through transportation issues. Urban Harvest’s indoor farming systems control temperature, humidity and ventilation. They see that the face of agriculture is changing around the world; new technologies, like our indoor farms, can also reduce climatic impacts such as increased droughts and unpredictable rainfall.

Business mentoring and consultancy services for new vertical farming start-ups:

Urban Harvest also provides business mentoring support to new UA start-ups. Their team is able to provide expertise in the following topics:

  • Feasibility analysis of business and technical plans

  • Sourcing and procurement of engineering partners and technical suppliers

  • Ensuring competitive procurement procedures

  • Project management - from technical concepts to operational farms

  • Plant research to identify market niches

  • Setting up and training operational teams

  • Sales and business support

Urban Harvest identify workable solutions which include engineering, operations, HR and business development. The Company’s core values include transparency, efficiency and innovation. They aim to help new entrepreneurs to test out prototypes and concepts whilst minimising technical and financial risks.

Interview d'Alexandre VAN DEUN-Urban Harvest