Research Areas
Driving Innovation Across the CEA Value Chain
FIT4CEA develops and validates innovations across the full range of CEA sustainability dimensions: environmental, social, and economic.
AI & Autonomous Cultivation
Machine learning and computer vision for real-time crop monitoring, predictive analytics, and autonomous decision-making. Our AI systems process environmental plant data from thousands of sensors to optimise growth conditions dynamically.
Sensing, IoT & Photonics
Connected sensors and LED lighting drive precision cultivation and energy-efficient, crop-specific light recipes, combined with robotics and AI-based phenotyping for automated environmental control.
Water & Nutrient Systems
Closed-loop hydroponic and aquaponic systems with real-time nutrient monitoring, reducing water use by up to 90% compared to open-field farming. We develop sustainable nutrient delivery and recycling technologies.
Fossil-free Production Systems
Solar, geothermal, and waste-heat recovery systems combined with fossil-free building integration enable carbon-neutral CEA operations. We design energy systems matched to the unique demand profiles of controlled environments.
Novel Crops & Nutrition
Investigating new food crops with enhanced nutritional profiles including micronutrients, proteins, and bioactive compounds. We explore microgreens, edible flowers, and specialty vegetables optimised for CEA production.
Sustainability and Social Acceptance Assessment
Assessing the environmental, economic and social sustainability of CEA systems using LifeCycle Analysis, including future prospects and circularity. We subsequently exploretradeoffs with help of Multi-Criteria Analysis and evaluate the social acceptance of CEAsystems and products with a survey in 8 European countries.
This project is funded by the European Union, under the grant no. 101287460.
Contact:
info@fit4cea.eu
Project Coordinator:
Professor Leo Marcelis
leo.marcelis@wur.nl
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