Singapore – Signify, a world leader in lighting, has launched its first global virtual horticulture knowledge centre. The centre will provide profound research insights and advanced lighting solutions for growers in Singapore and the region that will help Singapore and Asia produce local, pesticide-free vegetables grown in a sustainable way. The centre is Signify’s first virtual horticultural knowledge-based research centre. It aims to enable urban growers to access knowledge residing with Signify’s teams and specialists, expertise in its proven growth recipes and its portfolio of products and services. Research insights gathered by Signify’s physical research hubs, the GrowWise Center in Eindhoven and BrightBox in Venlo, since 2015 will also be made available over this virtual centre.
The centre covers all critical knowledge required to successfully build a vertical farm or modern greenhouse including plant science, lighting application, Internet of Things (IoT) control and engineering design. Through the centre, apart from sharing its international expertise, Signify also aims to grow its presence in Southeast Asia and the Pacific region. As a region with one of the most rapidly growing urban populations, Asia needs to grow food more sustainably and smarter to feed its people. For Singapore, food security is a pressing issue as the majority of its food is imported and supply disruptions due to the pandemic have increased the urgency to build a more resilient food future.
Signify seeks to support Singapore’s “30 by 30” goal to build up its agri-food industry’s capability and capacity to produce 30 percent of nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030. With the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), Signify will boost the ability of local vegetable growers to achieve high-quality crops and higher yields by tapping into the more than 150 growth recipes the company has developed and the center’s research bank to implement technology such as integrated climate control systems that create the ideal growing conditions for crops.
“The success of any urban farming endeavour requires not only the right technological solutions but knowledge in optimizing growth recipes that determine the ideal growing conditions for achieving better results. Through the new Center of Excellence, Signify will share deep insights cultivated over many years of research to growers in Singapore and put them on the best possible path to achieve higher yields, enhanced taste and increased level of nutrients and vitamins in crops,” said Jitender Khurana, Country Head and Managing Director, Signify Singapore.
