8.1 million euros for innovative research greenhouse - "START" Project

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding a novel research greenhouse project titled "Sustainable Greenhouse Production Types and Resource Efficient Technologies for Future Cultivation (START)" with €8.1m to be located on the Klein-Altendorf Sustainability Campus of the University of Bonn. The project aims to make greenhouse production more sustainable and resource-efficient by recycling water and nutrients, generating energy through sustainable methods, and eliminating expensive and energy-intensive substrates. The project will focus on deep-water cultivation, in which plants are grown directly in water troughs.

The project is being carried out by a team of experts from different institutions, including the Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES) and the Center for Development Research (ZEF). The bio innovation park Rheinland e.V. is also a partner in the project. The goal is to provide high-quality food in a sustainable way, while also reducing environmental impacts. The project is expected to begin its demonstration operation in 2024.The Center for Development Research (ZEF) of the University of Bonn will study whether such a greenhouse concept could help reduce micronutrient deficiency, particularly in developing nations such as Ghana. The project will run for four years, with the demonstration operation scheduled to begin in 2024.

Read the press release by the University of Bonn here (in German available only)

[Photos by Simon Steiger]