In intensive crop production, continuous and repetitive monitoring of systems, greenhouses and crops is required. This is currently done by people however 1) The standard is generally inadequate so issues are missed and the crop suffers (reducing productivity) and 2) There is a substantial cost in management level labour time to do this job (increasing costs). A machine can do this work better and for less cost. There are many emerging approaches to automation and digitalisation of crop cultivation (e.g., monitoring, planting, harvesting) within greenhouses. However, these are currently fragmented, typically bespoke solutions to specific use cases and unaffordable. Most mobile/robotic solutions are only at TRL5 and have practical implementation challenges such as dealing with heating pipes, vibration, accurate positioning, and modularity. The CropMAP project will deliver an extendable, mobile platform with an open interface for the monitoring and automation of greenhouse-based horticulture, initially targeting crop monitoring of leafy-greens, a capability considered to be a critical steppingstone to more complex capabilities such as harvesting. The focus is maximum value through a configurable platform, rather than investigation of the ultimate technologies. CropMAP brings a balanced consortium (combining key players in the leafy-green supply chain with key technology providers), together with a wider user group to realise a platform to 1) Systematically address the need, 2) Establish the fundamentals of an open modular approach, 3) Achieve the necessary cost-effectiveness through the commonality and scalability of the generic solution, applicable across a broad base of greenhouse applications. CropMAP will deliver significant long-term, practical, improvements in productivity, resilience and sustainability. 1) Better productivity through establishing an affordable through-life-cycle mobile platform, maximising commonality, and creating an associated engineering services model. 2) Greater resilience through an adaptable approach, where attachments can be progressively added to address new functional requirements. 3) Improved sustainability, through the platform's flexibility, supporting value-adding activities through all crop lifecycle phases. CropMAP will offer widespread benefits to the consortium, other growers, and tech vendors through 1) An open approach for future technology partners to add capabilities to CropMAP whilst protecting their own IP 2) Offering (initially leafy green) growers a usable platform as an affordable entry point for automation. CropMAP will address growers' scepticism of new technology and, most importantly, cost (both absolute capital cost and relative cost vs person time). It will unlock the potential for adoption of robotics solutions in horticulture, and facilitate a UK offering to a huge global market.

The RIPEHouse project aims to revolutionise Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) through the development of an innovative 'Natural Light Growing' solution which harnesses the full spectrum of natural daylight and optimises light-mediated processes in plants using biostimulants to produce high quality crops with enhanced nutritional and flavour characteristics. The project will create a step-change in the sustainability, productivity and competitiveness of domestic fruit and vegetable growing compared to conventional glasshouse production. By improving the resilience of the plants and optimising the natural light environment, the project will also extend the production season and remove the need for pesticides in production.

Saturn Bioponics are working on a collaborative project with leading fresh produce growers ValeFresco, to prove and showcase the benefits that the Saturn Grower vertical growing system offers in a commercial growing environment. The project will demonstrate the 2.5-3.5 yield increase and reduced costs of production the system delivers on leafy crops, with particular focus on pak choi. Results have wider application across the fresh produce industry, in particular for leafy salads, herbs and soft fruit. The project enables a step change in the economics of high-value crop production.