Development and demonstration of data-driven autonomous growing system to raise productivity and resource efficiency in commercial greenhouse horticulture. Dissemination of demonstration results across broad greenhouse sector.

工业战略挑战基金的“粮食生产转型挑战”旨在更有效地生产有韧性和可持续的粮食，以满足2050年的需求。温室对于应对这一挑战大有帮助。**工业规模的温室**是**唯一可扩展的解决方案**，以满足对健康，本地种植的食品不断增长的需求，并**保护我们的粮食系统免受人口增长和气候变化的影响**。英国的温室面积达15公顷（相当于20个足球场），每年生产的蔬菜价值高达1亿英镑。通过对气候、灌溉和照明的控制，**温室可以在所有季节为作物生长创造理想的条件**，与地球上任何一个城市**一样**。种植农作物是为了营养成分而不是运输能力，产量是田间种植的10倍，用水量减少90%，不使用农药。考虑到到2050年粮食产量必须增长50%，农业已经占到全球淡水提取量的70%，农田被大量使用农药污染，气候变化预计将显著降低田间农业的产量——温室是唯一可扩展的解决方案，对英国农业的未来至关重要。该项目将开发1)世界上第一个自主生长系统(AGS)**；2) **展示AGS**和3)开展知识交流计划。AGS将为任何作物品种、任何温室、任何地点提供优化的数据驱动生长- **显着提高现有温室的生产水平和资源效率**，并**加速在英国和世界各地部署新温室。产业挑战战略基金旨在投资**世界领先的研究**和**高度创新的企业**。这个项目中的合作伙伴符合这个描述。Optimal Labs Limited是一家英国中小型企业，在温室自动化领域处于领先地位；NIAB是**英国发展最快的作物科学研究机构**；La Serra Limited经营着英国最现代化的温室。**该项目由荷兰园艺业专家免费为英国纳税人提供支持。这个耗资275万英镑的项目**旨在**将英国的可控环境农业提升到全球**的水平，从而更加丰富，以只有温室才能**的规模实现工业战略挑战基金的粮食生产转型挑战**的目标。

The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund's Transforming Food Production challenge seeks to produce resilient and sustainable food more efficiently to meet demands in 2050\. Greenhouses go a long way towards meeting this challenge.**Industrial-scale greenhouses** are the **only scalable solution** to meeting the accelerating demand for healthy, locally-grown food - and to **secure our food system against population growth and climate change**. In sizes up to 15 hectares (20 football pitches), greenhouses in the UK already produce \>£100M of vegetables each year.Through control of climate, irrigation and lighting, **greenhouses can create the ideal conditions for crop growth**, in all seasons, **alongside any city on earth**. Crops can be grown for nutritional content rather than transportability, at **10x the yield of field farming, using 90% less water and zero pesticides**.Given that food production must rise 50% by 2050, agriculture already accounts for 70% of global freshwater withdrawals, farmland is being contaminated by heavy pesticide use, and climate change is expected to significantly decrease the yields of field farming - greenhouses are the only scalable solution and are **essential to the UK's agricultural future**.This project will develop 1) **the world's first Autonomous Growing System(AGS)**; 2) **demonstrate the AGS** and 3) undertake a knowledge exchange program. The AGS will provide optimised data-driven growing for any crop variety, in any greenhouse, in any location - **significantly increasing production levels and resource-efficiency** in existing greenhouses, and **accelerating the deployment of new greenhouses in the UK** and around the world.The Industrial Challenge Strategy Fund seeks to invest in **world-leading research** and **highly-innovative businesses**. The partners in this project fit this description. Optimal Labs Limited is a UK SME at the **cutting-edge of greenhouse automation**; NIAB is the **UK's fastest growing crop sciences research body**; La Serra Limited operates the **UK's most modern greenhouse.**The project is supported at no cost to the UK taxpayer by experts from the Dutch horticultural industry. This **£2.75M project** aims to **elevate UK controlled environment agriculture to being the best globally** and therefore much more abundant, fulfilling the aims of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund's Transforming Food Production challenge **at the scale that only greenhouses can**.