Fit4CEA: Futureproof Innovations and Technologies for Controlled Environment Agriculture

The objective of FIT4CEA is to unlock the potential of CEA as future-proof and climate resilient food production system for healthy and nutritious food (fruit and vegetables) through innovations and technologies. To realise this objective, we take a holistic approach by combining social and natural sciences and by considering a wide range of CEA typologies (from low-tech to high-tech greenhouses and vertical farms) which fit different regional contexts across Europe and beyond. We investigate novel food crops to expand the diversity of food supply from CEA and focus on nutritional value (micronutrients, proteins, bioactive compounds) rather than on yield (kilograms) only. We develop novel technologies for fossil-free, emissions-free and circular systems. Key is integrating high-tech emerging technologies, sensors, photon-ics, IoT, AI, and affordable robotics, to enhance crop productivity, circularity, and renewable energy use. We investigate integration of CEA with other sectors including aquaponics, energy-grids, buildings and urban areas. CEA systems and our innovations are assessed holisticly along all sustainability dimensions (environmental, social, and economic) and their trade-offs. We aim for adoption and uptake of results by farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector through upscaling and replication of best practices and through developing new sustainable farming technologies and methods including new business cases, in living labs. Future trajectories of CEA are synthesized and policy implications developed. Our consortium is uniquely positioned at the forefront of CEA. Our excellent research facilities (phenotyping, ponics, fossil-free, rooftop and autonomous greenhouses, and vertical farms), our broad pre-existing knowledge due to involvement in many large (inter)national research programs on CEA serves as basis. Moreover, collaboration with SMEs boost new developments and partnership with the largest growers association ensures adoption.

Dettagli progetto

Coordinatore: Wageningen University

Responsabile Scientifico: Giuseppina Pennisi

Durata:  01/06/2026 - 31/05/2030

Gruppo di ricerca: Giuseppina Pennisi, Francesco Orsini, Giorgio Gianquinto, Afsaneh Nematpour, Matteo Landolfo, Beatrice Vivani, Teresa Piovano, Alessandro Pistillo.