Metropolia UAS and Helsinki region have all the building blocks to build a thriving ecosystem for urban indoor food production and technologies for Finnish and international market. Metropolia will be an internationally recognized player in urban farming technologies with its research, development, innovation and education (RDI&E) activities.
Metropolia is currently working in close co-operation with research institutes and other key-players in the field. UrbanFarmLab activities support Metropolia´s strategy to create and promote clean and sustainable solutions and develop new knowledge in the field by its multidisciplinary approach as part of its RDI&E activities.
UrbanFarmLab is one of the four collaboration platforms of the Clean and Sustainable Solutions Innovation Hub at Metropolia. Other collaboration platforms are Carbon Garage, Robo Garage and AIoT Garage. Read more about the Innovation Hub on its website.
Outcomes of Metropolia UrbanFarmLab activities
- Piloting, testing and prototyping new technological and digital urban indoor farming solutions with circular economy and ecosystem aspects
- Generating new urban farming technologies and solutions together with startups and SME:s in the field
- Generating new business models
- Sharing information and eliminating prejudices around urban indoor farming
- Raising awareness and general know-how about indoor farming methods
- Raising awareness about obstacles and enablers
- Creating new urban food based public-private partnerships
- Increasing related project portfolio
- Developing and delivering education around urban indoor farming technologies
- Raising the interest of venture capitalists towards urban farming start-ups and growth companies
- Increasing public and private funding activities around Metropolia-linked startups, growth ventures and RDI projects
- Studying and sharing information for all members of the value chain about urban farming market needs and potential
UrbanFarmLab is functioning as urban indoor farming development platform
Metropolia UrbanFarmLab is a separate co-learning livinglab space for experts, companies and students utilizing the expertise, facilities and laboratories of Metropolia Myyrmäki campus and other campuses of Metropolia UAS. UrbanFarmLab consists of show-room and co-working space as well as controlled indoor farming spaces for technical and other pilots. Physical environment is connected with business development activities via Metropolia Turbiini activities.
Furthermore, Metropolia connects its three Innovation Hub activities which are
- Clean and Sustainable Solutions
- Future Proof Health and Wellbeing
- Smart and Creative City
to UrbanFarmLab activities and approaches.
In finding solutions for wellbeing and better human life on earth, questions such as ”What makes consumers to choose urban farmed food products?” or "What prejudices or misconceptions exist?” will be raised for public discussions. Metropolia will also work with other urban food stakeholders to address potential legislative obstacles.
“UrbanFarmLab concept and platform is a great opportunity for any company”, says Henri Laine, the CEO of Redono Oy. “Here we can implement and demonstrate the circular economy model of a sustainable brewery and a new kind of food production ecosystem in the urban environment. We are also able to promote sustainable farming techniques in concrete terms”.
Contact
Jaakko Lehtonen
Project Manager
Clean And Sustainable Solutions Innovation Hub
Phone: +358 40 060 6313
Email: jaakko.lehtonen2 [at] metropolia.fi (jaakko[dot]lehtonen2[at]metropolia[dot]fi)
Andrea Patané
Project Coordinator
Clean And Sustainable Solutions Innovation Hub
Phone: +358 50 313 9543
Email: andrea.patane [at] metropolia.fi (andrea[dot]patane[at]metropolia[dot]fi)
