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CEA Summit Greenhouse

Leave the Conference Room. Enter the Greenhouse.

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on . Posted in Blog, Press Releases.

CEA Summit East Takes Hands-On Learning Inside the CEA Innovation Center

Sept. 15–16, 2026 • IALR Conference Center • Danville, Virginia

Some conferences put you in a meeting room. The Fifth Annual CEA Summit East puts you in the greenhouse. Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con and the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Innovation Center — a joint project of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) and Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences — the Summit returns to the IALR Conference Center in Danville, Virginia on September 15–16, 2026, bringing a new dimension to CEA education: conference sessions that move off the stage and directly into an active research facility.

New for 2026, select sessions will be held inside the greenhouse of the CEA Innovation Center, where attendees won’t just hear about the latest advances in CEA — they’ll see them growing. Guided tours of the full Innovation Center complex are included with every conference pass, giving all attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the research, technology and science shaping the future of the industry.

CEA Summit Greenhouse

From the Conference Room to the Grow Room

The CEA Innovation Center’s Danville complex features a working greenhouse, vertical growing systems, indoor growth rooms, growth chambers and hydroponic production systems where scientists and industry partners are actively collaborating on research that is advancing the CEA sector in the U.S. and internationally.

In 2026, that facility becomes part of the conference itself. Hands-on greenhouse sessions will give growers, educators, technology providers, and business leaders a rare opportunity to engage directly with working research — not just the summary slide. It is an experience that simply cannot be replicated at a conventional venue.

“From the deep-dive sessions to the tabletop exhibits to the greenhouse itself, every element of CEA Summit East comes together to create an experience that stands apart in our industry — an event where hands-on learning, leading suppliers and working science all share the same roof. Or in this case, the same research facility.”

“Opening our greenhouse and research facilities as active learning spaces for Summit attendees is a natural extension of what the CEA Innovation Center is all about — connecting industry and academia in ways that create real impact,” added Dr. Scott Lowman, Vice President of Applied Research at IALR and Co-Director of the CEA Innovation Center. “When a grower can stand inside a working research greenhouse and have a direct conversation with the scientist conducting that research, the value of that exchange is immeasurable. We’re proud to offer that experience and look forward to welcoming the industry back to Danville. ”

A Conference Program Built for Depth

The 2026 program is currently in development and will feature headliner keynotes, special panel presentations, and four breakout tracks with 90-minute deep-dive sessions.

Breakout tracks will include:

• Back to Our Roots: Core Horticultural Skills — Hands-on sessions held directly inside the greenhouse of the CEA Innovation Center

• Launching a CEA Operation — Practical guidance for those starting or scaling a controlled environment agriculture business ranging from high tunnel to greenhouse to vertical farm.

• Technology Evolution & Data Management — Exploring the tools, systems and data strategies reshaping modern CEA operations

• Food Safety & Pest Management — Critical compliance, best practices and integrated pest management strategies for CEA producers

Rounding out the program are the popular CEA Industry & Research Showcase Sessions — fast-paced, idea-packed presentations that put industry innovators and researchers in front of a highly engaged CEA audience. From grower success stories to the latest research findings, these sessions deliver concentrated insight from the people doing some of the most important work in the industry today, making them an ideal platform for sharing results, discoveries and innovations.

 

See the Solutions. Meet the Suppliers.

From environmental controls and automation systems to greenhouse structures, packaging solutions and nutrients, the Summit’s tabletop exhibits puts attendees face-to-face with the companies driving CEA forward.

Already confirmed for 2026: JASA Packaging Solutions, Dalsem Complete Greenhouse Projects, Priva, Jack’s Nutrients, Rimol Greenhouse Systems, Moleaer, Pace 49, and Berger — with additional exhibitors joining the list.

The Summit’s focused, close-knit format sets the stage for quality conversations and networking. Morning coffee breaks, seated lunch, and a happy hour reception among the tabletop exhibits on September 15th create plentiful opportunities to connect with growers, researchers, government representatives, suppliers, educators and industry leaders.

 

Included with Every Pass: A Tour Unlike Any Other

Cap off your CEA Summit experience with a guided tour of the cutting-edge CEA Innovation Center — included with every conference registration. Explore the research greenhouse, automation systems, and ongoing trials. This is not a marketing showcase: it’s a firsthand look at how science and innovation are shaping real-world CEA solutions, led by the researchers and specialists doing the work.

Additional tour details and stops will be announced soon. Year after year, the Innovation Center tour ranks among the most talked-about elements of the Summit — a fitting close to two days of deep learning, meaningful connections, and hands-on discovery.
For more information on the CEA Summit East and to register for the event, please visit www.ceasummit.com

ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON

Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con is North America’s largest trade show and conference for greenhouse, controlled environment agriculture and vertical farming. The event covers all crop types and brings together growers, tech providers, researchers, and business leaders to explore trends and innovations shaping the future of food production For more information, visit www.indoor.ag.

ABOUT THE CEA INNOVATION CENTER

The CEA Innovation Center is primarily housed in Danville, Virginia, on the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) campus and in Blacksburg, Virginia, on the Virginia Tech main campus. It is a joint project between the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and IALR to serve the growing controlled environment agriculture industry. It addresses the needs of the industry with research, education, and extension programs. For more information, visit www.ceaic.org
Cornell University

Cornell Researchers Help North Country Growers Extend Growing Seasons

Written by From Hortidaily.com on . Posted in Blog.

From HortiDaily.com

At Wild Work Farm in the North Country’s Keene Valley, the last frost can come as late as mid-June, and the first frost usually hits in September, said owner and operator Lissa Goldstein. Coping with that very short growing season is one of Goldstein’s primary challenges.

For decades, Cornell’s Willsboro Research Farm on the edge of Lake Champlain has been conducting research to help North Country growers like Goldstein make the most of short growing seasons. The U.S. Department of Agriculture maps regions based on temperatures to identify hardiness zones, which help growers know which crops and varieties they can plant – lower numbers are colder, and higher warmer. The Hudson Valley, Long Island and much of the Finger Lakes growing regions fall into hardiness zones 6-7. In the Adirondacks and northward, that hardiness falls to 4 or 5.

“Any research that’s specific to this region, to our growing season, is really helpful, because we’re very different from the rest of New York State,” Goldstein said. “The people that work at Willsboro, they are very intimately aware of what the growers in the area are doing and what we’re focused on. So they’re able to tailor the research so that it is relevant to us.”

Read full story from HortiDaily.com…..

2026 Student Scholarship Recipient Karli Barton

Indoor Ag-Con and Sollum Technologies Announce Recipient of 2026 Sollum Student Scholarship

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on . Posted in Blog, Exhibitor News, Press Releases.

Indoor Ag-Con and Sollum Technologies have announced Karli Barton, a Master of Environmental Science student at the University of Guelph, as the recipient of the 2026 Sollum Student Scholarship to Indoor Ag-Con.

The scholarship supports emerging leaders in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) by providing a fully funded opportunity to attend Indoor Ag-Con 2026, taking place February 11–12 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The program is designed to connect academic research with real-world industry application through mentorship, networking, and exposure to the latest technologies shaping indoor farming.

Scholarship benefits include

  • A full-access conference pass to the February 11-12, 2026 event
  • Round-trip airfare (coach)
  • A two-night hotel stay (room and tax)
  • A daily per diem allowance
  • Scheduled one-on-one meeting time with the Sollum Technologies team in their expo booth
  • An opportunity to film a short video interview recapping their experience and learnings from the show — to be featured by both Indoor Ag-Con and Sollum Technologies across digital channels

About the Scholarship Recipient

Karli Barton is a second-year Masters of Environmental Science student at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Her research focuses on the intersection of advanced LED lighting strategies and sustainable pest management in controlled-environment strawberry production. A key component of her work examines how dynamic lighting regimes—such as blue-light night interruption and continuous lighting—affect the performance of biological control agents used to manage aphid pests.

Before beginning graduate studies, Barton spent nearly a decade working in integrated pest management roles across both field and controlled-environment systems, including six years as a biocontrol consultant supporting commercial greenhouse operations. Her research aims to help growers adopt innovative lighting technologies without compromising the effectiveness of biological pest control, bridging scientific research with practical, on-farm decision-making.

“Supporting emerging researchers like Karli is critical to the future of controlled environment agriculture,” said Jenny Zammit, Vice President of Marketing and Customer Success at Sollum Technologies. “Her work reflects exactly what this scholarship was designed to encourage—rigorous, applied research that helps growers integrate new technologies in a sustainable and practical way.”

“Indoor Ag-Con is proud to partner with Sollum Technologies to provide meaningful opportunities for students who are shaping the future of indoor agriculture,” said Brian Sullivan, CEO of Indoor Ag-Con. “Karli’s background and research exemplify the kind of industry-connected innovation we aim to support through this scholarship.”

About Indoor Ag-Con

Indoor Ag-Con is the premier trade show and conference for the indoor and vertical farming industry. Held annually in Las Vegas, the event attracts CEA growers, suppliers, researchers, and technology providers from across the globe for two days of educational sessions, networking, and innovation showcases. Learn more at www.indoor.ag.

About Sollum Technologies

As the leader in advanced, dynamic LED lighting for commercial greenhouses, Sollum Technologies offers a unique proposition. The comprehensive solution provides the flexibility to adapt lighting in real time to meet crop needs at every stage of growth, supports producers operational and financial goals in a sustainable manner, and offers unmatched technical and agronomic guidance. Designed and manufactured in North America, Sollum’s technology is deployed across major greenhouse operations to support year-round production, consistent quality, and smarter energy use. Founded in 2015, Sollum is headquartered in Montréal with regional offices in Ontario and Georgia. For more information  visit www.sollum.tech 

Get Ready to Grow Smarter: CEA Summit East 2025 Returns to Virginia This September

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on . Posted in Blog, Press Releases.

Growers, Researchers, and Industry Pros Come Together September 9-10 to Share  Ideas, Spark Connections, and Move CEA Forward

 The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East will return to the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) in Danville, Virginia on September 9-10, 2025 for its fourth edition. Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con and the CEA Innovation Center, a partnership between IALR and Virginia Tech, the 2025 event will once again bring together professionals from across the CEA spectrum—academia, business, and technology—for two days of education, networking, and exploration of the future of indoor farming.

Building on the success of the 2024 summit, which welcomed attendees from 35 U.S. states and international markets including Canada, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong, the 2025 event will feature an expanded conference program with key educational tracks:

  • CEA Skills (topics like lighting, IPM, food safety, environmental controls, and pathogen ID)
  • Business (budgeting, operations, labor management)
  • Education, Outreach & Workforce Training (K-12 programs, CEA degree paths, training initiatives)

The popular CEA Industry & Research Showcase sessions also return to the agenda, spotlighting case studies and research from leading growers and academic teams. Attendees can also look forward to inspiring keynotes (to be announced soon), tabletop exhibits, networking opportunities and tours of the CEA Innovation Center.

In addition to educational sessions and networking, attendees will have the opportunity to explore tabletop exhibits featuring the latest innovations, products, and services driving the CEA sector forward. Exhibitors include industry leaders like Priva, Pace 49, Atlas Greenhouse, Rimol Greenhouse Systems, SGS, and Green Food Solutions.. These suppliers offer solutions spanning environmental controls, crop protection, structures, testing, and more—giving attendees a hands-on look at the tools shaping the future of indoor growing.

“CEA Summit East has become a key annual event for connecting the dots between industry and academia,” said Brian Sullivan, CEO of Indoor Ag-Con. “Whether you’re a grower, educator, researcher, supplier, or policymaker, the 2025 summit offers a wonderful opportunity to learn, network, and move the needle forward for controlled environment agriculture.”

Dr. Scott Lowman, Vice President of Applied Research at IALR and Co-Director of the CEA Innovation Center, added, “The 2025 Summit will build on the momentum we’ve created over the past three years. We’re excited to welcome new voices, and continue to support the industry’s growth through innovation and shared knowledge.”

Registration, speaking opportunities, and tabletop exhibit space applications are now open.  For more details and updates, visit the event website www.ceasummit.com

About Indoor Ag-Con:
Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the largest trade show and conference for vertical farming | greenhouse | controlled environment agriculture. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis | hemp, alternate protein and non-food crops. For more information, visit www.indoor.ag

About the CEA Innovation Center:
The Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center is a joint project between Virginia Tech, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), and industry that is working to advance the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) sector in Virginia, the U.S., and internationally through leveraging its collective resources, skills, and expertise by addressing the needs of the industry with   research, education, and extension programs. For more information, visit www.ceaic.org 

Infinite Acres Field Lab

Infinite Acres Opens Agricultural Research Center In The Hague

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on . Posted in Blog.

Collaboration between Infinite Acres and partner companies promises to accelerate growth in the vertical farming industry

 

Infinite Acres, a technology-focused subsidiary of the American vertical farming company 80 Acres Farms, has  opened a first-of-its-kind research center at its Dutch headquarters.

For nearly a decade, 80 Acres Farms has been a global leader in the vertical farming industry, with facilities in the United States and Europe. Today, the company’s production farms supply fresh produce and grab-and-go meals to more than 1,500 retail locations across the eastern United States.

Working with best-in-class technology partners to design, build, and maintain those farms, the Infinite Acres team recognized an opportunity for closer collaboration. The Infinite Acres Field Lab and Experience Center, located near the Dutch greenhouses that have led the world in high-tech agriculture for decades, is a hub for industrial innovation and sustainable solutions.

“Innovation requires collaboration,” says Tisha Livingston, CEO of Infinite Acres and co-founder of 80 Acres Farms. “By bringing partners into our research center, we’re closing a feedback loop and accelerating our learnings, for the benefit of farmers everywhere. This is a collaborative space where we can innovate to solve global problems.” By shortening supply chains, reducing food waste, and producing more food with fewer resources, vertical farming promises a healthier and more sustainable future.

At the Field Lab and Experience Center, researchers and experts from Infinite Acres will work side-by-side with partner companies, including Siemens, Signify, SICK, and TTA, which are directly supporting the project. The facility will also be open to student researchers. Infinite Acres is a member of Wageningen University’s Club of 100, and the company hopes to further its collaboration with Wageningen while engaging TU Delft and other Dutch and American universities.

“With challenges like a growing population and climate change, which, amongst many other severe consequences leads to soil degradation, we must rethink traditional food production. Digitalization and cutting-edge technologies such as AI are key to scale the sustainability impact in food production and vertical farming industry, and it is people who develop this technology to positively impact others,” stated Dirk De Bilde, CEO of Siemens Nederland. “The opening of the Field Lab and Experience Center is an important milestone and sets a new standard for collaboration in vertical farming. It shows our shared commitment to a more sustainable future.”

About Infinite Acres
Infinite Acres is a Dutch-American technology company with a green thumb. A subsidiary of 80 Acres Farms founded in 2019, Infinite Acres combines Dutch horticultural technology with American manufacturing and processing technology for industry-leading innovation in hardware, software, and plant genetics.

About 80 Acres Farms
80 Acres Farms is a vertical farming leader based in Hamilton, Ohio. Founded by Mike Zelkind and Tisha Livingston in 2015, the company operates indoor farms built with world-class technology and analytics by its Dutch-American technology subsidiary, Infinite Acres. Using 100% renewable electricity and 95% less water per pound of produce, the company’s farms provide consumers with a range of pesticide-free harvests that last longer at home, reducing food waste and exceeding the highest standards in food safety. Consumers can find the company’s branded salads, salad kits, herbs, microgreens, and tomatoes at more than 1,500 retailers and restaurants across the eastern United States.

Fast Company and G Star Jeans

From Fast Company: Someday Your Jeans Could Be Grown In A Greenhouse Down The Street

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on . Posted in Blog.

Fast Company recently featured an interesting story on Dutch denim label G-Star Raw and its partnership  with researchers to grow cotton for denim in a greenhouse. It might be the future of fashion.   As reported by Elizabeth Segran at Fast Company:

Over the past few years, Patagonia, Citizens of Humanity, and Christy Dawn have started sourcing cotton from farms that use regenerative agriculture methods. But soon, sustainable fashion brands might also consider cotton from another source: a greenhouse. Dutch brand G-Star Raw wants to turn this into a reality.

The brand partnered with a Dutch university on a small pilot project to grow cotton in a greenhouse, then use it to create denim. The end result was five pairs of jeans, made from end-to-end entirely in the Netherlands. Now, G-Star Raw is exploring how to scale this production so that denim brands around the world can create locally made jeans that have a far smaller environmental footprint.

THE LOCAL JEANS CHALLENGE

Cotton grows best in very hot, humid conditions, which is why most of the world’s crops are grown in China, India, Brazil, and the American South. Northern Europe? Not so much.

This presents some complications for European brands like G-Star Raw, a denim brand founded in the Netherlands in 1986. Given the current global supply chain, it must source its cotton from far away, which means shipping cotton long distances, generating extensive carbon emissions. “It also makes traceability more complicated,” says Rebecka Sancho, G-Star’s head of sustainability. “And the first step to sustainability is traceability.” She also points out that new regulations are rolling out in the European Union that demand brands track the entire supply chain of their products.

So it was intriguing to Sancho when Wageningen University, which is globally recognized for its agricultural research, reached out to the brand. Researchers were interested in collaborating on an experiment to see whether it was possible to grow cotton in the Netherlands by using a greenhouse. And they wanted to quantify the environmental footprint of this cotton, as compared to traditionally grown cotton.

Read full story at Fast Company...

CEA Summit East Poster Competition

CEA Summit East 2024 Poster Competition Call For Entries

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on . Posted in Press Releases.

CEA Summit East 2024 is now accepting abstracts for the Graduate Student Research Poster Competition to be held as part of the October 1-2, 2024, edition at the Institute For Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) Conference Center in Danville, Virginia.

CEA Summit East is focused on bringing together the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) industry and academia. Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con, the leading global gathering of the vertical farming | CEA sector, and the Virginia Tech-IALR Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center, a joint project between IALR and Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center, the summit aims to foster collaboration and innovation in the field of CEA.

“Returning for its second year as part of the CEA Summit East, the poster competition is designed to provide graduate students with an opportunity to showcase their high-quality CEA-related research. It also aims to facilitate networking between students and industry professionals,” says Kaylee South, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of CEA at Virginia Tech. “The CEA Summit East Partners are excited to invite graduate students to submit their abstracts for consideration.”

Competition Eligibility and Guidelines:

  • The competition is open to currently enrolled or recently graduated (Spring 2024 or later) graduate students, including M.S., Ph.D., and professional students.
  • Entrants must present posters on original CEA-related research they have conducted.
  • Abstract submissions must be received by August 16, 2024, for consideration.
  • All posters will be judged and scored at the conference, with winners announced during the breakfast gathering/keynote session on day 2, October 2, 2024.

For more information on abstract submission and competition guidelines, please visit https://indoor.ag/cea-summit-poster/ or contact Dr. Kaylee South at kasouth@vt.edu or +1.434.766.6628

ABOUT CEA SUMMIT EAST

Building on the success of its 2023 edition, which attracted attendees from 33 US states, Canada, the Netherlands and Sweden, the 3rd Annual CEA Summit East is set to unite professionals once again from academia, business, and technology within the CEA industry. Attendees include greenhouse growers, urban agriculture operations, vertical farms, outdoor growers seeking hybrid growing opportunities, educators, scientists, extension personnel and agents, suppliers, engineers, tech specialists, architects/developers, government officials, and other industry members. With a focus on facilitating meaningful connections and knowledge exchange, the summit will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, networking/ breakout sessions, and tabletop exhibits highlighting the latest advancements in CEA technology and practices. Attendees can also look forward to research facility tours, providing firsthand insights into cutting-edge research and development initiatives. For more information, visit www.ceasummit.com

ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON

Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the largest trade show and conference for vertical farming | greenhouse |controlled environment agriculture. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis | hemp, alternate protein and non-food crops. For more information, visit www.indoor.ag.

ABOUT THE VIRGINIA TECH – IALR CEA INNOVATION CENTER

The Virginia Tech-IALR Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center is a joint project between IALR and Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center. By developing strategic partnerships with both industry and academia, the goal of the Innovation Center is to conduct research and educational programming to develop, promote and advance the CEA sector in the U.S. and internationally. For more information, visit www.ialr.org/cea

CEA Summit East 2024

CEA Summit East Announces Return in September 2023

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on . Posted in Blog, Press Releases.

Indoor Ag-Con, Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center to Co-Host 2nd Annual Edition September 19-20, 2023 in Danville, VA

DANVILLE, VA (MARCH 30, 2023 ) – The Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East is proud to announce its return on September 19-20, 2023, at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) in Danville, VA. Focused on convening the CEA industry and academia, the annual event is co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con, the premier global gathering of the vertical farming/CEA sector, and the Virginia Tech-IALR CEA Innovation Center, a joint project between IALR and Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and the Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center.  

CEA Summit Co-Hosts

Following the success of its debut edition in October 2022, which brought together more than 200 attendees from 28 states, the CEA Summit East will continue to foster connections and collaboration among growers, educators, scientists, extension specialists, suppliers, engineers, tech specialists, architect/developers and other industry members.

“The enthusiasm and engagement we saw at our inaugural event were truly inspiring and we’re thrilled to continue our partnership with the CEA Innovation Center to bring the CEA Summit East back in 2023,” said Brian Sullivan, CEO, Indoor Ag-Con. “Both organizations see tremendous value in growing an event like this that brings business and academia audiences together at an incredible research facility setting that really fosters an environment for sharing ideas and new business opportunities.”

The two-day event will feature keynotes, panels and breakout conference sessions, as well as tabletop exhibits from industry-leading companies and research facility tours. Attendees can expect to learn about the latest advances in CEA and explore opportunities for collaboration and growth.

“We are excited to build on the momentum of our first event and continue to bring together leaders in the CEA industry,” said Dr. Scott Lowman, Co-Director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center and Vice President of Applied Research at IALR. “We look forward to showcasing the innovative research and education programs we are developing to support the growth of the CEA industry.”

For more information and to register to attend, exhibit and to learn more about speaking opportunities for the CEA Summit East 2023, please visit the event website at www.ceasummit.com 

ABOUT INDOOR AG-CON

Founded in 2013, Indoor Ag-Con has emerged as the largest trade event for vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture, the practice of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aquaponic and aeroponic techniques. Its events are crop-agnostic and touch all sectors of the business, covering produce, legal cannabis and hemp, alternate protein and non-food crops. More information – www.indoor.ag | 404.991.5186

ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF PLANT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AT VIRGINIA TECH

The School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech trains the next generation of professionals in the fields of plant breeding and genetics, agronomic and horticultural crop production, plant protection, soil and water systems management, agricultural technologies, environmental restoration and agro-environmental stewardship. It conducts research to improve agricultural productivity, reduce negative impacts on the environment and improve soil and water health. Through extension programs, it provides science-based information to stakeholders to help them feed the world while protecting the environment. More information —www.spes.vt.edu 

ABOUT THE VIRGINIA SEAFOOD AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND EXTENSION CENTER

The VirginiaENTER AT VIRGINIA TECH Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center at Virginia Tech works to support the future of the historic seafood industry — in Virginia and beyond. Its extension specialists work with industry and research partners to identify and respond to emerging needs and provide technical guidance to stakeholders in every level of the seafood supply chain. Through technical assistance, training, process validation, value-added product development, and more, it helps stakeholders ensure product quality, safety, and viability. More information — www.arec.vaes.vt.edu

ABOUT IALR

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation. Core focus areas include research that provides a clear path to commercialization, advanced learning opportunities where education meets experience, training and rapid-launch space for advanced manufacturers, and economic development through conferencing and a partnership with the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance. It is located in scenic and historic Danville-Pittsylvania County on the VA/NC state line, within a short drive of Roanoke, Greensboro and Raleigh.  More information –  www.ialr.org

Dr. Scott Lowman CEA Innovation Center

Q&A With CEA Innovation Center Director Dr. Scott Lowman

Written by Indoor Ag-Con on . Posted in Blog.

‘A Catalyst and Hub for CEA Companies and Technology’

 

CEA Innovation Center.IALRWe recently announced the new partnership between Indoor Ag-Con and the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Innovation Center – a joint project of the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Tech and the Institute for Advanced Learning And Research (IALR) –to launch the CEA Summit East from October25-26, 2022.

The CEA Innovation Center is an incredible resource for our industry. We had the chance to catch up with Dr. Scott Lowman, the Center’s Director, to learn more about the exciting research projects he and his team are working on; the benefits of hosting the new Summit at this research facility; and other ways the Center is serving CEA industry members.

Tell us a little about the Controlled Environment Agriculture Innovation Center and its primary goals

The Virginia Tech-IALR Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Innovation Center was created to leverage the resources of the School of Plant and Environmental Sciences at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech along with the biotechnology, technology, and analytical chemistry capabilities of IALR to move the CEA field forward. The Center offers a one-stop shop for many cutting-edge research projects and is a wonderful vehicle to support and attract industry partners. Part of the initiative is to also serve as a catalyst and hub for CEA companies and technology, and we are already helping to create an ecosystem around CEA innovation with some leading-edge projects in waste recycling, nutrient management, imaging and data analysis, and biotechnology. All of this will be facilitated by the CEA Summit East on October 25-26.

 

Can you share any highlights of some of the research projects you and your team are currently working on

CEA Innovation Center.IALR2We have lots of exciting research projects happening at the moment, both internally to fuel innovation, as well as contract research to support and help solve industry challenges. There are a couple I can mention.

One project focuses on biostimulant use to increase yield in hydroponic systems. This project, supported by a Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Specialty Crop Grant, focuses on using bacterial endophytes, or beneficial bacteria that live inside of plants, that have proven to promote plant growth naturally in the lab and in vertical systems. Our initial data indicate exciting potential!

Another project is focused on using imaging and robotics to monitor plant growth and health. Using our in-house developed SMART tables, we are able to pinpoint tiny changes in plant growth and health during cultivation. One experiment can generate 80,000 images!

 

The partnership with Indoor Ag-Con to host the newly announced CEA Summit East is one example of how you’re serving the region’s growers and CEA industry members. What differentiates this new event from other CEA conferences?

IALR Campus bird's eye viewWhen we launched the Center, one of the many opportunities we were excited about was our ability to leverage our state-of-the-art conferencing center here at IALR to bring industry and academia together through hosting conferences and workshops focusing on CEA. With the CEA industry growing in Virginia, the location of the Summit is near the stakeholders that the Center is striving to serve.

Additionally, it is very unique in that the conference will be held in a research facility. This is certainly a break from typical conferences based from hotel conference centers. Attendees can see firsthand our cutting-edge research projects happening now, as well as explore ideas for collaborations with our VT and IALR researchers on-site.

What’s next for the CEA Innovation Center

CEA Innovation CenterThe CEA Innovation Center is growing rapidly, and we are always on the lookout for mutually beneficial partnerships in research and education, including contract research opportunities.

The biggest endeavor on the horizon, however, is most certainly the CEA Summit East! While lots of research is going on behind the scenes, we are thrilled about partnering with Indoor Ag-Con to bring together both academia and industry for a first-class event here in Danville, Virginia.

Learn more about the CEA Summit here and make plans now to join us!

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