Science Night 2024: Glowing apples and vertical farming

Last Friday, Philipp Blanke and Maximilian Ruschmeier presented their vision for the agriculture of tomorrow as part of Science Night. The audience’s response made it clear that innovations such as vertical farming and glowing apples not only spark interest, but also raise key questions for the future.

• Glowing apples as a symbol of biotechnology: Biofluorescence technology shows what possibilities exist at the molecular level. It can make plants more resistant and open up new approaches to biological plant protection. The glowing apple thus stands for sustainable agriculture that combines innovation and efficiency.

• Vertical farming as a concept for the future: By growing crops in controlled environments, food can be produced directly in urban centres in a limited space. The presentation explained how autonomous production systems and proximity to consumers can change global agriculture and the cities of tomorrow.

We would like to thank RWTH Aachen University for the opportunity to present these ideas, as well as all interested parties who attended the lecture. The future of agriculture is closer than many people think, and the Centre for Smart Industrial Agriculture is actively contributing to driving these developments forward.