Greenhouses around the world are facing many challenges, like labour shortages, rising costs and high energy prices. But there’s a unique other crisis. The rapid growth of greenhouses feeding and greening our world is not matched by the number of experienced professional growers. And greenhouse growers are aging. There are not enough people entering the industry to replace the increasing numbers of retiring growers. This places an increasing pressure on an already sensitive system. Who will operate the growing number of high-tech greenhouses around the world?
Microsoft wrote an article and made a video (see below) about this topic, together with Blue Radix, specialist in Autonomous Growing. Microsoft reached out 3 years ago and helped Blue Radix to develop a commercial version of an AI-driven solution for Autonomous Growing. This solidified the partnership and helped develop what would become the commercially available Crop Controller service.
Ronald Hoek, CEO of Blue Radix: “Microsoft Azure helps us to develop algorithms to step into the gap that is growing because of the increasing scarcity of skilled and experienced growers. So, with the help of Microsoft we enable growers and greenhouse entrepreneurs to produce healthy and safe food for the growing world population.”
Laurens van der Spek, COO of Blue Radix adds: “Microsoft supports us in ensuring a robust, secure and scalable IT-landscape for our worldwide customers. Our data platform and services have been developed in close collaboration with Microsoft (Azure). We can now explore data better, faster and in a secure way to serve our customers.”
Ronald concludes: “With Microsoft, we are empowered to build algorithms to contribute to the production of healthy and safe food for people all over the world. And with this, we are working together for a better and safer planet.”
Want to know more about the collaboration?
Read the Microsoft article here
Watch the video below