In 2022, Heliospectra plans to launch several data-driven development projects, including a unique patented biosensor based on several years of research and practical cultivation experience. As a result, in consultation with the management team, the board has chosen to make a strategic shift and is now aiming wholeheartedly towards sustainable data-driven cultivation and Smart Farming with a focus on Europe’s greenhouse market.
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Completion and launch of data-driven development projects
In 2022, Heliospectra plans to finalize and launch several development projects to strengthen the company’s data-driven solutions. Including an updated version of the company’s helioCORE™ control system, the launch of the next generation MITRA, Adelfi, a Wi-Fi connector that enables the integration of MITRA with the helioCORE™ control system and sensors, as well as field tests and the launch of the company’s new unique biosensor.
With the upcoming product launches, the board and the management team have decided to make a strategic shift towards data-driven cultivation. As a result, the company repositions itself from being mainly a supplier of LED lights, targeting greenhouse and indoor growers needing new lighting, to a system supplier within smart farming. The system combines sensors, software, and lighting to deliver a data-driven solution targeting commercial growers.
“Heliospectra is in an exciting phase where we are completing several critical development projects related to data-driven solutions. With our system solution and our new sensor technology, growers will detect stress, quickly identify problems, and accurately measure plant growth. The result is greater precision and more control over the crops, reduced waste, and an improved cultivation economy overall,” says Andreas Gunnarsson, Chairman of the Board of Heliospectra.
Sensors and data-driven farming are part of a growing smart farming trend
The rapidly growing trend of using different sensors in cultivation is not a new phenomenon and often occurs in connection with concepts such as smart farming and precision horticulture. The driving forces behind these trends are the ambition for a more sustainable, automated, connected, efficient, and predictable crop production with less waste and higher quality in the crops, where growers rely more on data to plan and optimize output. Furthermore, in the light of the increasing pressures of climate change, it is necessary to secure the food supply for a growing and increasingly urbanized global population. Today the smart farming market is valued at approximately USD 7 billion and is expected to increase to USD 12.8 billion by 2025, corresponding to an annual growth of 12.7 percent.
“The company’s new biosensor is unique and strengthens Heliospectra’s position as a leader in controlled cultivation. The smart farming market is developing rapidly, and cultivation is becoming more automated. Therefore, the company will invest in product development and harness expertise internally to ensure the delivery of our current projects while maintaining our image as an innovative and forward-thinking company,” says Andreas Gunnarsson, Chairman of the Board of Heliospectra.