Maarten Vandecruys: Urban Crop Solutions

Belgium-based Maarten Vandecruys is the Founder and CTO of RisingFoodStars startup Urban Crop Solutions and is interested in crop research, technology and vertical farming. Urban Crop Solutions offers complete end-to-end indoor farming solutions, supporting their clients with contract research trials, business planning, as well as the engineering and construction of indoor farms. Their own award-winning indoor farming solutions can be commissioned and scaled anywhere in the world, from remote islands to crowded metropoles, making agriculture sustainable and viable in a range of locations without the need to convert land to traditional fields.

With a library of over 290 plant growth recipes, 50 modules deployed globally, and installations in four continents, Urban Crop Solutions is seeing positive environmental impact on a global scale. The technology reduces water use by 95%, increases the nutritional value of crops by up to 50% and requires less energy consumption compared to traditional farming methods. It also means that crops can be grown without the need for pesticides.