What's Happening?
Silal's Innovation Oasis (iO) has entered into a collaboration with agritech company Square Roots to advance climate-smart agriculture and foster innovative solutions for desert farming. This partnership
is a significant step in the UAE's strategy to bolster food security, improve water efficiency, and develop a cutting-edge agricultural innovation ecosystem. The agreement merges Innovation Oasis's expertise in desert agriculture with Square Roots' leadership in controlled-climate farming, indoor crop science, and AI-enabled agricultural applications. A key component of this collaboration is the establishment of a multi-zone, AI-powered research facility at the iO site, which will serve as a national testbed for innovation in indoor and desert farming. The initiative aims to accelerate the commercialization of resource-efficient farming solutions across the UAE, focusing on low-light crop genetics, modular indoor farming systems, and generative AI technologies tailored for agriculture.
Why It's Important?
This collaboration is crucial for the UAE as it seeks to position itself as a leader in climate-smart and desert farming. By integrating advanced research and AI-driven tools, the partnership aims to enhance sustainable food production and strengthen the resilience of the agricultural sector. The initiative supports the UAE's broader goals of food security and resource efficiency, providing scalable models that can be adopted by farmers in the UAE and other desert regions globally. The partnership also includes the localization of Square Roots' 'Next-Gen Farmer Training Program' to equip Emirati scientists and growers with advanced technical expertise, further supporting the UAE's agricultural community.
What's Next?
The collaboration will focus on several core innovation tracks, including the development of low-light crop genetics to support indoor farming with reduced energy consumption. It will also identify and test new strategic crops suited to desert environments, expand the diversity of locally grown produce, and develop AI-powered tools to enhance productivity. Additionally, Square Roots will adapt its modular indoor farming platform for smallholder farmers, including systems capable of operating on solar power. A research and development farm based on Square Roots' technology will be deployed at the Innovation Oasis site to support the full ecosystem of programs under the collaboration.
