Growing vegetables may no longer be the domain of farmers alone, but also of data analysts, developers and technical universities. Within the framework of the EDIH (European Digital Innovation Hub) project, VSB-TUO has combined its digital know-how with the innovation potential of MoraviaLab.
A team of experts from VSB-TUO helped with the design of the sensor system, the selection of a suitable control unit, the provision of data collection and storage, and the design of options for remote management and monitoring. The result is a technical solution that increases the efficiency of microgreens cultivation and at the same time paves the way for further product development and certification.
"At the beginning of the project, my colleagues and I were mainly concerned with how to accurately sense the conditions in the growing system: temperature, humidity, light or water quality. But gradually we have gone much further, to remote management, visualisation and a cloud-based solution. This is exactly what EDIH is supposed to do, i.e. to show that even smaller companies can use innovative technologies," says Radim Hercík from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at VSB-TUO. MoraviaLab wants to enable people to grow healthy food locally, efficiently and with minimal impact on the environment. The system is designed to be automated and space-saving. It allows microgreens to be grown on-site, without soil, with minimal water consumption and without the need for agricultural knowledge. The user simply inserts the growing medium with the seed and the system takes care of the rest: humidity, temperature, light and irrigation are controlled automatically. In addition, everything is linked to a data report that provides information on consumption, growth or any problems.
The development also includes a clear user interface where key data and statistics can be viewed, either for your own use or as a basis for ESG reports and internal sustainability targets. "The microgreens will both improve the workplace environment and show how much water the company has saved, how much nutritional value it has produced and how it stands in terms of its carbon footprint," explains Zuzana Šitavancová from MoraviaLab.
The project shows that linking innovation with practice can have concrete results. One restaurant in Ostrava, for example, has started testing the system directly in operation. In the future, the system could become part of company kitchens, school canteens or offices.

The EDIH Ostrava project (European Digital Innovation Hub) is a European initiative aimed at supporting small and medium-sized companies in the field of digitalisation and technological growth. The project is led by the  VSB-TUO, which links academic expertise with the real needs of companies in the region.