Key Takeaways
- Per Lysaa, CTO of Elevate Farms and founder of Intravision Group AS, shares insights into LED technology and controlled environment agriculture.
- The episode highlights Elevate Farms’ gravity flow system, enabling scalable and automated leafy green production at commodity pricing.
- Topics include the global water crisis, the role of AI and machine learning in agriculture, and scaling vertical farming operations.
- Lysaa discusses the importance of partnerships and innovation in addressing global food security challenges.
Who is Per Lysaa, and how has he contributed to vertical farming?
On this episode of the Vertical Farming Podcast, host Harry Duran interviews Per Lysaa, a trailblazer in LED plant growth technology and the CTO of Elevate Farms. With over two decades of experience in photobiology, Lysaa has been instrumental in advancing controlled environment agriculture (CEA) through innovative technologies.
Lysaa co-founded Elevate Farms to develop a patented gravity flow system, a solution that allows highly automated, large-scale production of leafy greens. This approach offers a sustainable alternative to traditional farming by delivering products at commodity pricing.
“Plants have light receptors. The combination of spectrum and intensity sets off a chemical process in the plant that directly controls morphology and primary and secondary metabolite processes,” Lysaa explains.
What challenges are discussed about scaling vertical farming?
Scaling vertical farming presents several challenges, including operational efficiency and resource optimization. Lysaa emphasizes the role of emerging technologies like AI and machine learning in addressing these hurdles. He also highlights the importance of strategic partnerships in fostering innovation and ensuring successful implementation.
The conversation touches on the global water crisis, which poses significant threats to future food production.
“We are facing a global water crisis which will greatly impact and disrupt how we make food on this planet,” Lysaa notes. Vertical farming, with its reduced water usage, offers a potential solution to these pressing issues.
What is Lysaa’s business philosophy?
Lysaa shares a perspective shaped by management expert Peter Drucker:
“The purpose of a business is the creation of customers. It’s not about shareholder value or maximizing ROI; it’s about creating value for the customer.”
This philosophy drives Elevate Farms’ mission to provide scalable and practical solutions for global food challenges.
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Where can listeners learn more about Per Lysaa’s work?
Listeners can explore more about Lysaa’s contributions through the following resources:
- Elevate Farms: https://www.elevate.farm/
- Intravision Group: https://www.intravisiongroup.com/
How can you stay connected with the Vertical Farming Podcast?
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🎙️ Produced by FullCast, this episode is presented in partnership with Indoor AgCon 2025.