Spanish start-up LiFi4Food has won the food category of the European EIT Jumpstarter program, a cross-border partnership of leading businesses, education, and research organizations. LiFi4Food aims to provide sustainable solutions for precision agriculture in vertical farms and greenhouses by using LiFi wireless communication technology to connect battery-free sensors to the internet. Its communication system is powered by self-sustaining, battery-free IoT devices that monitor and control parameters in agri-food facilities. LiFi4Food’s LiFi technology eases the problem of radio frequency spectrum saturation in 6G networks by transferring operation to the visible light band. The system aims to make agri-food facilities more sustainable and efficient, lowering CO2 emissions and eliminating the use of hazardous materials while optimizing resource use.
IMDEA Networks Ph.D. student and LiFi4Food co-founder Dayrene Frómeta stated that the start-up’s goal is to address the issue of food scarcity by supporting the production of food in advanced agri-food facilities such as vertical farms and greenhouses. LiFi4Food plans to equip these facilities with battery-free Internet of Things (IoT) devices equipped with sensors and actuators to help them run more efficiently and sustainably.
The prize that the IMDEA Networks team won from the EIT Jumpstarter Program is valued at EUR 10 000, which will be dedicated to creating the start-up.
The co-founder mentions that “LiFi4Food aims to improve the sustainability and efficiency of agri-food facilities by reducing CO2 emissions and eliminating the use of hazardous materials, as well as promoting food production closer to the consumer to reduce transportation emissions. The data collected by the system will also increase the traceability of food production and enhance consumer trust in the system. The LiFi4Food system will use IoT devices to continuously monitor and control parameters such as temperature, humidity, and pH, which will be presented to users through the LiFi4Food app. This will allow for automation of tasks and optimization of resource use, leading to cost reductions in energy, lighting, water, and labor, as well as increased production yields and higher quality crops.”
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