Sweden grows vegetables in supermarkets using AI and hydroponics
Swedish startup SweGreen grows vegetables in supermarkets using artificial intelligence and hydroponics – a soilless agricultural method that uses rock wool plugs and a continuous water flow to grow produce.
SweGreen’s proprietary AI guides store workers in growing the right vegetables based on multiple factors.
As a result, this agricultural tech company lets customers gain a higher appreciation for their groceries as they see the store grow them in-house.
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Euronews reports that SweGreen developed this eco-friendly food production solution to answer water shortages, the lack of agricultural land, and global geopolitical issues.
It is active in supermarket chains in Sweden and Germany, providing greens while reducing transport emissions, prolonging shelf life, and improving taste.
As mentioned, these establishments use hydroponics platforms to grow three hectares worth of food. Even better, they let customers see staff grow and harvest their veggies, ensuring they’re “farm-fresh.”
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Euronews says SweGreen can grow 100 different crop varieties, such as dill, mint, parsley, and lettuce.
“Supermarkets have bakeries, for example. But now they’re growing food instead of baking,” says the chief innovation officer and head of SweGreen X, Sepehr Mousavi.
Mousavi said his company plans to expand its hydroponics selection to include fruit-bearing plants like strawberries.
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The startup also developed an AI tool that guides staff into growing the ideal crops based on various factors. These include seasonal crop demand, consumer preferences, and plant growth times.
“We have an AI tool that gives the recipe of growth to our growers so that the people who work in the supermarket get a to-do list that secures them with exactly those products needed on that day,” Mousavi explained.
Supermarkets using SweGreen may also choose 45-meter-squared crops with a daily 300-crop capacity. Moreover, they could opt for a smaller 12 m2 platform that can grow 116 vegetables daily.
Restaurants, universities, hotels, and property owners are also exploring ways to use SweGreen. It also won numerous awards, such as the IKANO Sustainability Award in 2023.
