Research on Indoor Farming
The latest on indoor farming, vertical farming and greenhousesThe Center’s Research Goals
One of our goals is to connect members and partners to key academic and applied research published on indoor farming, vertical farming and greenhouse production. Toward that end we highlight research projects, journals that offer the latest research on indoor farming and agriculture, noteworthy research papers, opportunities to publish and research news.
Current and On-Going Research Projects
Sponsorship and Research Participation Opportunity!
Overview: Dr. Eric W. Stein, Executive Director of the Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture, and Dr. Afrooz Moatari-Kazerouni, a COE partner and Assistant Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management, School of Business Administration at Widener University are working on a paper on how to optimize supply chains of indoor farms. This study examines the complexities of supply chain management within the context of indoor farming and addresses the critical needs for robust supply chain frameworks to support the scalability and economic viability of indoor farming.
Working Title: “Optimizing Supply Chains of Indoor Farms”
Methodology: Online Survey (anonymous)
How to Contribute: Contributions include participation in the study and/or financial support.
Participation in the Survey: We will provide a link to the survey here shortly. Please check back.
Sponsorship Opportunity: The Center of Excellence and the authors welcome the support of the following types of organizations that may wish to contribute to the study:
- Indoor farm operators (greenhouse and vertical farms)
- Equipment suppliers
- Consultants
- Horticultural specialists
- Academic researchers
Sponsors will be acknowledged in the paper and through various media channels (see detailed description).
To sponsor or contribute to this research project, please contact Dr. Stein at team@indooragcenter.org for more information.
Recent Publications
“The Digital Transformation of Agriculture: Industry 4.0 Advances in Hydroponic Vertical Farms and Greenhouses.” by Eric W. Stein, Ph.D., September 2024.
Overview: Dr. Eric W. Stein, Executive Director of the Center of Excellence for Indoor Agriculture, was invited to contribute a chapter to Digital Transformation and Society edited by Dr. Jay Liebowitz and published by World Scientific. The chapter focuses on the application of Industry 4.0 digital technologies enabling the growth of indoor farming.
Cite: Stein, Eric W., The Digital Transformation of Agriculture: Industry 4.0 Advances in Hydroponic Vertical Farms and Greenhouses. Appearing in Digital Transformation and Society by Jay Liebowitz (Ed.). World Scientific. Hackensack, NJ. September 2024, 65-100
More information on the book can be found at the World Scientific website: https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/13899#t=aboutBook
Acknowledgements: The Center of Excellence is grateful for the support and contributions to this work by the following people and organizations:
- Dr. Gilwoo Lee, CEO of Zordi, Inc.
- Neda Vaseghi (CEO) and Loren West (CTO) of Microclimates, Inc.
- Sepehr Archard, CEO of iGrow News
- Suzanne Pruit, Events Director at Indoor Ag-Con
“The Effects and Challenges of Climate Change on the Food-Energy-Water Nexus – Poland as a Case Study” by Piotr F. BOROWSKI, Erick R. BANDALA, Aleksandra LUBAÑSKA and Eric W. STEIN, September 2024
Source: “Optimization in the Agri-Food Supply Chain: Recent Studies.” Mayssa Koubaa (Editor), Mohamed Haykal Ammar (Editor), Diala Dhouib (Editor), Sirine Mnejja (Editor). Published jointly by ISTE and Wiley.
Overview: This book discusses the optimization of supply chains in the agri-food and animal industries, and focuses on the integration of technology and sustainability practices. It explores the use of emerging technologies like IoT, Blockchain and AI in supply chain management, and also addresses the need for resilient supply chains and strategies for risk management.
This chapter examines the main challenges and opportunities for Poland related to the Food–Energy–Water nexus. We identify knowledge gaps and directions for future research that may lead to sustainable, cost-effective, feasible solutions applicable not only to Poland but also to other countries in the region facing similar challenges. The section on agriculture looks at the role that indoor farming and CEA can play in this regard.
More information on the book can be found at:
Sponsorship Opportunities
We offer opportunities to sponsor research papers, posts, white papers, articles and more. The benefits include exposure via our social media platforms, being listed in the ackowledgements, inclusion in our email newletter, press releases and more. A complete list of benefits to sponsors may be found here.
To sponsor or contribute to a research project, please contact Dr. Stein at team@indooragcenter.org for more information.
Research Publication Partners
Research Partnership. We are pleased to announce that the Center of Excellence is partnering with Air, Soil and Water Research, which is a highly regarded Sage Publication. This open access journal is free to browse online and features articles on environmental science and sustainability related to air, soil and water. Articles on indoor farming as it relates to the environment are also featured. See also below.
How to Become an Author
Become an Author. Doing research on indoor farming and want to publish your work on indoor farming, sustainability, agriculture or environmental science?
Members of the Center of Excellence who wish to publish will receive a 25% discount on submission (APC) fees to Air, Soil and Water Research. Guidelines for submission are provided here.
About Air, Soil and Water Research
Air, Soil and Water Research is an international, peer reviewed, open access journal focusing on research pertaining to soil, air and water. The journal seeks to report on properties, including physical, chemical, biochemical and biological, and also analysis, microbiology, chemicals and pollution, consequences for plants and crops, soil hydrology, changes and consequences of change, social issues, and other considerations. This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
