The project was implemented at three Agricultural Technical Institutes in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, in collaboration with the R.I.T.A.P.E.R. network and GREATIT, through the installation of three DEMETRA controlled-environment growing platforms. The objective is to bring vertical farming directly into agricultural education, creating advanced laboratories where students and teachers can gain hands-on experience with agricultural technologies, from IoT sensors and automation to the analysis of cultivation data.
A DEMETRA laboratory was installed at each institute, designed as a fully controlled growing environment. Each system integrates IoT sensors for monitoring environmental and crop parameters, full-spectrum multichannel LED lighting, an Ebb & Flow hydroponic system, and closed-loop proportional fertigation. These technologies are complemented by integrated ventilation and environmental control, along with dedicated software for monitoring, managing, and analyzing cultivation data. The closed-loop system enables water and nutrient solutions to be recovered and reused, significantly reducing resource consumption compared to conventional cultivation systems.
The laboratories were designed around a learning-by-doing approach: students directly follow the entire crop cycle, from sowing to harvest, observing, measuring, and adjusting the main parameters that influence plant development. Throughout the school year, the platforms are used to grow crops such as basil and fresh-cut salad greens, allowing students to investigate the relationship between environmental conditions and crop physiological responses. The result is an interdisciplinary laboratory where agronomy, plant physiology, ecology, physics, computer science, and automation come together.
GoVertical! also includes dedicated teacher training, lessons and practical exercises for students, and educational activities focused on sustainability and the ecological transition. At the same time, it strengthens problem-solving, teamwork, and data interpretation skills within the field of Controlled Environment Agriculture. The project also includes orientation activities for younger students through short introductory placements combining theoretical sessions on sustainability with practical laboratory activities.
Production extends beyond experimental activities: crops grown inside the vertical farms can enter the FOOD FARM 4.0 supply chain or be sold directly through the institutes' agricultural enterprises as locally produced, zero-kilometre products. This creates a tangible connection between education, technology, production, and the local community.
MORE THAN A TECHNOLOGICAL INSTALLATION, GOVERTICAL! IS AN ACTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE AGRONOMY, AUTOMATION, AND SUSTAINABILITY COME TOGETHER TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF AGRICULTURAL PROFESSIONALS.
Project: GoVertical!
Application: Education and Agritech
Installations: 3 DEMETRA laboratories
Location: Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Technology: Controlled Environment Agriculture
Growing System: Ebb & Flow Hydroponics
Lighting: Full-spectrum multichannel LED
Control: IoT sensors and management software
Main Crops: Basil and fresh-cut salad greens
Target Users: Students and teachers at Agricultural Technical Institutes
