Exploring Innovation: A Case Study on Custom Growtainer®

In this case study on custom Growtainer®, we share how our team was retained by a Global Life Science Manufacturer based in Spain to provide a custom designed Growtainer® with dual chambers for both production and research. This custom container was designed and built in Rotterdam with an experienced team of Dutch suppliers utilizing our standard four level Growracks and providing energy efficient LED lighting, a proprietary irrigation and fertigation system, climate control, and a PLC based precision control system.

The client’s objective was twofold. They wanted to produce leafy greens for the employee cafeteria as well as conduct scientific and marketing research. The client wanted to expand their existing open field agricultural Bio-stimulant and Plant Health market by modifying their existing formulas for use by hydroponic CEA growers. Currently, their products are used in over 70 countries to treat 2.5 million hectares of open field agriculture.

The client felt that Growtainer® was the perfect environment to do their scientific research because it allowed them to conduct many different experiments simultaneously. The scientific team was able to trial different substrates, light levels, irrigation events, and CO2 levels in conjunction with their Bio-stimulants in our multi-level, multi-chamber system. While building the Growtainers®, we also worked closely on-site with their researchers and scientists to provide hands-on assistance with hydroponic crop production and with the CEO and his Innovation team to identify other opportunities to integrate CEA into their global business model.

After a year of working with their team, a corporate decision was made to not venture into the CEA hydroponics market and to continue to limit their Plant Health division to open field agriculture. While this was very disappointing, it was a wonderful opportunity to work with a world class global life sciences manufacturer and their professional scientists and researchers. The Growtainer® was ultimately moved to an agriculture university in Germany, where it remains today, teaching a new generation of horticulture professionals about indoor growing and controlled environment agriculture.