Csillagváros Ltd.

Vertical Farm in the service of science

About us

Overpopulation, the decrease of arable land, poor soil quality, and the increasingly frequent occurrence of extreme weather have brought vertical farms to life.

The advantage of vertical farms lies in their ability, with adequate automation, to achieve 24-hour production. Production is chemical-free, and if the technology is properly implemented, the products can be consumed without washing, i.e., food-grade products can be manufactured. Thanks to their controllability, it is easy to increase targeted content values, such as the elevated vitamin C content in salads. Compared to conventional cultivation, water consumption in vertical farms is up to 95% lower.

In the future, in addition to cultivating leafy vegetables, seedling production, and strawberries, vertical farms can play a significant role in space research and in feeding the astronauts of the future. The Orion Spacegeneration Foundation and Csillagváros Ltd are collaborating to achieve this goal. The development of vertical farms can contribute to the exploration of alien planets; for example, this technology could ensure a stable food supply on Mars.

A common future for vertical farms and space exploration

There are a number of crops that have already been tested in space. Currently mainly for research, but in the near future also for human consumption. Plants that mankind will have to take on extraterrestrial expeditions and colonisations are already being cultivated today. These new plant varieties could justifiably be called ‘colonisation plants’. The role of Csillagváros Kft. R&D vertical farm goes beyond traditional plant cultivation.

Experiments with the cultivation of colonisation crops not only serve to diversify food sources, but also help astronauts to have access to healthy and nutritious food during long-duration space missions. Our colonisation crops, although grown in terrestrial conditions, are very similar in cultivation technology to the Veggie system used at the International Space Station (ISS).

Space vegetables and grains, which are also the basis of our research: pak choi, wheat, cabbage, radish, lettuce, parsley, dill, basil, mizuna, romaine lettuce.

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GSILL

Grow Stars Institute Living Lab

The Grow Stars Institute Living Lab (GSILL) is a multiple-site Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) facility with a professional Research & Development & Innovation staff capable of planning, executing, and evaluating complex research & innovation in every field of vertical farming, urban farming, and healthy food production. Established in 2021, GSILL utilizes the latest state-of-the-art technologies and currently represents an ideal connection between R&D and industrial environments for experiments, involving multiple actors. Our Living Lab provides a unique and well-developed infrastructure in every aspect of CEA. The Living Lab includes five individually controllable vertical farm systems in separate rooms and three small-scale growth cabinets.

At GSILL, users are involved in every step of the innovation process, from ideation to market uptake. To co-create innovative products, services, systems, or processes in the field of urban farming, vertical farming, and food safety, Grow Stars Institute Living Lab introduces its unique Vertical Farm as a Service (VFaaS) solution for stakeholders from the academic, governmental, public, and civil sectors.

Services

Research, our services and results

Research and development

  • Fruit, vegetable and arable crop cultivation
  • Functional food development
  • Medicinal and pharmaceutical plant cultivation
  • Animal feed (fodder) production
  • Application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in controlled environment agriculture
  • Development of circular economy, waste-free/minimum waste systems

Services

  • Expert advice in the field of vertical farms and hydroponic systems
  • Expert advice in the field of indoor LED lighting
  • Preparation of feasibility studies in the field of vertical farms
  • Wage research, product development, project planning and implementation
  • Knowledge management

Results

  • Adaptation, application and maintenance of HACCP, Global GAP and IFS quality assurance systems
  • Participation in numerous research and development projects and product development
  • Execution ofmore than 70 experiments, development of more than 80 plant recipes
  • High degree of ability to operate a plant factory through simulations and develop concrete solutions

Team

Petra Valent

CEO

Petra Valent is our business professional with a major in Business Tourism from Budapest Business School. She demonstrates exceptional organizational and professional skills when it comes to financial insight, and project coordination. She is proficient in English and Spanish, she brings a global perspective, coupled with interpersonal skills. With a clear objective, Petra aims to contribute significantly to the operation and development of the company.

Gergely Csulik

Vertical farm R&D engineer

Gergely Csulik is our practical planner who fearlessly raises uncomfortable questions when discussing sustainability and the practicality of technologies and solutions. With experience in international environments, he excels at coordinating projects from planning to implementation. Gergely is the person who dedicates time to discussing visions and helps chart the path to bring them to fruition.

    Lőrinc Utasi

    Space farm engineer, PhD student in the field of vertical farming & photo biology

    Lőrinc Utasi is currently pursuing his PhD in agriculture, focusing on vertical crop cultivation. With extensive experience in this field, he is the go-to person for anyone interested in photobiology and seeking the optimal lighting strategy for plants, whether in a vertical farm or a greenhouse using artificial light. Lőrinc has amassed a substantial amount of data through experiments and research, dividing his time between our team’s projects and his PhD pursuits.

      Pál Rébeli-Szabó

      Vertical farm R&D engineer

      Pál Rébeli-Szabó is our polymath with more than 20 years of experience in the maintenance and development of mechanical, electrical, and IT technologies. He consistently dedicates time to learning new skills and self-improvement. Pál has made a significant contribution to understanding and developing our infrastructure, whether it’s the irrigation/nutrition system or the IoT aspects of our farms and office. He is the right person if you are looking for a specialist who will help you understand and optimize your technological needs.

        Nikolett Gaburi

        Vertical Farm Operator

        Gaburi Nikolett is the driving force behind the implementation, a crucial aspect of our team, as she oversees the day-to-day operations of the farm. Known for her adept handling of unexpected situations, Nikolett embraces challenges with resilience and practicality. As the most pragmatic member of our team, she consistently executes tasks flawlessly and within deadlines. Beyond her operational expertise, Nikolett dedicates time to sourcing and organizing the necessary materials, tools, and equipment. Her independent and innovative approach extends to finding ways to reduce work hours and costs effectively.

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