Distinguished Visitors at the Green FabLab—the first prototype is barely set up, and already there is interest!

The question of how artificial intelligence can make agricultural and forestry projects more sustainable and efficient lies at the heart of the tour titled “A Strong Future in NRW: AI in Agriculture and Forestry.” As part of this tour, Silke Gorißen—the Minister for Agriculture and Consumer Protection—visited several locations on May 11, 2026, including the campus of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences in Kamp-Lintfort. There, Minister Gorißen was introduced to the “Smart Green Wall” project, an initiative focused on integrating AI-driven autonomous control, supply, and maintenance technologies into modern vertical greenery systems.

On-site, the research team led by Prof. Rolf Becker briefed the Minister on the project’s latest developments. The visit clearly demonstrated the close collaboration already taking place between scientific research and practical application in the quest to find solutions for current challenges: during her visit, Minister Gorißen was presented with the first prototype of an autonomously functioning vertical garden, which serves as a testbed during the development phase of the “Smart Green Wall” project. Going forward, this prototype is expected to yield crucial insights into the system’s long-term requirements and help identify potential vulnerabilities. At the same time, it highlights the significant progress being made in the creation of these smart vertical gardens and demonstrates their operational capabilities. Thus, this preliminary prototype provides impetus for continuous improvement, validates the interoperability of the newly developed systems with existing technologies, and visually showcases the achievements of the “Smart Green Wall” project.

These intelligent vertical planting modules—conceived during the course of this project—ultimately represent a vital, forward-looking approach to climate-conscious, resource-efficient, and cost-effective urban greening. Sensors and intelligent algorithms continuously analyze the plants’ needs, automatically adjusting irrigation, nutrient supply, and care to suit the specific conditions. The utilization of natural resources—such as solar energy and harvested rainwater—is an essential component and defining feature of this innovative greening system, as is the automated monitoring and maintenance of the system through integrated technology.

The “Strong Future in NRW” tour aims to bring the practical applications of artificial intelligence in agriculture and forestry—along with the benefits these project concepts offer the state of North Rhine-Westphalia—into the public spotlight. Given that these intelligent greening systems are set to play a crucial role in the future—particularly in urban areas facing rising levels of heat, pollution, and noise—Minister Gorißen’s visit to Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences and its “Smart Green Wall” prototype served as a fitting stop to draw attention to this significant project for the future.

If your interest has been piqued and you would like to learn more about “Strong Future in NRW: AI in Agriculture and Forestry” and the second stop on this tour, please feel free to click [here].