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].

Press Release – State of North Rhine-Westphalia

Second Stop of Minister Gorißen’s Tour “A Strong Future in NRW: AI in Agriculture and Forestry”

From Research to the Field: How AI Advances Vegetable Cultivation

On Monday, May 11, 2026, Minister Silke Gorißen witnessed firsthand just how closely research and practice are already collaborating in the fields of agriculture and forestry during the second stop of the tour “A Strong Future in NRW: AI in Agriculture and Forestry.” During visits to Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences in Kamp-Lintfort and the agricultural machinery manufacturer AI.Land in Krefeld, the Minister gained a comprehensive overview of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming horticulture—specifically ornamental plant and vegetable cultivation—as well as woody plant propagation, both in theory and in practice.

The tour stop began with a visit to the Kamp-Lintfort campus of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, where the team led by Prof. Rolf Becker presented the latest developments in their research with a strong focus on practical application. Next, the delegation proceeded to the agricultural machinery manufacturer AI.Land, located at Hof Schleupen in Krefeld; here, the application of AI in vegetable cultivation — for tasks such as weed control, fertilization, and harvesting — was demonstrated.

“Agriculture in North Rhine-Westphalia faces major challenges: climate change, rising demands regarding environmental and nature conservation, and economic pressures. At the same time, the goal remains to produce high-quality, affordable food,” stated Minister Silke Gorißen. “All these factors must be reconciled. The solutions to these challenges are not found behind a desk, but out in the field—on the farms themselves—and through dialogue among practitioners, researchers, and businesses. That is why, with our tour ‘A Strong Future in NRW: AI in Agriculture and Forestry,’ we are demonstrating how digitalization and agriculture can go hand in hand—paving the way for greater efficiency and sustainability.”

The Minister added: “We have the very best prerequisites right here in our region: dedicated agricultural businesses, robust research institutions like Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, and strong companies like AI.Land. Crucially, we also possess an openness to new ideas and innovation. We will continue down this path—step by step, with a practical focus, and through open dialogue!”

This is where the State of North Rhine-Westphalia steps in with the “European Innovation Partnership for Productivity and Sustainability in Agriculture” (EIP-Agri). Funded by the State and the European Union, nearly 10 million euros in grants will be provided by 2029. This funding instrument empowers practitioners to further develop their ideas and put them into practice.

Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences Researches Versatile Technologies

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Whether GPT, Gemini, Claude, or Llama—many people are now utilizing so-called Large Language Models (LLMs) in both their professional and private lives. LLMs offer significant advantages within the agricultural sector as well, opening up new opportunities for companies and farms to streamline processes and develop innovative products.

The Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences is exploring just how versatile these AI technologies already are through the following specific research projects—projects that Professor Becker and his team presented on-site in an interactive and engaging manner:

• In the “AgriTech Innovation – TreeDigital” project, AI is utilized to enhance agricultural processes—specifically within the horticultural sector, and primarily in tree nurseries—through data-driven methods. By jointly analyzing environmental, sensor, and horticultural documentation data, for instance, yields can be optimized and resources deployed more precisely.
• The “Smart Green Wall” combines modern greening concepts with intelligent control systems. Here, AI ensures that irrigation, nutrient supply, and plant care are automatically adapted to prevailing conditions — resulting in healthier plants while reducing resource consumption.
• Another example is the “Digitalized Watering Cart,” designed to help conserve water in ornamental plant cultivation. By employing intelligent systems, the precise location of each plant pot is determined, and irrigation is controlled with pinpoint accuracy. This saves water while simultaneously easing the workload on staff.
• The “Irristaud 2.0” project is also dedicated to developing innovative solutions for efficient and sustainable cultivation management. The objective is to further optimize water consumption through the application of AI, while simultaneously enhancing supply security.

These projects impressively demonstrate how AI not only possesses theoretical potential but is already creating tangible added value today — particularly in the areas of sustainability and resource efficiency. For instance, water, fertilizers, and crop protection products can be applied with greater precision, thereby conserving soil and resources. Early warning systems for yield losses or forest damage help prevent economic losses.

Companies that deploy these technologies secure decisive competitive advantages while simultaneously making a significant contribution to greater sustainability.

Agricultural Machinery Manufacturer AI.Land Focuses on Full Automation

One such company is the agricultural machinery manufacturer AI.Land, located in Krefeld-Hüls, which Minister Gorißen visited following her appointment at the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.

Founded as a spin-off from the FH Aachen (Aachen University of Applied Sciences), AI.Land develops autonomous robotic systems that utilize artificial intelligence to precisely cultivate agricultural fields. This technology underscores the immense potential inherent in academic spin-offs. Since its inception, the company has maintained a close collaborative relationship with the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences — a partnership evidenced by joint research proposals and the recruitment of students as employees.

A flagship project of the company is DAVEGI: an intelligent field robotics system aimed at achieving full automation in vegetable cultivation. Utilizing precision sensor technology and robotics, each individual plant is identified, tended to, and harvested. The underlying concept is based on a circular gantry that rotates around a fixed central point, thereby creating a stable environment conducive to robust automation. Primary movements are executed by carriages traveling along the gantry, which move rapidly with minimal frictional loss. The project’s objective is to pack the harvested produce into freshly assembled vegetable boxes, which are then delivered directly from the field to customers’ homes. The system is powered autonomously via solar panels.

Background: Tour – “A Strong Future in NRW: AI in Agriculture and Forestry”

The “Strong Future in NRW” tour is making stops throughout North Rhine-Westphalia, offering insights into concrete applications of artificial intelligence. The initiative aims to highlight the benefits provided by innovations developed and tested by bright minds across the region. Following Minister Gorißen’s visit to Cologne in April—where she viewed an AI-assisted hoe designed for weed control—the focus in the coming months will shift to sensor-supported livestock farming, drones for reforestation, and smart data solutions in arable farming. The objective is to showcase the capabilities of North Rhine-Westphalia as an agricultural hub and to strengthen the dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and the general public.

Our “Smart Green Wall” project for the automated supply, monitoring, and maintenance of “green walls” has launched.

The German-Dutch Interreg project “Smart Green Wall” officially kicked off with a successful launch event at the Euregio Forum Kleve. The project aims to significantly reduce the typically high maintenance costs of vertical gardens through autonomous, AI-controlled processes. This self-regulating operation will make the green walls more practical for everyday use.

The launch event, attended by the consortium—comprising the six SMEs RF-Frontend GmbH, Orange Plastics BV, CO2Wall Group B.V., Zoran Bacic, and Soil Best BV from Germany and the Netherlands, as well as Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences—numerous associated partners, and the climate protection managers of the cities of Kleve and Wesel, generated considerable interest.

The Smart Green Wall project is being implemented within the framework of the Interreg VI Germany-Netherlands program and is co-financed with €2,728,230.36 by the European Union, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, and the Province of Gelderland.

We look forward to an exciting project!