New episode out now! In this week’s Bodenxt Talks, we talk about smart cultivation of vegetables, fish, insects and microalgae in a new research project in Boden. Here, both heat and nutrients circulate in circular flows with the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Guests in the studio are Ulrika Rova, professors in biochemical process technology at LTU and Thomas Fägerman, CEO of Boden Business Park.

The fact that a greenhouse powered by waste heat from data centers is underway in Boden is no longer a novelty, but a new research project with more links in a circular food chain.

– Connecting a land-based fish farm with a greenhouse is a good prerequisite. Boden is a good case because here we have proximity to good water, but we also have access to residual heat that can also be useful in a fish farm. But in addition to greenhouses and fish farming, we also want to connect insect cultivation and cultivation of microalgae, says Ulrika Rova.

The idea is that the insects can take advantage of plant residues from the greenhouse and the process water can be used for growing microalgae. These can then be used for locally produced fish feed, rich in both protein and omega 3. AI and machine learning will be used, among other things, to regulate how much residual heat is to be distributed to the various cultivations and optimize the cultivation conditions.

– I think it’s super cool to be able to work with things that interest me and to be able to do it locally in Boden. I think it is fun to be able to participate in the development of the municipality, and I hope that the project also contributes to a good development, says Ulrika Rova.

In Bodenxt Talks, we delve into the industrial and social change that is currently taking place in Boden. Here we talk about what bees usually call the smart green and it is about the ecologically, economically and socially sustainable, linked to innovations and new technology.