Smart Agriculture Infrastructure (DiAGRI)
AI-Powered Smart Farming Hub for Sustainable Urban Food Production
DiAGRI is a joint smart agriculture R&D infrastructure developed by University of Helsinki and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. The project combines controlled environment agriculture (CEA), advanced sensing technologies, AI-driven analytics, smart automation, and digital infrastructure to support interdisciplinary research, innovation, and technology development for sustainable plant production systems.
Two sites forming one synergistic R&D infrastructure
The infrastructure supports both scientific research and practical technology development for indoor farming, urban agriculture, and future smart agricultural systems by integrating the capabilities of two complementary sites.
University of Helsinki, Viikki Campus
Located at one of the leading Nordic life science clusters, the Viikki campus hosts 6 new walk-in growth chambers equipped with advanced imaging, environmental sensing, and edge AI computing. The chambers allow experimenting in various model and crop species in countless environmental programs ensuring highest scientific standards. Read more about DiAGRI at Viikki Campus, University of Helsinki.
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, UrbanFarmLab
The UrbanFarmLab at Metropolia's Myyrmäki campus serves as an applied R&D and technology piloting platform. With 2 growing rooms upgraded with advanced imaging capabilities, integration tools, and digital platforms required for leveraging AI models, it bridges the gap between research and industry. Read more about UrbanFarmLab.
Research and development themes
DiAGRI enables six core research themes, each contributing to the development of smart, sustainable controlled environment agriculture.
Understanding how plants respond to controlled environments is fundamental to CEA optimisation. DiAGRI researchers study genotype × environment (GxE) interactions, abiotic stress responses (temperature, light, drought), and yield optimisation across a range of crop species. The precision control of our growth chambers enables factorial experiments that isolate specific environmental variables.
Developing plant varieties specifically optimised for controlled environments — with traits such as compact architecture, efficient light use, rapid growth cycles, and enhanced nutritional profiles. DiAGRI leverages genome editing technologies (e.g., CRISPR) to accelerate the development of CEA-adapted cultivars, with strawberry as a primary model crop.
Integrating IoT sensor networks with intelligent automation to create responsive growing environments. Research focuses on developing closed-loop control systems where environmental parameters (temperature, humidity, light spectrum, CO₂, nutrients) are dynamically adjusted based on real-time plant status data from imaging and sensor feedback.
Developing AI methods that combine data from multiple sensing modalities — 3D geometry, hyperspectral reflectance, thermal signatures, fluorescence, and environmental sensors — into unified models for plant phenotyping, growth prediction, and stress detection. Research explores CLIP-based multi-modal alignment, edge AI deployment, and predictive analytics.
Building virtual replicas of physical growth environments that integrate real-time sensor data with AI-driven predictive models. Digital twins enable in-silico experimentation — testing hypothetical growing conditions, optimising resource allocation, and accelerating experimental design without occupying physical infrastructure.
Investigating the food science dimensions of CEA — including nutritional quality, sensory attributes, and post-harvest handling of controlled-environment crops. Also exploring scalable business models, decentralised food systems, and food design approaches for urban food production in collaboration with the Viikki Food Design Factory.
Who is DiAGRI for and how to collaborate?
The aim of the DiAGRI R&D infrastructure is to provide the Helsinki-Uusimaa research and industry communities with state-of-the-art facilities for smart agriculture under controlled environments. DiAGRI offers researchers, start-ups and established companies access to advanced testing environments. The platform supports both basic and translational research, technology validation, prototyping, pilot testing, and development of new products and services.
Companies can collaborate with DiAGRI through joint R&D projects, commissioned development work, and publicly funded innovation projects. UrbanFarmLab also supports partners in identifying suitable funding instruments, including Business Finland, Horizon Europe, and regional innovation funding opportunities.
Contact information
DiAGRI Metropolia location
- Suomen akatemia