Japanese electronics designer and manufacturer Sharp Corporation is investing in high-tech commercial strawberry production in the United Arab Emirates, where it will grow Japanese varieties for export.
The multinational has announced plans to commercially produce strawberries at its Dubai subsidiary, Sharp Middle East Free Zone Establishment (SMEF).
“Favoured for their high quality, Japanese strawberries are sold for high prices in overseas markets, such as in the Middle East. But because strawberries are perishable and quick to spoil, distributing them overseas has always been difficult,” a Sharp release said.
“Cultivating fresh strawberries in a locally situated plant-growing facility should therefore enable local production and consumption without problems caused by location, weather, and temperature.”
The fruit will be grown in a sealed environment under artificial LED light with Plasmacluster technology for managing air quality, along with Sharp equipment for monitoring room temperature and humidity.
“Using technology and know-how developed in the laboratory tests, Sharp aims to launch a plant factory engineering business in cooperation with local partners. The business will encompass a range of aspects, from factory design to the provision of monitoring and maintenance services,” the release said.
The project’s testing phase is scheduled to last until March 2015 and is based on research into strawberry cultivation conducted jointly with Osaka Prefecture University.
