Layer Of Light Helps Plants Get More From The Sun

UbiQD and Nanosys have agreed to partner on the development and manufacturing of UbiGro® luminescent greenhouse films.

Installed above plants in a greenhouse, UbiGro is a layer of light that helps plants get more from the sun. UbiGro uses fluorescence to create a more optimal light spectrum for crops, converting under-utilized portions of sunlight to more photosynthetically efficient orange light that plants crave. This technology is essential for optimizing sunlight for plants. Over the last two years, early adopters and greenhouse technology institutes have trialed and tested UbiGro. These pilot customers in the US and Europe have seen encouraging results, including higher production yields and improved harvests. With increasing customer demand, UbiQD began looking for options to ramp-up production. Nanosys, having demonstrated quantum dot’s scalability in the display industry, was a natural partner.

“The greenhouse cover films market produces twenty times more area than the display industry and continues to grow in double digits on an annual basis,” said Jason Hartlove, CEO of Nanosys. “Greenhouses represent a massive opportunity for the unique benefits of quantum dot technology to enhance sunlight for plants. We look forward to working with UbiQD to bring UbiGro to market with our industry-leading scale, cost-effectiveness and highest quality manufacturing standards.“

Nanosys brings its large-scale manufacturing technologies for quantum dots and films, proven in the display market, to help UbiQD address the massive greenhouse market for UbiGro, estimated to be over 50 billion ft2 globally. Through this partnership, the technology inside the latest TVs from top brands will soon help boost the world’s food supply by making greenhouse farming more efficient. This collaboration exemplifies how advanced lighting technologies can significantly impact agricultural productivity.

“The success of Nanosys in the display industry has inspired many of us working to bring advanced materials to market,” said Hunter McDaniel, UbiQD Founder and CEO. “We plan to leverage Nanosys’ deep domain experience in quantum dot end-product integration, as well as their manufacturing scale, to accelerate our deployment of sustainable quantum dots into agriculture, providing innovative solutions on how to boost plant growth naturally.”