New centre to combine smart farming, AI, R&D, technology testing and market access
Tathmeer Agri Tech, the UAE’s first Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA)-approved and Sharia-compliant AgriTech crowdfunding platform and ecosystem, today launched MENA’s first Integrated Agri-Tech Innovation Centre in partnership with Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK) in Sharjah.
Set to be established on a dedicated land plot within SPARK, the Tathmeer Integrated Agri-Tech Innovation Centre will create a real-world environment for agricultural technologies to be demonstrated, tested and validated before commercial deployment and scale-up.
The centre will bring together controlled-environment agriculture, hydroponics, vertical farming, automation, IoT and AI-enabled monitoring, alongside Tathmeer’s FarmBridge digital platform.
It will also support applied R&D pilots, farmer training, technology selection, startup development and connections between agricultural producers, technology providers, investors and markets.
Initiative
The initiative reflects SPARK’s role in attracting technology-driven companies and enabling them to develop, test and commercialise solutions within an integrated innovation ecosystem. By providing land, infrastructure, ecosystem access and facilitation, SPARK will support the development of a dedicated platform for advancing agricultural technologies in Sharjah and the wider region.
Tathmeer Agri Tech has also partnered with Elevate Farms, a leading vertical farming technology company with operations and presence in Canada, the United States and Switzerland.
The initiative comes as the UAE continues to place food security and sustainable agricultural production among its strategic priorities, with advanced technologies playing an increasingly important role in addressing challenges including water scarcity, limited arable land and demanding climatic conditions.
Collaboration
“This collaboration with Tathmeer Agri Tech reflects the type of investment we want to attract to Sharjah: companies that combine technology, applied R&D, physical infrastructure and market access to address strategic priorities such as food security, sustainability and economic diversification,” remarked Hussain Al Mahmoudi, Chief Executive Officer, SPARK.
“Working with SPARK, we can put controlled-environment systems, vertical farming and AI-enabled monitoring in front of farmers under real operating conditions, then connect what proves itself to financing through our SCA-approved platform and to buyers through FarmBridge,” added Layth Dwairi, CEO & Co-Founder, Tathmeer Agri Tech.
