From the grow room to the plate
How our first basil ended up in Schruns
There are moments when theory suddenly becomes reality. That’s exactly what it felt like when we recently held the first harvest of basil from our Plant Production Cell (PPC) in our hands. Not as a lab test, not as an internal experiment — but with a very clear goal: to bring the basil directly into a kitchen where it would be used.
And that’s exactly what happened.
Just a few minutes from our location, in Schruns, our first indoor-grown basil was delivered to a restaurant. Freshly harvested, with no detours and no intermediate storage. What often takes days was reduced here to a minimum. For us, it was more than just a delivery — it was the first real proof that our approach works beyond our own four walls.
The work on the PPC originally started from a different idea. We wanted to understand how climate conditions in indoor cultivation can be controlled even more precisely. Light is only one part of the system. Temperature, humidity, air movement — all of these factors interact and ultimately determine how a plant develops. At the same time, another question became increasingly important: can indoor plant production also make economic sense?
This project sits exactly at that intersection.
Basil wasn’t a coincidence. Few plants react as sensitively to time and transport as fresh herbs. What is harvested today often loses a significant amount of quality by the next day. Aroma, texture, freshness — everything depends on how quickly the plant is processed after harvest. And that’s exactly where one of the biggest advantages of controlled indoor production lies.
In our case, that means: harvest, pack, deliver — and shortly after, the basil is already in the kitchen. No long supply chains, no refrigerated transport over several days. Instead, a direct path from the grow room to the plate.
In our case, that means: harvest, pack, deliver — and shortly after, the basil is already in the kitchen. No long supply chains, no refrigerated transport over several days. Instead, a direct path from the grow room to the plate.
For the restaurant, this opens up a new level of predictability. Quality is consistent, availability is reliable, and freshness reaches a level that is difficult to achieve through conventional supply chains. For us, in turn, it’s an opportunity to test our systems under real-world conditions — not in an idealized environment, but where the product is actually needed.
Of course, we’re still at the very beginning. The first harvest is an important milestone, but it’s only the start of a longer process. In the coming months, we will continue refining the climate strategy within the PPC, stabilize production, and explore how the system can be scaled. At the same time, we’ll evaluate which other crops can be meaningfully integrated alongside basil.
What this project already shows, however, is that indoor plant production is no longer an abstract idea. It can work — technically and practically. The question is no longer if, but how well.
And perhaps the answer begins right here: with a few fresh basil leaves from Schruns.
