PAIR Seed Fund Project: Sustainable and Smart Floating Farms

PAIR Seed Fund Project Name: 

Sustainable and Smart Floating Farms

Objectives:

The project aims to develop a Sustainable and Smart Floating Farms (S²F²) using an interdisciplinary approach to enhance food security and food sustainability and contribute to the Blue Economy and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Goal 2: Zero Hunger).

Sustainable and Smart Floating Farms (S²F²) is an environmentally friendly yet commercially productive farm model. Waste will be fully recycled: plant waste will be used to raise edible insects (e.g., black soldier flies, crickets), insects will be used to supplement fish feed to raise fish, while waste from farmed fish will be used to supply nutrients to hydroponics. Coconut pit used in hydroponics as plant substrate will be recycled by mixing in small amount of fermented food waste to generate soil-like substrate, potentially for growing small fruit trees such as citrus and avocado.

The project successfully conducted a preliminary onsite testing of S²F², generating outcomes including: establishing an integrated structural health monitoring (SHM) system on a real floating barge, developing an AI-based fish detection system, and investigating a floating photovoltaic system (FPV) system.

Key Research Outcomes:

• Published two papers based on the research results
• Submitted proposals to external funding schemes including: Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS), Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme (RAISe+)
• Organised related professional exchange events including:
  • International Workshop on Large Floating Infrastructures (6 July 2023),
  • 4th World Conference on Floating Solutions (2–4 December 2024)