The world’s first hi-tech urban vineyard has been created at the Politecnico of Turin by Citiculture: 700 potted vines, advanced technologies and an ecosystem of innovation for ecological and digital transition.
In the heart of the Politecnico of Turin, an area of 1,000 square metres is home to around 700 potted vines, transforming the university space into an open-air laboratory for sustainability, science and socialising.
This is Campus Grapes, the world’s first hi-tech urban vineyard. Conceived by the Turin-based start-up Citiculture, the project is the result of synergy between public bodies, universities and local companies. Inaugurating this pioneering project, together with the Politecnico and the University of Turin, were: the President of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio, the Councillor for Trade and Markets of the City of Turin, Paolo Chiavarino, Marco Gay, President of the Turin Industrial Union and Executive President of Zest S.p.A, Marco Lavazza, Vice President with responsibility for Sustainability at the Turin Industrial Union and Vice President of the Lavazza Group, and Luca Balbiano, CEO and founder of Citiculture.
The campus will host laboratories, exhibition spaces, co-working areas and training courses dedicated to ecological and digital transition. The Scientific Committee chaired by the Politecnico of Turin, composed of representatives from the Polytechnic, the University of Turin, Citiculture and a representative from the supporting companies, will guarantee the scientific quality and impact of the project. The Committee coordinates research activities, evaluating and directing proposals from teachers, researchers and students, with an interdisciplinary and results-oriented approach.
Campus Grapes is part of the Politecnico of Turin’s “Nature Based Solutions” plan, which aims to test concrete solutions for climate adaptation. It will therefore be a hub for advanced training in Agritech, linked to the master’s degree in “Agritech Engineering”, the university’s flagship programme.
During the inauguration, the project’s agronomic innovations were presented, including the use of potted vines for optimal control of growing conditions, clonal and varietal diversification to increase resilience, and the use of experimental cultivation systems to assess adaptability in an urban context.
As well as the main technologies already installed, starting with wearable sensors for monitoring plant health, useful for automatic irrigation control, biochar-based compounds to promote vine growth, and an environmental monitoring system to assess air quality, with particular attention to CO2 content. Added to these are the various areas set up by the supporting partners.
Campus Grapes comes to life thanks to the success of the first phase of crowdfunding, which ended with the achievement of over €100,000, the result of the generous participation of 13 companies/sponsors from the Turin area – Lavazza Group, Exclusive Brands Torino, Reale Foundation, Engas, Enoteca Regionale dei Vini della Provincia di Torino, Eventum/Grapes in Town, Luca& Violina, EdilCompany, I Magredi, Neh Experience, SellaLab, Zenit, Fondazione Zoom and Zoom – as well as numerous corporate and private supporters. A strong sign of trust and participation.
The second phase of fundraising will begin shortly, with the aim of raising additional resources that will be used to complete and enrich the space with benches, lighting, interactive signage and other infrastructure for public use, making it increasingly welcoming and functional. Campus Grapes has also officially joined the U.V.A (Urban Vineyards Association), the International Association of Urban Vineyards.