WHATS Seminar Vol. 252 [Online] titled above will be held on Friday, April 17, 2026

 

[Seminar Overview]

• 4:00 PM – 4:50 PM

The Present and Future of Plant Factories
How Urban-Type, Locally Produced and Locally Consumed Plant Factories Will Shape the Future

In Japan, closed-type plant factories (fully controlled environment facilities for vegetable cultivation) have been expected to play an important role in ensuring stable vegetable production—particularly leafy greens—amid increasingly unpredictable weather and the aging of the farming population.

However, Japan still possesses highly advanced open-field vegetable cultivation technologies, and plant factories have not yet reached a cost level that allows them to compete directly with traditional farming. As a result, high cultivation costs remain a serious challenge.

Nevertheless, there remains a promising future for plant factories if their unique advantages can be utilized in new business models and the accompanying technical challenges can be solved.

This seminar will explore the current state and future prospects of plant factories through the following topics:

1. History of Plant Factories
   The development of plant factories in Japan dates back to “Tsukuba Expo ’85” (Science and Technology Expo) in 1985. Since then, numerous technological breakthroughs have shaped their evolution. The lecture will first outline this history.
2. Reasons Behind the Struggles of Plant Factories
   The primary reason for the sector’s difficulties lies in high production costs. The lecture will explain the cost structure of plant factories, recent external factors affecting it, and issues within existing business models.
3. Efforts to Reduce Cultivation Costs
   Specific cost-reduction measures currently being undertaken by Ecodesic Co., Ltd. will be presented.
4. Business Models for the Future of Plant Factories
   Alongside cost reduction, a plant-factory-oriented business model will be proposed, with case studies demonstrating its implementation.
5. Summary

 

Lecturer: Hideki Goto, President, Ecodesic Co., Ltd., President, Ao to Midori Co., Ltd.

Dr. Goto holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University.
After serving as Project Manager at Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, leading numerous R&D and commercialization projects, he founded Ecodesic Co., Ltd. in 2016.

He has since been engaged in the development of innovative cultivation technologies, collaborating with universities and research institutes on projects such as precision agriculture using soil mapping, smart agriculture with meteorological robots, and renewable energy demonstration systems.
Leveraging extensive experience in technological development, Dr. Goto is now dedicated to promoting urban-type, locally produced–locally consumed (chisan-chisho) plant factories by advancing cost reduction and developing new business models.

Selected Projects in Renewable Energy and Smart Agriculture

• Development of Precision Agriculture Focusing on Soil Mapping in Yamatsuri Town (Fukushima Prefecture)
• In cooperation with Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology), and Denpata Agricultural Corporation.
• Okinawa Cloud-Based Smart Agriculture Project (Using Meteorological Robots)
• Conducted in collaboration with the University of the Ryukyus.
• Development of Hydrogen Storage-Type Power Control Systems
• In partnership with the University of Tokyo.
• Smart Agriculture Promotion Project (Smart Sugarcane Farming), Phase 1
• With the University of the Ryukyus and other institutions.
• Advanced Energy Project: Hydrogen Storage Energy System Demonstration, Iki City (Nagasaki Prefecture)
• With the University of Tokyo, Enoah Inc., and others.
• Smart Agriculture Promotion Project (Development of Sugarcane Production Areas), Phase 2
• With the University of the Ryukyus and other institutions.

 

• 4:50 PM – 5:00 PM
  Q&A Session

[Seminar Outline]

Date and Time: 4:00PM –5:00 PM (JST), Friday, April 17, 2026

Venue: Online Live Streaming

The seminar will be live-streamed through "Deliveru", an online streaming platform provided by Facio Inc.

Fee: 5,000 yen (tax excluded) / 5,500 yen (tax included)
How to Participate:

• After completing your registration, we will send your access ID the day before the seminar.
• The live stream will be hosted on Deliveru, the event streaming platform by Facio Inc. Please click here to log in.
• Recommended System Requirements (in Japanese)
• Test Video Viewing Page
• FAQ

Registration:

 Registration For the Seminar

(You will jump to the registration page in Japanese.)

For inquiries in English, please click here.

Registration Deadline: 5:00 p.m. (JST), Thursday, April 16, 2026

Notes:

・This seminar will be conducted in Japanese.
・After your registration, we will send an invoice by E-mail or postal mail.
・Please transfer the participation fee by the day before the event or within one week of receiving the invoice.
・Cancellations will not be accepted after payment.
・This seminar can also be registered via Deliveru, with payment options including credit card, convenience store payment, and Pay-easy.
​・Please note that participation may be restricted depending on the registrant’s industry or job function.

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations made after 3:00 p.m. (JST) on the business day before the event or on the day of the event without prior notice will incur a full participation fee charge, regardless of payment status.

Contact:

For inquiries in English, please click here.
Yano Research Institute Ltd.