Innovative Solutions for Growing Food in Cities

Founded in 2016 by Paulien van de Vlasakker, Vegger is on a mission to bring food production closer to people while making urban agriculture more sustainable. Through its hydroponic farming solutions, the company integrates fresh, edible plant production directly into interior environments, enhancing both functionality and aesthetic appeal. We sat down with Paulien to discuss Vegger’s journey, their experience from participating in EU-funded research and innovation (R&I) projects and the role SMEs play in driving innovation forward.

With a background in organic agriculture and human nutrition and health, Paulien launched Vegger to address a clear urban challenge: improving access to healthy food in the places where people live and work. Today, Vegger provides indoor growing systems for offices, restaurants, hotels, schools, and healthcare facilities. However, the company’s focus goes beyond food production—it aims to create “living spaces” that support well-being and strengthen people’s connection to nature.

"Growing food has something really special about it because it is always changing and evolving. We want to contribute to spaces that feel more alive." — Paulien van de Vlasakker, CEO of Vegger

While their work focuses on transforming individual spaces, Vegger is also extending these principles to the broader urban scale through its involvement in EU-funded research and innovation projects. In the DUT-funded Hyping Agriculture and Transit (HAT) project, Vegger is exploring how urban food production can be integrated into Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). This aligns with the 15-minute City concept, ensure that essential needs, including access to fresh food, are available within a short walk or bike ride.

In collaboration with partners from Canada, Estonia, Portugal, and Sweden, Vegger is investigating how urban farming solutions such as community gardens, rooftop installations, and vertical farming systems can be embedded into everyday urban environments. The goal is to make healthy eating a friction-less part of the urban routine. By growing food where people already wait for the bus or walk to work, the aim is to reduce reliance on long-distance supply chains that typically bring vegetables into cities.

Beyond increasing access to fresh food, these types of projects also play an important educational role by encouraging healthier choices and raising awareness about how food is grown. Vegger’s vertical farms are also featured in the DUT-funded FOCUSE project, where local communities have been invited to visit test sites and see the growing process firsthand.

At one such site, the restaurant Urban Deli in Stockholm, preschool children have taken part in hands-on workshops and planting sessions. These activities are designed to spark curiosity and foster early engagement with urban agriculture, offering interactive experiences where participants can actively take part in growing their own food.

The flexibility of SMEs drives innovation

This hands-on approach highlights the power of connecting research, industry, and local communities. For Paulien, projects like DUT prove that while academic partners provide the scientific foundation, SMEs like Vegger act as the vital bridge— providing practical testing environments and agility needed to turn complex ideas into real-world solutions.

She notes that larger organisations usually have more resources but are often constrained by fixed structures. SMEs, on the other hand, are more flexible and can respond quickly with agile, innovative solutions.

A great example of this is the development of Vegger's biodegradable growing systems, the PlantPods. While the industry standard—and the machines that support it—still relies heavily on plastic, Vegger chose to rethink the entire production line to prioritise sustainability. Their PlantPods are made from 100% recycled and natural materials such as coconut fibres and nut shells and are fully biodegradable. Prefilled with seeds and nutrients, they simplify the growing process while reducing waste. Combined with Vegger’s FlaxFarms, these solutions create a pesticide-free growing environment that uses up to 95% less water and significantly reduces energy consumption compared to traditional farming methods.

Vegger is currently midway through the HAT project, contributing advisory insights based on more than eight years of research and development in the Netherlands and Sweden. Looking ahead, the company aims to expand its collaborations across Europe, as well as North and South America, with the goal of making urban agriculture a practical and scalable solution for city planners and private developers alike.

Learn more about their work at vegger.org.