Fluence by OSRAM (Fluence), a leading global provider of energy-efficient LED lighting solutions for commercial cannabis and food production, has announced its implementations with two major cannabis cultivators in Israel – Springs Valley Cannabis LTD and UNIVO Pharmaceuticals (UNIVO).
The implementations are part of Fluence’s ongoing partnership with REMY LTD (REMY), a leading, Israel-based horticultural lighting provider to the country’s growing agriculture industry.
Following the legalisation of medical cannabis in 1993, Israel’s cannabis industry has flourished through in-depth research into efficient production and cultivation processes. With nearly 30 cultivators actively producing medical cannabis and dozens in planning stages, Israel is poised to meet and exceed demand for the estimated 100,000 medical cannabis users throughout the country.
Medical cannabis in Israel
As legislation to legalise recreational cannabis use is evaluated, experts predict the industry will maintain its exponential growth trajectory.
“The rapid growth of the medical cannabis industry in Israel is a clear indicator of the recreational market’s potential,” said Timo Bongartz, General Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Fluence. “To maintain the industry’s pace, cultivators must examine and invest in highly efficient production methods that yield consistent, high-quality cannabis products. Lighting plays one of the most crucial roles in that production process.”
Optimal lighting strategies for every phase of the cultivation value chain
Whether seed and variety breeding, cloning and growing plants, or the final cultivation of dense and full buds, each phase of the cannabis value chain requires optimised, curated lighting conditions. Fluence not only offers the industry’s leading LED lighting solutions, but provides evidence-based best practices to identify, implement and maintain the optimal lighting strategy at each phase of cannabis growth.
Fluence’s research-backed cultivation methods supported by its team of horticulture specialists enable cannabis cultivators to achieve high-quality, consistent crops while conserving heating, ventilation, and air conditioning costs.
REMY echoes Fluence’s cultivation philosophy and approach. Through their partnership, Fluence and REMY are serving Israel’s most innovative cultivators. Springs Valley Cannabis, located in Northern Israel, relies on Fluence’s LED technology in its large-scale, high-end indoor growing facility to ensure superior cannabis flowering within the company’s first cultivation environment.
“Lighting has a major effect on our high-end indoor farm’s success,” said Yair Shaked, CEO at Springs Valley Cannabis. “We searched for a lighting partner that would support us and add value for the long run—that’s why we chose to work with REMY and Fluence.”
UNIVO, a vertically integrated medical cannabis company covering all aspects of cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution, leverages Fluence’s solutions in different stages of the growth cycle, including nursery, vegetative, flowering, mother stock, and research and development, where UNIVO clones and grows cannabis plants.
“Amit farm by UNIVO is one of the most sophisticated and technological farms in the Israeli cannabis industry, and after carefully reviewing the market, we decided to cooperate with Fluence to achieve the best premium cannabis flowers,” added Golan Bitton, CEO at UNIVO.
Continuous investment in new knowledge
Fluence works closely with leading research institutions such as Wageningen University and Research to uncover new cultivation strategies and explore the influence of various light spectra on cannabis growth and development. Fluence’s collaborative research insights inform product innovations and provide growers with effective best practices to optimise plant growth.
“Amid Israel’s revered, dynamic high-tech industry, Fluence’s LED lighting technology is recognised as truly innovative. To maintain that position, we continuously invest in new knowledge and develop new techniques to best serve the world’s cultivators,” Bongartz added.
“The job doesn’t stop when the light fixtures have been installed,” says Jörg Meyer-Brenken, Fluence’s lead account manager for cannabis in EMEA. “On the contrary, that’s when it starts and that’s where the Fluence and REMY teams add extraordinary value. REMY is a true, reliable partner. Their team combines deep lighting knowledge with years of experience in Israeli agriculture and horticulture, making REMY an ideal partner to help us reach a prominent position in this fast-growing market.”
“The end result for the cultivator is an agronomic lighting fixture, but the path to reach the optimal lighting strategy is driven by years of research and practical knowledge,” said Elad Toby, Founder, CTO, and Chief Business Development Officer for REMY. “There is huge opportunity in bringing Fluence’s groundbreaking knowledge to the Israeli medical cannabis market.”
For more information about Fluence, visit www.fluence.science.
