Visiting GPEC Tradeshow in Japan

Visiting GPEC Tradeshow in Japan

Created
Sep 10, 2024 5:03 PM
Author(s)

Keiya Satoh, Chieri Kubota, Kenneth Tran, and A.J. Both

Introduction

Japan’s Greenhouse Horticulture and Plant Factory Exhibition / Conference (GPEC) is held in Tokyo, Japan once every other year. This year the show took place July 24-26 and a delegation of the ADVANCEA project (Chieri Kubota, A.J. Both, Kenneth Tran, and Keiya Satoh) attended. This write-up describes the experience, and some observations made during the trip.

History of GPEC

During the 1960s and 1970s, Japan experienced rapid economic growth. To support various industries, JMA (Japan Management Association) and other organizations started organizing a number of tradeshows, influenced by similar tradeshows hosted by other countries. One of these tradeshows was the “CEA Technology Show”, organized through a collaborative effort by two well-known professors (Drs. Toyoki Kozai and Tadashi Takakura) and the JMA. This tradeshow was modeled after the NTV International Horticulture Trade Fair in the Netherlands (1972 – 2013 and renamed as Horti Fair in 2000). The first tradeshow was held in Tokyo in 1986 with 77 exhibitors attracting more than 40,000 participants. Later, the Japanese tradeshow name was changed to GPEC (Greenhouse Horticulture and Plant Factory Exhibition / Conference) considering the fast-growing sector of more technologically advanced plant factories (AKA vertical farms).

Venue and Organization

The conference took place in the Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center (Figure 1). The Convention Center includes 16 exhibition halls and is large enough to host several conventions/trade shows simultaneously. The show was organized by the Japanese Greenhouse Horticulture Association and included approximately 200 companies/organizations (Figure 2). Approximately 41,000 visitors attended GPEC over the course of three days.

Figure 1: Entrance to the Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center.
Figure 1: Entrance to the Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center.

In addition to booths, several meeting areas were available for presentations and round-table discussions. Multiple talks were scheduled throughout the days and topics covered various aspects of controlled environment agriculture. Attendance was free through an online pre-registration process.

Figure 2: Overview of the GPEC tradeshow.
Figure 2: Overview of the GPEC tradeshow.

Tradeshow Focus

GPEC is focused mainly on high tunnel, greenhouse, and indoor production of fruits and vegetables. Many Japanese producers have relatively small operations, requiring solutions that are culturally and economically appropriate. Input and labor costs are equally high compared to the economic situation for Western growers. Thus, the demand for mechanization and automation is high although often at different physical scales of operation compared to Western growers.

From breeding seed to post-harvest processing, all aspects of commercial growing were represented. Specialty food crops were the main focus, including tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries. Few companies displayed innovations for ornamental plant production, reflecting the fact that most CEA acreages in Japan are for producing food crops.

Specific Products and Solutions Presented

Robots and autonomous machines aimed at performing tasks that would lower the labor costs were exhibited by several companies.

DENSO CORPORATION in collaboration with Certhon Build B.V. displayed a fully automated robot called “Artemy” that specializes in handling cluster-type cherry tomatoes (Figure 3). In addition to harvesting, this robot is able to perform a series of tasks associated with harvesting including automatic lane changing and crate replacement.

Figure 3: The fully automated robot called Artemy, created by Denso Corporation in collaboration with Certhon Build B.V. can be used to harvest cherry tomatoes.
Figure 3: The fully automated robot called Artemy, created by Denso Corporation in collaboration with Certhon Build B.V. can be used to harvest cherry tomatoes.

YASKAWA Electric Corporation also showcased a robot that could be deployed for plant maintenance, harvesting, and packaging (Figure 4).

Figure 4: The robot created by YASKAWA Electric Corporation demonstrated the grading and packaging of strawberries.
Figure 4: The robot created by YASKAWA Electric Corporation demonstrated the grading and packaging of strawberries.

Several companies demonstrated AI and computer vision applications for environmental control and plant monitoring.

A variety of crop production equipment and tools were showcased by a number of suppliers and manufacturers. For example, TAKIGEN MFG Corporation, a general manufacturer of industrial fittings, displayed a large selection of products that would appeal to a range of growers producing plants in either small-scale plastic high tunnels or large-scale Venlo style greenhouses (Figure 5). Another example, AGRISECT Inc. showed a unique phase-change temperature control material to maintain beehive temperatures to keep bees active despite high or low temperatures inside the greenhouse or high tunnel.

Figure 5: Various products and tools used for controlled environment crop production were displayed by TAKIGEN MFG Corporation.
Figure 5: Various products and tools used for controlled environment crop production were displayed by TAKIGEN MFG Corporation.
Figure 6: Simple, yet effective solutions for keeping bee hives cool by evaporative cooling system (left) and phase-change material (right), presented by AGRISECT Inc.
Figure 6: Simple, yet effective solutions for keeping bee hives cool by evaporative cooling system (left) and phase-change material (right), presented by AGRISECT Inc.
Figure 7: Novel wall-mounted system used for produce cooling by Nichiei InTec.
Figure 7: Novel wall-mounted system used for produce cooling by Nichiei InTec.

A produce cooling system (Figure 7) showcased by Nichiei InTec uses four steps to increase shelf life: 1. An electric field is applied that suppresses the respiration rate of fruits and vegetables, 2. Removal of ethylene, 3. Controlled humidification, and 4. Sterilization and deodorization using an LED light source as a photocatalyst.

Figure 8: LED fixture developed by Espec Mic Corporation.
Figure 8: LED fixture developed by Espec Mic Corporation.
Figure 9: Sensor for plant wilt detection by Happy Quality Co., Ltd.
Figure 9: Sensor for plant wilt detection by Happy Quality Co., Ltd.

These were just a few highlights showcasing the variety of products and solutions presented during GPEC. From large corporations to startups, all fields of CEA were well represented.

Challenges

Most of the signage displayed and literature available at GPEC was in Japanese. If the show aspires to attract more foreign visitors, the organization should consider expanding the use of English at the show. Otherwise, it is recommended for non-Japanese speakers to enlist the help of a knowledgeable translator.

Overall Thoughts

It was a great experience to learn about the state-of-the-art in Japanese controlled environment crop production. The level of innovation and technology was very comparable to what can be seen at Western tradeshows such as GreenTech (Netherlands) and Cultivate (USA). But there were unique technologies that we have not seen in other tradeshows. One reason may be that the devices and solutions presented at GPEC were primarily focused on the Japanese market that consists of (on average) smaller-acreage operations compared to typical Western operations. We also have an impression that U.S. may need a place to showcase more technologies with relatively low costs, in order to cultivate more innovation for the future CEA.

Acknowledgement.

ADVANCEA Project is supported by Specialty Crop Research Initiative [grant no. 2022-51181-38324] from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The mention of specific products in this presentation does not constitute an endorsement. The authors acknowledge Drs. Tadashi Takakura and Sadanori Sase for providing information of GPEC history.