Vertical Farming participant Gamze Capkinoglu

Gamze Çapkınoğlu, co-founder of SkyCrops, shares her inspiring journey in the vertical farming industry and how the Vertical Farming programme at Wageningen University & Research has played a pivotal role in her professional development. 

I discovered the WUR programme through LinkedIn while exploring global developments in vertical farming. My passion for continuous learning, combined with Wageningen University & Research’s reputation as the world’s top agricultural university, made the decision easy. I wanted to deepen my knowledge in vertical farming, and knowing I would learn from the best gave me confidence in my choice.

In Turkey, vertical farming is still emerging, and I faced challenges in understanding the technical details, such as light spectrums and temperature settings. The training gave me in-depth knowledge and new ways of thinking.

What started as small-scale experiments in my lab has now expanded to larger production areas, thanks to the confidence and insights I gained.

While my partner focuses on the technology, I dedicate my efforts to optimising production. I strategically test lighting spectrums and climate conditions, ensuring successful techniques are adapted to larger scales. Every growing area is unique, and I learned that I need to customise climate settings to fit my facility’s specific conditions.

Being among the few pioneers in Turkey’s vertical farming scene has even led to media recognition. Looking ahead, I plan to expand my farm and retake the course to stay ahead in this rapidly evolving industry. I believe in science and learning from academia—anyone interested in vertical farming should start with this programme.