Research Greenhouse and Field Site
Research Greenhouse and Field Site District
One of the newest additions to the East Carolina Research and Innovation Campus (ECRIC) portfolio, the Greenhouse Field Site District, will encompass a new state-of-the-art research greenhouse and adjacent field test sites to advance the work of ECU faculty and student researchers and their industry and other partners.
These resources, together with the new bio-extraction facilities within ECU’s Life Sciences and Biotechnology Building, will enable new product and process innovations in support of targeted regional industry clusters, including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, biomaterials and energy. Similarly, this field site for research and workforce training will support advances in areas such as renewable resources, which has the potential to serve as a major economic driver in eastern North Carolina.
The smart research greenhouse may encompass up to 5,000 square feet of optimized growing space and leverage artificial intelligence devices, control devices and sensors that enable automation, irrigation and control of the environment. Equally important, the greenhouse will support the collection and analysis of critical crop growth and performance data to support the transition of new and enhanced crop varieties from greenhouse to field testing.
ECRIC Campus Districts