Swegreen launches largest in-store vertical farm at Sweden’s ICA Maxi Ängelholm

SWEDEN – Swegreen has launched its largest in-store vertical farming facility at Maxi ICA Stormarknad Ängelholm, one of Sweden’s largest grocery retail chains, offering a new approach to fresh food production.

The facility is now fully operational, allowing the store to harvest over 160,000 plants annually with minimal resource use.

The vertical farm at ICA Maxi Ängelholm operates with 99% less water, zero pesticides, and lower transportation costs.

Since the vegetables and herbs are grown in-store, they remain fresh and avoid long distribution chains. This system enhances sustainability and provides shoppers with high-quality produce.

For grocery retailers, in-store cultivation is an effective way to enhance sustainability efforts while increasing sales. The fresh and locally grown aspect adds value to the customer experience.

“This is more than a sustainability investment – it is a business game-changer for the grocery retail industry,” says Pierre Mohlin, Partner at Swegreen. “Our solution shows that the retail of the future can be both profitable and climate-smart.”

Investment in hyperlocal food production is rising worldwide, with vertical farming gaining attention from investors. Swegreen’s technology is now scalable and has proven its commercial viability in grocery stores.

“The fact that four major ICA retailers chose to extend their partnerships by up to five years in the fall of 2024 proves that our technology works on a large scale and can be integrated into the grocery retail sector,” says Mohlin.

“We see strong demand from both retailers and investors who want to be part of the next big shift in the food sector.”

ICA Maxi Ängelholm’s store manager, Sebastian Damréus, sees the initiative as a major step forward. “Having the farm fully operational is a milestone. We can offer our customers the freshest and most sustainable vegetables on the market while reducing our carbon footprint and purchasing costs. This is the future, and we are proud to be at the forefront.”

The global vertical farming market is expected to reach US$15.3 billion by 2028, with an annual growth rate of 24.7%. North America currently holds the largest market share, with the United States leading in the number of vertical farms.

The Middle East is also emerging as a key player, particularly in countries with hot climates like the UAE and Kuwait.

In Sweden, vertical farming continues to expand with several projects shaping the industry. Urban Oasis, Sweden’s first commercial vertical farm based in Stockholm, focuses on reducing imports and providing affordable, sustainable food.

Plantagon, another key player, has launched its first vertical farm project in Linköping. Their “Plantscraper” concept is designed to support urban agriculture by increasing local food production in densely populated areas.

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