Operating under Yıldızlar Yatırım Holding, İGSAŞ has partnered with Yeditepe University to bring the Vertical Farming Container to the university campus. The project introduces sustainable production models—such as climate-independent cultivation, up to 99% water savings, and pesticide-free agriculture—to the academic ecosystem, allowing students to experience modern agricultural technologies first-hand.
As one of Turkey’s leading fertilizer companies and a subsidiary of Yıldızlar Yatırım Holding, İGSAŞ implemented the first application of its Vertical Farming Container Project at Yeditepe University. The protocol signing ceremony took place on November 27 at the Yeditepe University Kayışdağı campus with the participation of Yeditepe University Founder and Honorary President Bedrettin Dalan, Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Durman, and İGSAŞ General Manager İlkay Ünal.
Established on the Kayışdağı campus, the Vertical Farming Container will serve as a modern learning and application environment equipped with soilless agriculture technologies, enabling year-round controlled production. Under the project, more than 1,000 students will gain hands-on experience in soilless cultivation methods and advanced agricultural technologies, including climate-controlled production, automation, and data analytics.
Yeditepe University Founder and Honorary President Bedrettin Dalan described the initiative as a strategic investment for the future, stating:
“At Yeditepe University, we approach education with research, development, and innovation at its core. This collaboration with İGSAŞ is a strong example of university–industry cooperation. We believe that the vertical farming facility will contribute both to our academic work and to the future of agriculture in Turkey.”
Yeditepe University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Durman added:
“One of the most critical topics for agricultural production in Turkey is water efficiency. Therefore, modern, controlled, and resource-optimized production models are now essential for our agricultural future. This project is one of the most concrete steps in sustainable agriculture. We believe it will offer students valuable hands-on opportunities to experience modern production techniques and contribute meaningfully to the future of our country’s agriculture.”
“We position sustainable agriculture technologies as a strategic priority”
İGSAŞ General Manager İlkay Ünal emphasized the value of the initiative, stating:
“With the increasing impacts of climate change and the decline in natural resources, traditional agricultural models are under significant pressure. As İGSAŞ, we position sustainable agricultural technologies as a strategic priority and invest in vertical farming as part of this approach. We have become a solution partner in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s ‘Istanbul Closed Vertical Farming R&D Center’—the first of its kind in Turkey. This groundbreaking project supports production completely independent of climate and geography, 30 meters below ground, in the world’s second deepest agricultural facility. Now, we are taking this experience further by implementing vertical farming technologies on university campuses with the İGSAŞ Vertical Farming Container.”
7,000 m² production capacity in only 30 m²
The İGSAŞ Vertical Farming Container introduces a new efficiency standard in agricultural technology with its high capacity and productivity model. Through soilless cultivation and climate-independent operation, the system delivers up to 99% water savings and enables pesticide-free production, bringing the agriculture of the future into the present. While traditional systems can produce an average of 2,500 plants, the İGSAŞ Vertical Farming Container can yield up to 10,000 plants, making it one of the world’s highest-capacity solutions in its category. Lettuce, strawberries, mint, basil, and various medicinal-aromatic plants can be grown inside the container, where just 30 m² of space equates to approximately 7,000 m² of conventional farmland production capacity.
With its hydroponic system and remarkable efficiency, the Vertical Farming Container stands as a model for sustainable, high-yield agricultural production.
