Capsum opens a lab farm at its research centre using iFarm technology

Capsum will now be able to cultivate its own organic ingredients for new cosmetic formulas. The French designer and manufacturer of microfluidic skin care formulas has partnered with Finnish technology development company iFarm, which specializes in IT-driven technologies to grow plant in a controlled environment. iFarm has created a cutting-edge farm-laboratory within the Capsum’s existing Research & Development site at its Marseille plant.

Indoor growing

The pilot laboratory consists of three growing rooms with experimental racks based on Ebb-and-Flow hydroponics technology and an automation control system piloted by iFarm’s Growtune software.

This set-up allows Capsum to grow a range of crops, including microgreens and flowers, and to conduct experiments, test new plant varieties and streamline its supply chain with pesticide-free cosmetics ingredients being grown on-site.

“Indoor growing is perfect for the beauty industry, as it allows us to cultivate in a fully controlled environment free from pesticides and any harmful chemicals. iFarm’s technology fits the needs of our researchers, since they are able to vary a wide range of parameters,” said CEO of Capsum Anthony Briot.

Research and industrial tool

Capsum’s is currently researching innovative extraction methods and the iFarm technology will provide its R&D team all the needed to complete long and intricate research processes and to produce the botanicals required to develop innovative formulas.

However, iFarm’s vice-president of sales, Timo Koljonen, outlined that the potential benefits of indoor farming for cosmetic companies go beyond the laboratory setting.

“With iFarm, clients can start with an R&D project and then scale it up to industrial production of herbs, flowers and microgreens, with full hardware and software support along the way. A crop that is stable and predictable year-round, as well as guaranteed to be free from any potential contamination by pesticides or other harmful chemicals, would be also beneficial for larger production volumes,” he emphasized.