The Australian federal government has awarded $2.5 million in grants to five Australian small to medium sized businesses collaborating on innovation projects with Singaporean counterparts. Among them is LLEAF, a company active in the greenhouse industry.
According to innovationaus.com, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) announced the first four recipients in March 2024 and quietly listed the fifth recipient, LLEAF on its website on Monday. Half of the $20 million program is being awarded to Australian small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) through DFAT, while the other half is awarded to Singaporean firms through Enterprise Singapore.
LLEAF will work together with Singaporean company Mapconn. Goal of the partners is to develop and apply new hybrid solar panel technology to enhance energy generation and efficiency in greenhouse agriculture processes and plant growth without diminishing crop yield.
The film of the Australian company LLEAF (Luminescent Light Emitting Agricultural Films ) contains a patented dye that changes the color spectrum when exposed to sunlight. The innovative polycarbonate film turns part of the green light into additional red light, which is what plants use to produce cellular energy in photosynthesis. Additional red light makes plants grow faster, enhancing the profitability and efficiency of greenhousing and indoor farming. The film also reflects red light, which makes it interesting for the construction of solar panels.
The Go-Green Co-Innovation program was first announced as a part of the Singapore-Australia Green Economy Agreement signed at the end of October 2022 and which opened in September 2023. The funded projects span sustainable aviation fuel, new hybrid solar technology and environmental monitoring tech.
For more information:
LLEAF
4 Cornwallis Street
Eveleigh, NSW 2015 AU
Tel.: +61 (0) 478 721 982
lleafgrow.com