Tathmeer Agri Tech has launched what it describes as MENA’s first Integrated Agri-Tech Innovation Centre with Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK) in Sharjah. Planned for a dedicated plot within SPARK, the facility will combine controlled-environment agriculture, hydroponics, vertical farming, automation, IoT, AI-enabled monitoring and Tathmeer’s FarmBridge platform. The centre is intended to give agricultural technologies a practical setting for demonstration, testing and validation before commercial deployment. Its launch brings together technology development, farmer training, research and market connections around food security and sustainable agricultural production in the UAE.

A Practical Testing Environment

The proposed centre has been designed as a physical and digital platform where growers, technology providers, investors and buyers can engage with agricultural systems under operating conditions. For farmers considering new infrastructure or digital tools, the model is intended to provide an opportunity to assess technology before making capital commitments.

Its scope includes applied R&D pilots, technology selection, startup development and links between agricultural producers, technology companies, investors and markets. Tathmeer’s FarmBridge Agri-Ecosystem will sit at the centre of this activity, connecting farmers, government entities, entrepreneurs, SMEs, supply-chain operators and food and beverage businesses.

The initiative responds to conditions that shape agricultural production in the UAE, including water scarcity, limited arable land and demanding climatic conditions. Controlled-environment systems and data-led monitoring can offer growers a more informed route to assessing which production methods and technologies suit their operations.

Layth Dwairi, CEO & Co-Founder of Tathmeer Agri Tech, said:

“Growers across this region are short of a way to test technology before committing capital to it. That is what this centre changes. Working with SPARK, we can put controlled-environment systems, vertical farming and AI-enabled monitoring in front of farmers under real operating conditions, then connect what proves itself to financing through our SCA-approved platform and to buyers through FarmBridge. Our partnership with Elevate Farms brings internationally proven vertical farming technology into that environment. Success is reflected in farms being able to produce more with less water, and a clear route to market.”

SPARK Provides The Setting

Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park will provide land, infrastructure, ecosystem access and facilitation for the centre. The partnership places agricultural technology within SPARK’s wider innovation ecosystem, which focuses on research, technology commercialisation and collaboration between industry, government and academia.

For the centre’s participants, this creates a route to demonstrate solutions, connect with relevant organisations and develop technologies towards commercial application. It also supports Sharjah’s work to attract technology-driven businesses with commercially relevant offerings for the region.

Hussain Al Mahmoudi, Chief Executive Officer of the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK), said:

“SPARK’s mandate is to transform research, technology and innovation into practical economic value. This collaboration with Tathmeer Agri Tech reflects the type of investment we want to attract to Sharjah: companies that combine technology, applied R&D, physical infrastructure and market access to address strategic priorities such as food security, sustainability and economic diversification.

“By providing land, ecosystem access and facilitation, SPARK will support Tathmeer in developing an Agri-Tech centre that can demonstrate solutions, connect with government and industry, and help accelerate sustainable agriculture innovation. More broadly, initiatives such as this strengthen Sharjah’s ability to bring international technologies into the region and create an environment where they can be tested, developed and taken towards commercial application.”

Vertical Farming Collaboration

Tathmeer has also partnered with Elevate Farms, a vertical farming technology company with operations and presence in Canada, the United States and Switzerland. The relationship is expected to expand access to vertical farming technologies for demonstration and validation at the Sharjah facility.

The partnership creates potential for relevant technologies to be assessed in the UAE before wider deployment in the country and the region. Bringing international systems into a local testbed can help establish their performance under the conditions facing regional agricultural producers.

The centre’s planned mix of hydroponics, vertical farming, automation and AI-enabled monitoring reflects a focus on systems that can be evaluated alongside one another. This is particularly relevant where the choice of crop, production method and route to market must be considered together.

Building Skills And Market Access

Training and capacity building will be a major component of the centre, with certification, field-learning and skills-development programmes planned for farmers, agronomists, entrepreneurs and technology adopters. The facility is also intended to support startups and technology providers seeking to demonstrate their products, validate performance and establish commercial viability.

FarmBridge is designed to help farmers address three core commercial decisions: what to grow, how to grow and where to sell. By pairing technology assessment with investment enablement and buyer connections, Tathmeer is positioning the centre as a practical meeting point for production and market access.

Tathmeer is also expected to participate in the Agriculture Innovation Zone at Sharjah Next Sustainability, with potential technology demonstrations and workshops forming part of the wider innovation programme. These activities would extend the centre’s focus beyond equipment and systems to the skills and relationships needed to support adoption.

Supporting Food Security Goals

The Tathmeer Integrated Agri-Tech Innovation Centre offers a structured platform for agricultural technologies to progress from testing to potential deployment. Its combination of physical demonstration, digital connectivity, training and commercial links reflects the range of factors involved in making new farm technologies workable for producers.

For Sharjah and the wider UAE, the collaboration aligns food security and sustainable agriculture with entrepreneurship, innovation and economic diversification. As the centre takes shape, its value will rest in its ability to help farmers and technology providers test promising systems in conditions that closely reflect the realities of regional production.