Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
RUDN University is home to projects capable of transforming entire sectors of the economy. One of them is AgronomiaRus, a highly efficient, automated multi-story farm. The project's motto is: "Using the latest technologies to grow more, faster, and cleaner."
Challenges of the modern agro-industrial complex
The project's leader is Vladislav Volin, a third-year student at the RUDN University Engineering Academy. His team set out to challenge the systemic problems of traditional agriculture: high water and fertilizer consumption, the use of chemicals, the scarcity of fertile soil, crop losses due to climate and disease, and long supply chains that lead to higher prices and spoilage.
The AgronomiaRus project offers an innovative solution: vertical multi-level farms with fully controlled microclimate and lighting. The technology is based on hydroponics (growing without soil), which allows for water savings of up to 95%. Each farm level is equipped with a monitoring system, and the planting and harvesting processes are highly automated. The entire ecosystem is managed by a centralized intelligent system with predefined algorithms.
The implementation of such farms is aimed at achieving strategic goals:
Improving the country's food security; reducing the cost of vegetables, especially in regions with low yields; producing fresh, safe, and delicious vegetables directly in the city, eliminating long transportation routes; and automating and modernizing the agricultural sector.
"Healthy eating has always been important to me, but in recent years I've noticed a disturbing trend—the steadily rising prices of fresh vegetables, especially in regions with challenging climates. Searching for a solution to this problem, I came up with the idea of rethinking the concept of vertical farms. The principle itself isn't new: there are already many vertical farming startups around the world, but almost all of them focus on growing microgreens, lettuce, strawberries, and other low-growing crops. We, however, are primarily focused on adapting this technology to larger vegetable crops, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants. Our goal is to reduce cultivation costs, automate crop production processes, and introduce innovations into the domestic agro-industrial complex," says Vladislav Volin.
From idea to implementation
Vladislav's team includes students from various universities across the country. He is responsible for the farm's engineering design and overall management. Dmitry Rudakov, a third-year student at Moscow State Law University (majoring in Jurisprudence), oversees legal matters. Vladislav is developing the plant cultivation and care technology in collaboration with Gleb Matsak, a third-year student at Kuban State University from Krasnodar (majoring in Biology). The project manager notes that the team is close-knit and motivated, open to collaboration, and welcomes anyone interested in joining the agricultural development effort.
The project has already received significant recognition. As part of the Student Startup program (an event of the University Technological Entrepreneurship Platform within the federal project "Technologies"), the team won a grant of 1 million rubles from the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises (FASIE). These funds were used to establish AGRONOMIYARUS LLC, and construction of the first industrial farm is planned to begin in February 2026. The team will submit a report on the use of the grant by September 2026.
The project also completed the RUDN.VC accelerator program, which, according to Vladislav Volin, was a key step in its development.
"The RUDN.VC accelerator was very helpful to me as a founder in defining my company's development strategy. I gained a lot of valuable information from the lectures, which will help me avoid mistakes when implementing the project in the future. I am especially grateful for the opportunity to work with the tracker, Yulia Vorokhob. Together, we conducted a detailed project analysis, created a financial model, carried out strategic planning, and optimized the business model. RUDN.VC is an excellent program that helps students implement their projects. It's great that students have this opportunity—to present their ideas, receive expert support, and even find investors. I'd especially like to note the large number of innovative startups among the participants. It's safe to say that the accelerator makes a real contribution to the development of technology and innovation in our country, which is critically important in today's rapidly changing world," says Vladislav Volin.
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.