This greenhouse keeps crops cool. It could prove valuable as our planet bakes

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🗞️ Driving the news: A startup from Saudi Arabia has developed SecondSky, a nanotechnology-infused greenhouse covering that reduces internal temperatures by up to 7°C while allowing full light transmission
• This innovation cuts water usage by 30% and minimizes energy requirements for cooling, making agriculture in extreme climates more sustainable
• The product is already in use across 15 countries, including the UAE, the US, and parts of Latin America and Europe

🔭 The context: SecondSky, created at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), utilizes advanced polymers to block infrared solar radiation
• It has been commercialized through Iyris and is addressing global agricultural challenges as extreme heat events, driven by climate change, threaten crop productivity
• The technology replaces traditional heat-mitigation methods, such as chalk-covered films, with durable, efficient solutions

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Global warming intensifies agricultural challenges, particularly in arid regions where water and energy are scarce
• Solutions like SecondSky improve land and water use efficiency, mitigating the impacts of desertification and climate stress on food production
• As greenhouses offer higher yields with less resource consumption, these innovations could significantly reduce agriculture's environmental footprint

⏭️ What's next: Iyris plans to expand SecondSky's applications and distribution in 2025, aiming to make it a standard in protected agriculture worldwide
• Collaborative initiatives, such as a pilot farm in Saudi Arabia, highlight its potential for redefining food production in challenging climates
• Scaling such technologies and addressing cost barriers remain key to broader adoption

💬 One quote: “What you need to do is be able to create an environment where you’re reducing the environmental stressors that enable that land to be utilized," - John Keppler, Iyris executive chairperson

📈 One stat: To date, 4.5 million square meters of SecondSky materials have been sold globally

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