IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/envsyd/v45y2025i1d10.1007_s10669-024-09999-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

From industry 4.0 to urban agriculture 4.0: the case of SLC Agricola’ smart greenhouse

Author

Listed:
  • Geneci Silva Ribeiro Rocha

    (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
    Atitus Education, Business School)

  • Diego Durante Mühl

    (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS))

  • Letícia Oliveira

    (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS)
    Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS))

Abstract

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) practices have expanded into agricultural settings, giving rise to Agriculture 4.0 (A4.0) as a promising domain for smart greenhouses. However, few studies have examined how I4.0 and A4.0 align in this context. This study addresses that gap by investigating similarities and differences between I4.0 and A4.0 in a smart greenhouse through a case study at SLC in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Data from interviews, observations, and online sources were analysed using content analysis. Findings indicate that the greenhouse integrates three subsystems—mechanical, electronic, and communication—enabling sensors to monitor environmental parameters and automated actuators to adjust conditions. While no major technological barriers emerged, production time and available cultivation areas constrain scalability. Nevertheless, adopting advanced technologies in smart greenhouses supports food security, sustainability, and urban resilience by reducing manual intervention, optimising resource use, and enhancing overall efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Geneci Silva Ribeiro Rocha & Diego Durante Mühl & Letícia Oliveira, 2025. "From industry 4.0 to urban agriculture 4.0: the case of SLC Agricola’ smart greenhouse," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 1-10, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:envsyd:v:45:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s10669-024-09999-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s10669-024-09999-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10669-024-09999-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10669-024-09999-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tuba Bakıcı & Esteve Almirall & Jonathan Wareham, 2013. "A Smart City Initiative: the Case of Barcelona," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 4(2), pages 135-148, June.
    2. Vito Albino & Umberto Berardi & Rosa Maria Dangelico, 2015. "Smart Cities: Definitions, Dimensions, Performance, and Initiatives," Journal of Urban Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 3-21, January.
    3. Diego Durante Mühl & Mariana Vargas Braga Silva & Letícia Oliveira, 2024. "How to Build a Bioeconomic Food System: A Thematic Review," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 4(3), pages 1697-1727, September.
    4. Ying, Wenchi & Jia, Suling & Du, Wenyu, 2018. "Digital enablement of blockchain: Evidence from HNA group," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 1-4.
    5. Giuseppe Fragapane & Dmitry Ivanov & Mirco Peron & Fabio Sgarbossa & Jan Ola Strandhagen, 2022. "Increasing flexibility and productivity in Industry 4.0 production networks with autonomous mobile robots and smart intralogistics," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 308(1), pages 125-143, January.
    6. Schuetz, Sebastian & Venkatesh, Viswanath, 2020. "Blockchain, adoption, and financial inclusion in India: Research opportunities," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    7. Mahmoood Ali & Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik & Sajid Nazir, 2021. "Intellectual Capital and Supply Chain Mapping: A Proposed Framework," Springer Books, in: Muhammad Shahbaz & Muhammad Shujaat Mubarik & Tarique Mahmood (ed.), The Dynamics of Intellectual Capital in Current Era, pages 275-290, Springer.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mariusz J. Ligarski & Tomasz Owczarek, 2024. "Preparing Quality of Life Surveys Versus Using Information for Sustainable Development: The Example of Polish Cities," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 173(3), pages 765-782, July.
    2. Mahmoona Khalil & Kausar Fiaz Khawaja & Muddassar Sarfraz, 2022. "The adoption of blockchain technology in the financial sector during the era of fourth industrial revolution: a moderated mediated model," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 2435-2452, August.
    3. Johannes Stübinger & Lucas Schneider, 2020. "Understanding Smart City—A Data-Driven Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-23, October.
    4. Poonam Garg & Bhumika Gupta & Kanwal Nayan Kapil & Uthayasankar Sivarajah & Shivam Gupta, 2025. "Examining the relationship between blockchain capabilities and organizational performance in the Indian banking sector," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 348(3), pages 1513-1546, May.
    5. Vieira, Fabiana C. & Ferreira, Fernando A.F. & Govindan, Kannan & Ferreira, Neuza C.M.Q.F. & Banaitis, Audrius, 2022. "Measuring urban digitalization using cognitive mapping and the best worst method (BWM)," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    6. Izabela Jonek-Kowalska & Radosław Wolniak, 2022. "Sharing Economies’ Initiatives in Municipal Authorities’ Perspective: Research Evidence from Poland in the Context of Smart Cities’ Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-22, February.
    7. van den Buuse, Daniel & Kolk, Ans, 2019. "An exploration of smart city approaches by international ICT firms," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 220-234.
    8. Hamed Khatibi & Suzanne Wilkinson & Graham Eriwata & Lukuba N Sweya & Mostafa Baghersad & Heiman Dianat & Khaled Ghaedi & Ahad Javanmardi, 2022. "An integrated framework for assessment of smart city resilience," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 49(5), pages 1556-1577, June.
    9. Nilssen, Maja, 2019. "To the smart city and beyond? Developing a typology of smart urban innovation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 98-104.
    10. Guido Perboli & Mariangela Rosano, 2020. "A Taxonomic Analysis of Smart City Projects in North America and Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-23, September.
    11. Sung-Su Jo & Hoon Han & Yountaik Leem & Sang-Ho Lee, 2021. "Sustainable Smart Cities and Industrial Ecosystem: Structural and Relational Changes of the Smart City Industries in Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-17, September.
    12. Justyna Żywiołek & Francesco Schiavone, 2021. "Perception of the Quality of Smart City Solutions as a Sense of Residents’ Safety," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-16, September.
    13. Andreas Exner & Livia Cepoiu & Carla Weinzierl & Viviana Asara, 2018. "Performing Smartness Differently - Strategic Enactments of a Global Imaginary in Three European Cities," SRE-Disc sre-disc-2018_05, Institute for Multilevel Governance and Development, Department of Socioeconomics, Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    14. A. V. Baranov & L. N. Garas, 2022. "«Smart City» in Socio-Political Projection (The Case of Barcelona)," Administrative Consulting, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. North-West Institute of Management., issue 1.
    15. Parul Gupta & Sumedha Chauhan & M. P. Jaiswal, 2019. "Classification of Smart City Research - a Descriptive Literature Review and Future Research Agenda," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 661-685, June.
    16. O’Dwyer, Edward & Pan, Indranil & Acha, Salvador & Shah, Nilay, 2019. "Smart energy systems for sustainable smart cities: Current developments, trends and future directions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C), pages 581-597.
    17. Iqbal Yulizar Mukti & Yudha Prambudia, 2018. "Challenges in Governing the Digital Transportation Ecosystem in Jakarta: A Research Direction in Smart City Frameworks," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-10, March.
    18. José Luis Carrasco-Sáez & Marcelo Careaga Butter & María Graciela Badilla-Quintana, 2017. "The New Pyramid of Needs for the Digital Citizen: A Transition towards Smart Human Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-15, December.
    19. Schiavone, Francesco & Paolone, Francesco & Mancini, Daniela, 2019. "Business model innovation for urban smartization," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 210-219.
    20. Marchesani, Filippo & Masciarelli, Francesca & Bikfalvi, Andrea, 2023. "Smart city as a hub for talent and innovative companies: Exploring the (dis) advantages of digital technology implementation in cities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:envsyd:v:45:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s10669-024-09999-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.