New SBE and Bios use energy waste on campus to produce vegetables

he inauguration of Bios Urban Farm is scheduled for September. The project is based on growing plants through integrated technologies, digitalising the relationship between food and energy and reducing CO2 emissions. This will also be a community enterprise with positive social impact.

In addition to the food it will provide to tenants and businesses on the Nova SBE campus, this urban farm will also encompass a new food community social entrepreneurship project. Bios is currently working closely with students, staff and other community members to create and set up this food social enterprise, which will offer learning and personal development experiences in both the digital and physical worlds.

In June, Bios will launch a crowdfunding campaign with a view to operationalising the urban garden and food social enterprise.

"It is undoubtedly an innovative project with the goal of promoting community involvement based on the principles of circular economy, thus having a decisive contribution to our climate action roadmap. Added to this is the contribution of this project to the SDGs, an integral part of our strategy, since the journey of the SDGs of Nova SBE is strengthened and materialized through initiatives and projects such as BIOS, positioning us as a living laboratory and a centre to acquire, share and develop knowledge," explained Luís Veiga Martins, Associate Dean for Community Engagement & Sustainable Impact and chief Sustainability officer of Nova SBE.

The involvement of the school community is being materialised through the Makers in the Making programme. The status of the project, as well as new initiatives, events and how each person can play a role can be found at Nova SBE's Role to Play platform.