Fluence expands footprint in burgeoning Israeli cannabis industry, supports multiple cultivators through REMY partnership

Fluence’s innovative LED lighting solutions ensure Springs Valley Cannabis and UNIVO Pharmaceuticals achieve optimal growing conditions along the cultivation value chain in one of the world’s leading medical cannabis markets

AUSTIN, Texas AND ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (June 9, 2021)—Fluence by OSRAM (Fluence), a leading global provider of energy-efficient LED lighting solutions for commercial cannabis and food production, announced today its implementations with two major cannabis cultivators in Israel, Springs Valley Cannabis LTD and UNIVO Pharmaceuticals (UNIVO), through Fluence’s ongoing partnership with REMY LTD (REMY), a leading, Israel-based horticultural lighting provider to the country’s growing agriculture industry.

Following the legalization of medical cannabis in 1993, Israel’s cannabis industry has flourished through in-depth research into efficient production and cultivation processes. With nearly 30 cultivators actively producing medical cannabis and dozens in planning stages, Israel is poised to meet and exceed demand for the estimated 100,000 medical cannabis users throughout the country. As legislation to legalize recreational cannabis use is evaluated, experts predict the industry will maintain its exponential growth trajectory.

“The rapid growth of the medical cannabis industry in Israel is a clear indicator of the recreational market’s potential,” said Timo Bongartz, general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Fluence. “To maintain the industry’s pace, cultivators must examine and invest in highly efficient production methods that yield consistent, high-quality cannabis products. Lighting plays one of the most crucial roles in that production process.”

Optimal lighting strategies for every phase of the cultivation value chain

Whether seed and variety breeding, cloning and growing plants, or the final cultivation of dense and full buds, each phase of the cannabis value chain requires optimized, curated lighting conditions. Fluence not only offers the industry’s leading LED lighting solutions, but provides evidence-based best practices to identify, implement and maintain the optimal lighting strategy at each phase of cannabis growth. Fluence’s research-backed cultivation methods supported by its team of horticulture specialists enable cannabis cultivators to achieve high-quality, consistent crops while conserving heating, ventilation and air conditioning costs.

REMY echoes Fluence’s cultivation philosophy and approach. Through their partnership, Fluence and REMY are serving Israel’s most innovative cultivators. Springs Valley Cannabis, located in Northern Israel, relies on Fluence’s LED technology in its large-scale, high-end indoor growing facility to ensure superior cannabis flowering within the company’s first cultivation environment.
“Lighting has a major effect on our high-end indoor farm’s success,” said Yair Shaked, CEO at Springs Valley Cannabis. “We searched for a lighting partner that would support us and add value for the long run—that’s why we chose to work with REMY and Fluence.”
UNIVO, a vertically integrated medical cannabis company covering all aspects of cultivation, manufacturing and distribution, leverages Fluence’s solutions in different stages of the growth cycle, including nursery, vegetative, flowering, mother stock, and research and development, where UNIVO clones and grows cannabis plants.
“Amit farm by UNIVO is one of the most sophisticated and technological farms in the Israeli cannabis industry, and after carefully reviewing the market, we decided to cooperate with Fluence to achieve the best premium cannabis flowers,” added Golan Bitton, CEO at UNIVO.

Continuous investment in new knowledge

“Amid Israel’s revered, dynamic high-tech industry, Fluence’s LED lighting technology is recognized as truly innovative. To maintain that position, we continuously invest in new knowledge and develop new techniques to best serve the world’s cultivators,” Bongartz added.

Fluence works closely with leading research institutions such as Wageningen University & Research to uncover new cultivation strategies and explore the influence of various light spectra on cannabis growth and development. Fluence’s collaborative research insights inform product innovations and provide growers with effective best practices to optimize plant growth.
“The job doesn’t stop when the light fixtures have been installed,” says Jörg Meyer-Brenken, Fluence’s lead account manager for cannabis in EMEA. “On the contrary, that’s when it starts and that’s where the Fluence and REMY teams add extraordinary value. REMY is a true, reliable partner. Their team combines deep lighting knowledge with years of experience in Israeli agriculture and horticulture, making REMY an ideal partner to help us reach a prominent position in this fast-growing market.”

“The end result for the cultivator is an agronomic lighting fixture, but the path to reach the optimal lighting strategy is driven by years of research and practical knowledge,” said Elad Toby, founder, CTO and chief business development officer for REMY. “There is huge opportunity in bringing Fluence’s groundbreaking knowledge to the Israeli medical cannabis market.”

For more information about Fluence, visit www.fluence-led.com.

About Fluence by OSRAM
Fluence Bioengineering, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of OSRAM, creates powerful and energy-efficient LED lighting solutions for commercial crop production and research applications. Fluence is a leading LED lighting supplier in the global cannabis market and is committed to enabling more efficient crop production with the world’s top vertical farms and greenhouse produce growers. Fluence global headquarters are based in Austin, Texas, with its EMEA headquarters in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

About REMY
Established in 2008, REMY 108 LTD specializes in the planning, installation, supervision and quality assurance of large-scale lighting solutions, as well as after-sales service and support, for commercial crop and food cultivation in Israel and beyond. REMY has been providing its customers with agronomic lighting since 2011 and it has been the company’s main focus since 2018. An authorized reseller of Fluence LED lighting solutions, it today also provides agronomic lighting training at its showroom and headquarters in Yanuv. For more information about REMY, visit https://www.remy.co.il/en/grow.