Dr Jens Thomas is the co-founder and Technical Director of Farm Urban. With a background in computational biochemistry and high-performance computing, he led the development of Farm Urban's pioneering urban vertical farm and now oversees the company's technical activities and research activities into innovative and sustainable ways to grow food in urban environments. The findings are used to deliver robust and efficient systems for urban food production, with integrated educational outreach programmes that aim to engage and inspire people to become more aware of the need for a more sustainable approach to food production and consumption. Farm Urban's extensive research portfolio includes leading on the Better Food for All Innovate UK project with York University and Alder Hey Children's hospital, and academic collaborations with the universities of Liverpool, Manchester, LJMU, York and Sheffield.