You might have heard about them at the Manchester International Festival (MIF 2013). They are the guys who took an abandoned industrial building in Salford and turned it into a thriving urban farm. Drawn in by curiosity and the excitement of scientific innovation, we joined a tour of the facilities at the Biospheric Project and I dare say we were not disappointed.

We soon discovered there is more to it than just a group of scientists dreaming of better days and a greener future. The ideas implemented at the Irwell Mill are addressing current issues that Manchester is dealing with – the lack of space, the poor access to fresh healthy produce, the waste management. Even more, their visionary project is already feeding the local community.

Their goal is to understand the complexity of natural systems and design efficient self-sustainable networks that produce and provide food in urban environments. All…