KUASAR
Team information
Category:
Tuana Aksu
Bachelor
Koç University
Deniz Başar
Bachelor
Koç University
Cengizhan Buyukdag
Bachelor
Koç University
Derya Hançer
Bachelor
Koç University
Erva KIVRAK
Bachelor
Koç university
Galip Özdemir
Bachelor
Koç Üniversitesi
Doğuhan Ulugölge
Bachelor
Koç University
Mert Babalık
Bachelor
Koc University
This project is being coached by
About the team
Our interdisciplinary team thrives on a boundless curiosity and a passion for sustainable innovation, relentlessly pursuing groundbreaking solutions in food production. Combining industrial and research-based integrity, we are on a mission to craft an innovative solution to food production challenges based on cutting-edge space food research. Our team consists of undergraduate students with engineering, sciences, and business backgrounds with expertise ranging from computational biology research to vertical farming startups.
Our vision
KUASAR envisions a sustainable and resilient farming ecosystem powered by locally produced nitrogen-based green fertilizers to harvest climate-positive crops without supply chain disruptions. Nitrogen fertilizers are at the heart of agriculture with global consumption calculated to be 109 million metric tons in 2022. However, the current fertilizer production and distribution systems are not sustainable and vulnerable to external risks. Present nitrogen fertilizer production processes involve emission intensive processes such as the Haber-Bosch and Ostwald method, responsible for generation of over 1.5 gigaton of CO2 emissions per year which corresponds to nearly 5% of global CO2 emissions. Besides, the global fertilizer supply chain significantly adds onto CO2 emissions as well with its added risks to local farmers. Supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, tariff policies and global crises such as pandemics can cause sudden fertilizer price surges and shortages that reflect into food supply and prices. These carbon-intensive production and supply practices need to be immediately abandoned for a sustainable and reliable future, and decentralized and green nitrogen fertilizer alternatives need to be established.
Our solution
KUASAR uniquely addresses these well-defined problems by establishing N2EXT, a production plant that produces green fertilizers locally, and supports farmers through automated nutrient delivery solutions. We believe that by utilizing high-tech electrochemical synthesis and exploiting the social and economic pressures due to rising awareness of customers on the environment, and new environmental economic instruments such as carbon taxes, we can build the sustainable and resilient future.
Our Artist impression