[July 15–17] Quantum Flowers & Foods (QFF) to Exhibit at Greenhouse Horticulture & Plant Factory Exhibition 2026 (GPEC)

Quantum Flowers & Foods Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture; Representative Director, CEO & CTO: Kikuchi Hideo; hereinafter 'QFF') will exhibit at the 'Greenhouse Horticulture & Plant Factory Exhibition 2026 (GPEC)', to be held from Wednesday, July 15 to Friday, July 17, 2026, at Tokyo Big Sight South Halls 1 & 2.

QFF is a quantum biotechnology company that supports plant and microbial breeding through its proprietary 'Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding®' technology using neutron beams. At this exhibition, under the theme 'Transforming plant factory profitability through crop varieties,' QFF will introduce a new approach to variety development that optimizes crops specifically for plant factory environments, in addition to improving operational practices.

QFF will exhibit at Booth G-21, from July 15 (Wed) to 17 (Fri), 2026, at Tokyo Big Sight South Halls 1 & 2.

QFF is actively advancing the joint development of 'plant-factory-dedicated varieties' by integrating its in-house neutron beam breeding technology with high-speed screening using artificial-light plant factories and precision environmental control developed by LeafLab, a venture originating from Chiba University. At this exhibition, we invite you to experience firsthand the cutting-edge approaches of both companies, which are pioneering the future of agritech.

■ About the Greenhouse Horticulture & Plant Factory Exhibition 2026 (GPEC)

The Greenhouse Horticulture & Plant Factory Exhibition (GPEC) is Japan's only exhibition dedicated specifically to greenhouse horticulture and plant factories. In 2026, it will hold its 9th edition, bringing together materials, technologies, and services related to greenhouse horticulture and plant factories—including greenhouse structures and materials, auxiliary equipment and machinery, production management systems, and logistics, processing, and packaging.

Targeting producers—the end users of agriculture—as primary attendees, and held in July during the off-season for greenhouse horticulture, GPEC serves as a crucial opportunity for businesses, producers, research institutions, local governments, and new market entrants in the greenhouse and plant factory sectors to compare and evaluate the latest technologies and services.

■ QFF's Exhibition Content

At the QFF booth, we will introduce a collaborative development model that aims to solve profitability challenges in plant factories not only through equipment and environmental control, but also by 'optimizing the crop varieties themselves'.

In plant factories, challenges to profitability include high energy and lighting costs, difficulty in product differentiation, low productivity, and high labor costs. While conventional approaches focus on 'improving equipment' and 'optimizing cultivation conditions,' QFF proposes a new approach: 'developing dedicated varieties specifically suited to plant factory environments.' By using neutron beam breeding to develop 'plant-factory-dedicated varieties' that are highly responsive to controlled conditions such as artificial light, temperature, water, and CO2, QFF aims to maximize the effectiveness of environmental control technologies, enhance productivity and product value, and elevate the inherent value of precise environmental control in plant factories.

Key highlights of QFF's exhibition:

Overview of Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding® technology

Joint development model for plant-factory-dedicated varieties

Diverse mutation induction through neutron beam breeding

High-speed screening using artificial-light plant factories and precision environmental control

Integrated breeding process combining irradiation, selection, and evaluation

Concept of pinpoint improvement: enhancing only weaknesses while preserving existing strengths of current varieties

Potential for developing varieties that grow stably even under high-temperature conditions

Improved harvestability and manageability through optimized plant architecture

Enhanced growth speed, uniformity, and yield

Improved quality, including sugar content, taste, and functional components

Application to bio-factory-dedicated varieties that simultaneously optimize production of target compounds and cultivability

Call for joint development partners among plant factory operators, seed companies, and food/biotech-related enterprises

※ QFF page on the official exhibition website:

https://exhibitor.tenjikai-uketsuke.com/gpec2026/exhibitors/g0932552/

■ Overview of Greenhouse Horticulture & Plant Factory Exhibition 2026 (GPEC)

Name: Greenhouse Horticulture & Plant Factory Exhibition 2026 (GPEC)
English Name: Greenhouse Horticulture & Plant Factory Exhibition / Conference
Dates: Wednesday, July 15 – Friday, July 17, 2026 (10:00–17:00)
Venue: Tokyo Big Sight South Halls 1 & 2
Organizer: Japan Greenhouse Horticulture Association (a general incorporated association)
Admission: Pre-registration required (free entry)
QFF Booth Number: G-21
Official Website: https://www.gpec.jp/

Greenhouse Horticulture & Plant Factory Exhibition (GPEC)

■ How to Attend

Please pre-register via the official website below before visiting:

https://www.tenjikai-uketsuke.com/form/gpec2026/visitor/

■ Developing 'Plant-Factory-Dedicated Varieties' through Neutron Beam Breeding

While plant factories enable precise control of artificial light, temperature, water, and CO2, conventional varieties bred for open-field or greenhouse cultivation may not be fully optimized for plant factory environments. Therefore, to maximize the effectiveness of environmental control, it is essential to improve not only equipment and cultivation conditions, but also the crop varieties themselves.

QFF aims to develop 'plant-factory-dedicated varieties' by combining mutation induction through neutron beam breeding with high-speed cultivation, precision environmental control, and efficient screening in artificial-light plant factories. Target traits include:

Varieties that grow stably even under high-temperature conditions

Compact plant architecture for easier harvesting and management

Faster growth enabling higher cultivation turnover

High uniformity contributing to improved yield and work efficiency

Varieties differentiated by sugar content, taste, appearance, and nutritional value

High-value varieties with enhanced functional components such as antioxidants

Varieties for bio-factories that balance high productivity of target compounds with good cultivability

These developments are expected to improve profitability for plant factory operators, enable seed companies to launch new dedicated varieties, and allow food and biotech companies to apply high-value materials and functional components in their products.

■ QFF's Proprietary Technology: Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding®

QFF's 'Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding®' is a technology that uses neutron beams to induce diverse mutations in plants and microorganisms, supporting the development of new varieties and strains with desired traits.

Neutron beam breeding can potentially induce various types of mutations, including point mutations, deletions, and insertions. It aims to achieve both high mutation induction rates and high survival rates, enabling the identification of promising individuals and advancing the initial stages of breeding efficiently.

This technology is a Non-GMO breeding approach that does not involve genetic modification or introduction of foreign genes. As such, it is expected to be widely applicable across various fields aiming for social implementation, including food, agriculture, horticulture, fermentation, and biomanufacturing.

Mechanism of the Non-GMO high-speed breeding technology 'Neutron Beam Speedy Breeding®'

■ Future Outlook

As a platform company accelerating plant and microbial breeding, QFF aims to solve societal challenges in agriculture, food, biomanufacturing, and environmental fields.

Through this GPEC exhibition, QFF will expand its connections with plant factory operators, seed companies, food and biotech enterprises, research institutions, and local governments, and actively seek joint development partners for plant-factory-dedicated varieties.

Going forward, by integrating mutation induction via neutron beam breeding, high-speed screening in plant factory environments, and evaluation/validation, QFF will address the challenges facing plant factories