The target group of the project is small and medium-sized enterprises in the horticultural sector of North Savo. The aim is to address their needs for new, ecologically sustainable growth substrate alternatives and to develop innovative techniques, particularly for strawberry cultivation and seedling production. Currently, strawberries are most often cultivated in open fields but increasingly also in growth tunnels, and to a small extent in greenhouses. In tunnels, strawberries are usually cultivated in substrate cultures, for example in cultivation boxes or bags. In order to ensure the viability of strawberry tunnel production in the future, domestic, renewable alternatives to the used peat substrate must be found. The project focuses on developing and testing the suitability of growth substrates made from sphagnum moss for strawberry cultivation. In addition to sphagnum moss, the project investigates the utilization of circular economy materials as partial raw materials for growth substrates. The project also is piloting resource-efficient hydroponic techniques compatible with the new growth substrates. These techniques involve collecting and recycling excess nutrient solution from irrigation to be reused by the plants. In addition to berry production, growth substrates, and cultivation techniques are developed and piloted for strawberry seedling production. Seedling production is developed based on vertical farming, where seedlings are grown indoors under LED lights in multiple overlapping layers. This can create new business activities in the regions, simultaneously supporting and strengthening the operating conditions of berry businesses in Eastern Finland. There is a need for clean, disease-free strawberry seedling material both in open field farms and in tunnels. Alongside testing new growth substrates and developing cultivation techniques, a key objective of the project is to enhance the professional skills of berry entrepreneurs and implement new cultivation methods in practice. The expectation is that through the project, the berry cultivation industry in the region will diversify, and the transition to peat-free cultivation will be managed in a more competitive manner. The project will collaborate and engage in information dissemination and training in cooperation with the Berry Knowledge Group and the Agri-Food Cluster of North Savo.