The Pacific Innovation Forum for Climate and Environment (PIFCE) 1st - 3rd July, 2026

BlueGarden

Brief overview

BlueGarden is a Polynesian technology company founded by a Tahitian entrepreneur, dedicated to developing smart solutions tailored to island and remote environments. We design and build connected systems combining hardware, sensors, and cloud software to support agriculture and livestock management.

Operating from French Polynesia, we address the unique challenges of ultra-marine territories, where climate constraints, isolation, and resource limitations require robust and efficient solutions. We take pride in delivering high-quality, locally-driven technology that empowers communities to strengthen their resilience, improve food production, and reduce dependency on imports.

Your organisations goals

BlueGarden provides an integrated platform designed to support climate-resilient and resource-efficient production systems across a wide range of agricultural and aquaculture applications. Our technology enables real-time monitoring and automation of key environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, water quality, soil moisture, and nutrient levels.

Our solutions are used in soilless farming systems such as hydroponics and aquaponics, enabling high-efficiency food production with minimal water usage. In aquaculture (fish, shrimp, and shellfish), BlueGarden helps maintain optimal water conditions, reducing losses and improving sustainability. The platform also supports traditional farming, whether in open fields or controlled greenhouse environments, by optimizing irrigation and inputs.

Beyond crop production, BlueGarden is applied in beekeeping to monitor hive conditions, in mushroom cultivation where precise climate control is critical, and in composting systems to enhance organic waste recycling.

By combining data-driven insights with automation, BlueGarden reduces resource waste, improves productivity, and helps producers adapt to climate variability. Our goal is to enable resilient, sustainable, and locally adapted food systems, particularly in island and climate-vulnerable regions.

Describe your innovation

One of BlueGarden’s key innovations is its smart agricultural controller, designed to operate as a resilient, low-energy and connected system for environmental monitoring and automated production management.

The platform integrates a range of field sensors, including weather stations, soil probes, and light sensors, enabling continuous collection of localized environmental data. In the context of climate change, where seasonal patterns are becoming less predictable, this data is essential for improving understanding of microclimates and supporting informed decision-making.
Based on real-time measurements, the BlueGarden controller can automatically regulate irrigation, nutrient dosing, aeration, and climate conditions. This reduces water and input waste, prevents losses, and ensures stable production despite environmental variability.

A key differentiator is the system’s ability to operate reliably in constrained environments. The controller is designed to function with minimal energy consumption and can run autonomously without a permanent internet connection. This makes it particularly suitable for remote or infrastructure-limited areas, where many existing solutions fail due to their reliance on constant connectivity and higher power requirements.

This innovation is highly relevant for Pacific Island Countries and Territories, where climate change is intensifying droughts, extreme weather events, and resource constraints. By combining environmental data collection, automation, and autonomy, BlueGarden enables producers to better anticipate and adapt to changing conditions.
Ultimately, the system strengthens local food resilience, supports sustainable resource management, and provides a practical, scalable solution tailored to the realities of island ecosystems.

How is this solution is innovative?

BlueGarden’s innovation lies in its integrated approach, combining connected hardware, intelligent automation, and a digital platform designed to support producers in their daily operations. Beyond environmental monitoring and control, BlueGarden provides a web and mobile platform that enables farmers, aquaculture operators, and livestock producers to manage their activities, track production data, and adopt more resilient, resource-efficient, and animal-friendly practices. By making complex data accessible and actionable in the field, the platform supports better decision-making in the face of climate variability.

A key differentiator is the system’s adaptability to constrained environments, with low energy requirements and the ability to operate without continuous internet connectivity. This makes it particularly relevant for remote and island contexts. BlueGarden also extends its innovation to the economic dimension of sustainability. The platform allows producers to easily create their own online presence, showcase their products, share their story and know-how, and connect directly with customers. This helps strengthen local value chains, improve visibility, and support more sustainable and transparent food systems. By bridging technology, environmental management, and market access, BlueGarden delivers a holistic solution tailored to the realities of modern, climate-impacted agriculture.

How can the innovation be replicated and scaled up in other PICTs?

BlueGarden is designed as a modular and adaptable solution that can be deployed across diverse environments and production scales. In French Polynesia, it is already used by a wide range of stakeholders, including farmers, aquaculture operators, educational institutions, and public facilities such as museums with marine aquariums. This diversity demonstrates its flexibility and ability to address different needs, from small-scale operations to more advanced controlled production systems.

The solution is already expanding beyond Polynesia, with initial deployments in New Zealand and growing interest from regional partners. BlueGarden has been invited to present its technology in Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Australia, and France, leading to ongoing discussions and development opportunities in several of these regions.

Scaling across Pacific Island Countries and Territories can be achieved through partnerships with local institutions, including government agencies, cooperatives, and training centers. Pilot projects and demonstration sites can support adoption and capacity building.

Flexible financing models, combined with training programs, enable accessibility for small producers while ensuring long-term sustainability. With low energy requirements and offline capabilities, BlueGarden can be deployed in remote areas, making it highly suitable for scalable implementation across the Pacific.

How is the solution cost‑effective and affordable in the context of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)?

The solution is designed to be cost-effective and affordable for end users in Pacific Island Countries and Territories. It relies on simple, small-scale processing equipment and locally available raw materials, which significantly reduces upfront and operational costs compared to industrial systems.

For communities and women market vendors, the model creates immediate value by transforming unsold or surplus produce into higher-value, shelf-stable products. This allows users to generate additional income from resources that would otherwise be lost, improving affordability through income generation rather than requiring high initial investment. The decentralized approach also minimizes transportation and storage costs, which are often high in island contexts. Where possible, low-energy or solar-supported processing further reduces ongoing expenses.

For local governments and partners, the model represents a cost-effective way to address multiple challenges simultaneously, including food waste, food security, and disaster preparedness, without the need for large infrastructure investments Overall, the solution is financially accessible, income-generating, and adaptable to low-resource settings, making it well-suited to the economic realities of PICTs.

Locations (country, island, or community) where this solution has been piloted and/or implemented

BlueGarden has been piloted and deployed in French Polynesia, where it is actively used across a range of real-world contexts, including small-scale farmers, aquaculture operators, agricultural producers, and educational institutions.

It has also been implemented in specific environments such as marine aquarium facilities within museums, supporting precise environmental monitoring.

In French Polynesia, deployments span both field agriculture and controlled production systems, including hydroponics, greenhouse farming, and livestock-related use cases, demonstrating the adaptability of the solution across diverse production models.

Beyond French Polynesia, BlueGarden is currently expanding within the Pacific region. A deployment in New Zealand is planned for 2026 in collaboration with local communities, and a pilot deployment in Fiji is currently under preparation for the same year.

These initiatives aim to validate the system in different Pacific Island contexts and strengthen regional resilience in food production systems. Additional discussions are ongoing with partners in New Caledonia, Australia, and France regarding potential pilot projects and collaborations.

Learn more:

https://bluegarden.io

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute

About

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) is a science-led, community-driven initiative advancing marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable blue economy development in Vanuatu. Through its Havannah Harbour pilot, AVOI integrates Reef Ball deployment, artificial reef design, drone-enabled monitoring and workforce training via the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers. The model combines innovation and local stewardship to restore ecosystems, strengthen biodiversity and support climate adaptation. By linking technology, community engagement and practical delivery, AVOI is developing a scalable national framework that helps translate ocean policy into measurable outcomes, creating jobs, building local capability and supporting long-term environmental resilience across island communities.

Abyss Vanuatu Ocean Institute (AVOI) delivers integrated, science-led services focused on marine restoration, climate resilience and sustainable environmental management. Its core services include the design and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems and managed vessel reefs to restore degraded marine habitats, enhance biodiversity and support fisheries recovery. AVOI also provides drone-enabled monitoring and survey services, using autonomous and manned systems to track climate impacts, support conservation planning and improve data-driven decision-making across marine and coastal environments.

A central component is the development of the Vanuatu Ocean Rangers program, which builds local workforce capability in restoration, monitoring, conservation and environmental stewardship. AVOI also supports Marine Protected Area (MPA) design, ecological baseline assessments and long-term monitoring frameworks aligned with national ocean policy objectives.

Through community engagement, eco-tourism integration and applied innovation, AVOI connects environmental protection with economic opportunity. Its Havannah Harbour pilot serves as a scalable model to deliver practical climate adaptation, strengthen ecosystem resilience and enable coordinated, whole-of-government environmental outcomes across Vanuatu.

The Innovation

One of AVOI’s key innovations is the integration of the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program with locally delivered marine restoration systems, including Reef Ball fabrication and deployment. This model combines workforce development, community engagement and practical restoration into a single, scalable framework designed for island environments.

Through structured Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camps, over a 3 day period AVOI identifies and trains local Ni-Vanuatu participants in marine conservation, Scientific diving, restoration techniques, monitoring and stewardship. One aspect of the Rangers responsibilities is to support the fabrication and deployment of Reef Ball artificial reef systems using locally sourced materials and regional supply chains, significantly reducing costs and increasing local ownership. The approach enables degraded reef systems to be restored while simultaneously building in-country capability and employment pathways, guided by our National AVOI Play Book at its core.

This innovation directly addresses climate change by strengthening reef resilience, supporting fisheries recovery and enhancing coastal protection against storm surge and extreme weather events. It also improves ecosystem health, which is critical for food security and long-term adaptation in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

What makes this model particularly relevant for PICTs is its practicality and scalability. It does not rely on high-cost external inputs but instead builds local capacity, integrates customary stewardship and aligns with government policy frameworks. The system can be replicated across islands using a consistent training, deployment and governance approach.

Supported by drone-enabled monitoring and AI self learning data collection, AVOI’s model provides a cost-effective, community-led solution that connects restoration, climate resilience and sustainable economic opportunity in a way that is both locally grounded and nationally scalable.

How is this solution innovative?

AVOI’s solution is innovative because it integrates community workforce development, marine restoration and applied technology into a single, scalable delivery model tailored for island environments. Rather than treating conservation, employment and climate adaptation as separate challenges, AVOI combines them through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program and locally delivered Reef Ball restoration systems. This creates a practical pathway where communities are directly trained and employed to restore and monitor their own marine ecosystems. The model also incorporates drone-enabled monitoring and emerging AI-supported survey systems to improve data collection, ecological tracking and rapid response capability, including in remote and disaster-affected areas. This blend of low-cost, locally sourced restoration methods with advanced monitoring technology allows for both accessibility and scientific rigour. What makes the approach particularly innovative is its focus on scalability and replication. By developing a standardised training, deployment and governance framework, AVOI provides a repeatable model based on a National AVOI Play book that can be adapted across Pacific Island Countries, helping translate policy into measurable, community-led climate and environmental outcomes.

How can the innovation be replicated and scaled up in other PICTs

AVOI’s model is designed for replication across Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) through a structured, partnership-driven and capacity-focused approach. Following an initial two-year proof-of-concept in Vanuatu, AVOI will develop a refined National PICT Playbook outlining standard operating procedures (SOPs) and safe work method statements (SWMS), delivered in both English and Bislama, with visual and pictorial elements to ensure accessibility across diverse communities.

Scaling will be enabled through institutional partnerships with government agencies, regional bodies, scientific partners such as UTS, and local stakeholders, supported by blended financing models including public-private partnerships, eco-tourism revenue streams and conservation funding.

A key component is the development of a simplified, citizen science-based survey framework focused on key indicator species. This approach lowers technical barriers, enabling participation from communities with varying levels of formal education while strengthening data collection and stewardship.

By combining local workforce training, accessible science, and standardised systems, AVOI creates a practical, low-cost model that can be adapted regionally, empowering communities while supporting climate resilience, biodiversity restoration and sustainable economic development across PICTs.

Is your solution cost‑effective and affordable in the context of Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs)?

AVOI’s solution is designed to be highly cost-effective and affordable for communities, local governments and small operators across PICTs. A core principle of the model is the use of locally available materials, including aggregates from regional quarries and, where appropriate, surplus or repurposed government materials. This significantly reduces construction and deployment costs for Reef Ball systems and associated infrastructure.

From an end-user perspective, the model lowers financial barriers by building local capability through the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger Camp Initiative and subsequent program, reducing reliance on external expertise and enabling communities to deliver and maintain restoration activities themselves. The integration of eco-tourism also creates revenue-generating opportunities that can help offset ongoing costs.

Affordability is further strengthened through the development of a streamlined cross-departmental approval pathway within the AVOI Playbook. By providing clear guidance on site selection, environmental considerations and standardised processes, local governments can reduce delays, duplication and administrative costs, enabling more efficient project delivery at scale.

Together, these elements create a low-cost, accessible and sustainable model that is practical for widespread adoption across PICTs.

Where is this being piloted?

AVOI’s solution is being piloted in Vanuatu, with Havannah Harbour (North-West Efate) identified as the primary proof-of-concept site, supported by a permanent operational and training hub at Lot 149, Lapita Estate. While over 1,000,000 Reef Balls have been deployed globally across more than 80 countries, this will be the first integrated deployment of this system in Vanuatu. The pilot combines initial baseline surveys across 12 regions using Reef Life Survey (RLS Methodology) prior to any deployments. Once 6 of the sites are selected for deployment we will deploy 50m x 10m of Reef Ball habitat restoration—designed as a 500+ year solution—, allowing us to. Continue to conduct 6 monthly replicated surveys in exactly the same 50m transects to demonstrate recruitment changes providing proof of concept. Together with the Vanuatu Ocean Ranger program, which trains and employs local Ni-Vanuatu to deliver restoration, monitoring and stewardship, supported by drone-enabled surveying, community engagement and eco-tourism integration. The approach is intentionally holistic, linking marine restoration, climate resilience, workforce development, local supply chains and government coordination into a single, place-based model. The Havannah Harbour pilot will be used to refine systems, demonstrate measurable outcomes and establish a scalable framework for national and regional replication across PICTs, through the development of our AVOI National Playbook, helping guide replication across all our satellite sites. Initial training will be conducted through AVOI Headquarters in Havannah Harbour, with Ranger selection conducted through a multi-day conservation camp where participant will all leave with new knowledge and appreciation for the terrestrial and marine environment, and Ocean Rangers selected for employment within the AVOI team at the conclusion of the camps.