Entrepreneur Pablo Vidarte, born in Seville in 1996, has developed Bioo Lumina, a system that allows plants to emit light at night without wiring or genetic modification. The technology is already installed in the botanical maze of Humilladero (Málaga).
A plant that becomes a point of light without consuming electricity. This is the proposal of Bioo Lumina, a technology developed by Sevillian Pablo Vidarte that allows vegetation to absorb solar energy during the day and release it as soft light at night. The system does not require wiring, electrical infrastructure, or genetic modification, according to the company.
Vidarte, born in Seville in 1996, founded Arkyne Technologies (the parent company of Bioo) in 2015, at just 19 years old. Since then, he has received financial support from the European Union, the Government of Spain, and private investment of over ten million euros, according to his public biography. The company holds six patents and has a network of over 50 distributors across four continents.
The system is based on a biocompatible compound that is applied to the leaves and that the plant naturally absorbs in about 24 hours. From that moment on, the plant stores part of the solar energy captured during the day and releases it at night in the form of visible light, without interfering with photosynthesis or the plant's genome. The compound also acts as a fertilizer.
The closest example for the Andalusian reader is in Humilladero (Málaga), where Laberintus Park is located, the largest botanical maze in Spain and, according to its promoters, the first in the world based on biotechnology. With 7,400 square meters of pathways inspired by the gardens of the Alhambra, designed by Briton Adrian Fisher, the park already incorporates Bioo developments, such as panels that generate energy from the soil and plants that act as biological switches when touched.
The company estimates the energy savings of Lumina at up to 90% and the reduction of light pollution at up to 95% compared to conventional lighting. Bioo has already installed its bioluminescent technology in parks, golf courses, resorts, and office buildings in Riyadh, Dubai, Shanghai, Punta Cana, and the UK, among other places.
The company frames Lumina within a broader strategy of "living infrastructures," which includes bioreactors capable of generating electricity and water from soil activity and interactive plant surfaces. The underlying idea is that the plants themselves partially replace conventional streetlights, although their real potential as a large-scale urban lighting solution is yet to be demonstrated outside of pilot projects and tourist spaces where it is currently showcased.
Vidarte, who has been competing against engines developed by NASA since his teenage years, according to his own public account, now leads a company based in Barcelona, Riyadh, and Shanghai. His technology, which combines biology and electronics, opens the door to a future where plants not only decorate but also illuminate public and private spaces without energy costs.
For now, those interested in learning about this technology can visit Laberintus Park in Humilladero, where the plants glow at night without the need for electricity. The company hopes to expand its installations to more Andalusian and Spanish cities in the coming years.
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