UPL Corporation announced a US$1.5 million investment to inaugurate controlled-environment greenhouses at its Natural Plant Protection (NPP) Global Research Center in Ramos Arizpe, Coahuila. The project expands the company’s research capacity in Mexico and further strengthens its global innovation network.
“Mexico has become a pillar of our global scientific network, and these greenhouses support our long-term strategy to generate scalable agricultural innovation from the region,” said Jai Shroff, Global President and Chief Executive Officer, UPL Corporation.
The company also presented the UPL 2024-2025 Sustainability Report, outlining its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals and progress. UPL Corporation is the primary source for all ESG data referenced in the report.
The announcement took place during the third edition of Consejo México Sostenible, an industry forum organized by UPL Mexico to bring together stakeholders from across the national agri-food sector. Attendees included the Secretariat of Environment of Coahuila, represented by Susana Estens; the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT); the National Agricultural Council; the Secretariat of Rural Development of Coahuila; government authorities; and international researchers.
The new infrastructure consists of three fully automated tempered-glass greenhouses built by Richel France/Mexico. According to UPL Corporation, they are the first of their kind in Mexico. The facilities expand the NPP Global Research Center, which has received more than US$5 million in investment since 2023 and employs over twenty specialized researchers.
The greenhouses are part of UPL’s global innovation network, which also includes centers in France and the United States. Their purpose is to establish standardized conditions for the scientific validation of Natural Plant Protection bio-stimulant products through controlled-environment trials. UPL Corporation expects the protocols developed in Ramos Arizpe to be replicated across key agricultural regions, including China, Brazil, and various markets in Africa.
The company also noted that by 2026 the center will add a laboratory focused on studying the mode of action of bio-stimulants at the gene-expression level. This addition would make UPL Corporation Ltd. the first global agricultural company operating in Mexico with glass-infrastructure capacity dedicated exclusively to advanced agricultural research.
Himanshu Panwar, Chief Executive Officer,UPL LATAM, said the expanded center will enhance opportunities for applied research, scientific collaboration, and producer engagement. Representing the Governor of Coahuila, Susana Estens emphasized that the new infrastructure will strengthen research capabilities supporting agricultural development in the state. Arnoldo Martínez, Subsecretary of Agricultural Promotion for the Government of Coahuila, added that the project contributes to scientific capacity-building and skilled employment in the region.
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