Three Agri-Tech Centres to merge to create an Agri-Tech Catapult Statement from Dr Peter Quinn, Chair of the Transition Board Today, Minister of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman MP announced that three Agri-Tech Centres will work with Innovate UK on plans towards establishing a Catapult for the agri-tech sector. The announcement was made at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in London and will see Crop Health and Protection (CHAP), the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) and the Agricultural Engineering, Precision and Inno ..read more

The Agri-Tech Centres returned to the Oxford Farming Conference on 5 January as sponsors of the event and to host a seminar addressing the Conference’s theme of exploring “systemic solutions to the cumulative biodiversity, climate, food and energy crises that collectively we are facing, with optimism and determination not to repeat the mistakes of the past." The Centres were represented by Phil Bicknell, head of business development, CIEL; Geoff Elliott, business development manager, CHAP; Rebecca Geraghty, chief commercial officer, Agrimetrics and Rose Judeh-Elwell, business development dir ..read more

The UK Government Food Strategy, which applies to England, sets out plans for supporting secure, resilient and sustainable food production and supply; mitigating the food system’s impact on climate change; and healing and enhancing landscapes and nature – all against the backdrop of levelling up and ensuring we play our wider role in a healthy and sustainable global food system.  he UK Agri-Tech Centres welcome the recognition in the strategy of the vital role that innovation plays in achieving its objectives. We are already working closely with Defra, along with our main funder Innovate ..read more

The four UK Agri-Tech Centres welcomed a delegation from the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office’s Science and Innovation Network (SIN) and senior colleagues from Innovate UK and the Department of |nternational Trade. The SIN visitors, from the United States, Brazil, Argentina and India, and are undertaking a learning and development visit to the UK. Their stop-off with the Agri-Tech Centres took place at the CHAP and Agri-EPI-owned soil & crop technology and agri-informatics facilities at Cranfield University. A tour of the site allowed the visitors to view the R&D facilities ..read more

DETECTING crop disease invisible to the naked eye could soon be a reality for UK farmers, thanks to the development of an innovative handheld imaging device, the FotenixTM Echo. The palm-sized device, from diagnostics company Fotenix, uses light across and beyond the visible spectrum, to enable the identification of plant stress. Recent trials have shown that Echo can successfully identify the presence of disease in wheat, and will now be refined for launch into the agricultural market for use by breeders, agronomists and farmers. Founder of Fotenix, Charles Veys, said: “We have been entertain ..read more

Sustainable food supply is vital in securing the needs of today and future generations. How we share and use agri-food data will influence our ability to build and maintain a thriving, efficient and relevant system. That is why Agrimetrics was commissioned by the Open Data Institute (ODI) to complete the Food Data Landscape Review.  What was Agrimetrics looking to do? Mapping a highly complex, interconnected sector, worth £128bn, is not an easy task. As consumer taste and economic support changes, the domino effect of these changes shifts the landscape. That is why we were looking to iden ..read more

Newton Farm in Brecon, Wales has become the first Welsh farm to join Agri-EPI’s Satellite Farm network. It becomes the 25th farm in the UK-wide network, where new technologies and techniques are developed and evaluated in real commercial farm settings. Owners Richard & Helen Roderick, along with their son Tudor, farm 850 acres including 200 acres they’ve recently rented and plan to farm regeneratively. The Roderick’s manage a diverse business, including an impressive outwintered herd of stabiliser cattle, a flock of 800 ewes, and an arable enterprise. The Roderick’s are passionate about a ..read more

CHAP’s Dr Jenna Ross has received an OBE in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Honours list for her contribution to agriculture and science. Award-winning scientist and mollusc expert Jenna leads CHAP’s international development, She has dedicated her career to agriculture, engaging with a wide range of outreach activities, to help inspire the next generation of agriculturalists. From a family farm in Tarland, Aberdeenshire, she gained a PhD in Environmental Science, focusing on developing novel biological control agents for molluscs. This spring-boarded her career as a world-renowned malacologist ..read more

Representatives from the four Agri-Tech Centres are undertaking an agri-tech tour of The Netherlands between 23 and 25 May. The theme is innovation and sustainability in agriculture and horticulture. The visit is being hosted by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, part of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, and the London-based Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The James Hutton Institute, New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, Agri-TechE and LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) have also joined the tour. The programme kicked off on Monday 23 May with a wel ..read more

To mark the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science on Friday 11 February, we are highlighting some of the UK Agri-Tech Centres’ incredible women scientists and engineers. Below, we hear from Emily Laskin from Agri-EPI Centre. Name: Emily Laskin Role with the Agri-Tech Centres: Farms Technical Coordinator, Agri-EPI Centre Describe your role: Agri-EPI works with a network of 26 farms across the UK, helping new technologies and techniques supporting productive, profitable and sustainable farming to be developed, trialled and evaluated in real commercial farming settings ..read more