Agri-Tech
Farming
Agri-Food
Applied technology
Biosciences
Food systems and sustainability
Food Manufacturing
Farming
Food and drink manufacturing constitutes the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, contributing over £96bn per annum, and employing over 3.3m people. Businesses seeking to grow their agrifood business in the Midlands can benefit from a wealth of centres of research and development, and a pool of expert researchers. Explore opportunities.
Agri-Food
Universities and R&D centres in the Midlands are leading on transforming food systems with innovative new technologies in food processing, food formulation, waste streams and automation. Explore opportunities.
Applied technology
UK Agritech Centres based in the Midlands are working to drive greater efficiency, resilience and wealth across the sector, supported by Innovate UK. Explore opportunities.
Biosciences
Universities in the Midlands are developing solutions to problems facing the food, pharmaceutical, biotechnological, fast moving consumer goods and speciality products sectors. Explore opportunities.
Food systems and sustainability
Sustainability is at the core of the sector, be it in farming, agri-food manufacturing, applied research, or the supply chain. For agritech businesses seeking to develop more sustainable methods of production, the Midlands is well placed to support your needs. Explore opportunities.
Food Manufacturing
Driving the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, the food industry tackles global challenges with innovation and high-quality production. Explore opportunities
Invest in
Agri-Tech with a university the Midlands
Its population of professional farmers and growers are keen to adopt new technologies that will help them become more efficient. The Midlands is the home of some of the most productive farming land in Europe, world class research institutes and a history of innovation in food production.
With 20% of the country’s agritech businesses based in the Midlands, the region hosts some of the UK’s most significant concentrations of economic activity in this sector.
00
%
of the UK’s agritech businesses
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bn
in GVA generated
00,000
+
businesses
000,000
jobs
£
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bn
food and drink export
View our Agri-Tech Prospectus.
DownloadLeading Agri-Tech assets include:
Barclays Eagle Lab Farm at the University of Lincoln
The Barclays Eagle Lab Farm is a partnership providing flexible working space to agritech innovators looking to take advantage of the University of Lincoln’s world class research and facilities. With a robotics lab, a demonstration packhouse, and model refrigerated supermarket aisle – alongside traditional facilities with beef cattle and sheep – the Lab is designed to bring together industry and academia to push forward the digitally enabled farming industry.
Hounsfield Facility at the Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham
The Hounsfield Facility at the University of Nottingham opened in 2014 allows scientists to explore the internal architecture of biomaterials, critical for sustainability and food security. Thanks to its state-of-the-art x-ray CT equipment, integrated with automated robotics, the Facility is changing the world of agri-tech with its work on novel image analysis.
Midlands Dairy Research Centre with Harper Adams University and Agri-EPI
The Diary Research Centre provides partners with the facilities they need to accelerate sustainable livestock farming. With a milking robot, 3D body condition camera, robotic scraper, herd navigator, cow activity monitors, closed non-grazing space, and indoor trial areas, the Centre’s researchers can work with you to develop solutions to any challenge you face in the dairy industry.
National Centre for Precision Farming at Harper Adams University
Precision farming is tackling the challenge of how to grow crops more sustainably and efficiently. At the National Centre for Precision Farming, academics, farmers, and businesses are improving yields and maximising resources through research and commercialisation of new technologies.
Warwick Crop Centre at the University of Warwick
With partners like the Waitrose Agronomy Group, the Warwick Crop Centre provides directly and levy funded projects to take forward innovation in crop breeding, plant pathology, entomology, agronomy, crop nutrition, and environment research. At the Centre, you can collaborate with research and trial new ideas and technology.
Redefining how universities and industry work together
Through pioneering co-location, joint research and agritech demonstrator initiatives, Midlands universities are redefining how academia works in partnership with the wider food and farming sector
Midlands universities are leading the way in developing research and technology to fuel the future agritech and agrifood economy, in collaboration with corporate partners like Morrisons, McDonalds, and PepsiCo, as well as extensive SME networks.
Together, the partnerships host research and innovation centres, fund projects, support start-ups, and more, to develop innovative solutions to the world’s agricultural problems across farming, sustainability, and the agrisciences. Over 11,000 university students graduate each year in agritech-related fields across Midlands universities.
The universities of the Midlands provide the foundation for one of the world’s most significant concentrations of agritech research and translation. The Midlands region hosts national facilities developed in partnership with the UK Government, universities and industry.
The Midlands is at the forefront of developing new technologies to grow and process food, while developing new methods of addressing the threats to future agriculture. Our heritage and track record of innovation and partnership between universities, government and businesses mean that the Midlands will be at the cutting edge of the next great agri-tech revolution.
How we can help
We are the UK’s first University Investment Concierge Service - helping provide a navigation and connection service for investors seeking to work with our region’s universities. We work in partnership with the region’s cluster organisations, industry bodies, innovation eco-system and growth agencies. We also connect and receive opportunities from local, regional and national government. And our promise is simple: to help connect international investors and companies to our universities – and to promote our region’s universities to the world.
