Forging agri-tech links to tackle future challenges
At Farm491 we aspire to stay on the cutting edge of technology and continuously evolve our offering to keep accelerating developments in agriculture technology.
This year we have secured two new partnerships that will open up the resources, technology and expertise available to our innovative members. By joining forces with other innovation hubs, we can arm our members with more tools to help them unlock solutions to today’s agricultural issues.
We are now collaborating with The Landing, which is MediaCityUK’s dedicated technology incubator hub for high-growth technology and digital start-ups, scale-ups and SMEs. The partnership will complement our technology resources and provide access for the north of England.
Their living lab and initiatives across green technology, AI and IOT will boost our resources, particularly in high growth tech companies. We are excited to see how it will advance our use of biotechnology, robotics and bespoke software. We will also be co-hosting a number of events with The Landing to extend our audience reach and engagement.
Our second partnership, with Rothamsted Enterprises, will enhance our members’ research capabilities. Our members can utilise their state-of-the-art facilities, world-leading scientists, vibrant calendar of events and seminars, and use of their 800 acres of experimental farmland, glasshouses and controlled growth environments.
In return we will be dedicating mentoring time and one-to-one support around scalable agri-food business issues, and will provide access to key stakeholder networks, such as farmers, industry experts and investors.
We believe a cohesive approach will knock down the many barriers that agri-entrepreneurs face when trying to scale in the agri-food sector. Combining our knowledge of scalable agri-tech businesses, with cutting edge technology, expert research and hubs across England, we will be able to support so much more exciting growth in this sector.
For the businesses involved, it will not only open up facilities and resources, it will also be a chance to make new connections and create more business opportunities.
With a projected global population of ten billion people predicted by 2050, the advancements in agri-tech will be key to unlocking food supply chain solutions for a growing population.
It is also fundamental in maintaining a healthy planet and tackling environmental concerns, such as food security, managing resources effectively and reducing pollution.
Verity Payne, centre & events manager, Farm491
