The UK Agri-Tech Centre Midlands Hub enables agri-tech businesses, startups and technology innovators to develop, prototype and scale next-generation technologies within a collaborative, innovation environment based at Harper Adams University in Shropshire.
Passionate about bringing people together, the Midlands Hub supports innovators throughout the journey from ideation and product development through to commercialisation and real-world adoption.
The aim is to support commercial growth, as well as technical development, flexible incubation and workshops that bring people together who share ideas, issues and solutions to develop potential synergies. Located within one of the UK’s leading agricultural universities, businesses can also benefit from access to specialist research expertise, commercial farm environments and a wider agri-tech innovation ecosystem.
Agri-tech innovators can use the Midlands Hub to:
- Prototype, fabricate and test new agri-tech products and systems
- Access workshop, office and pilot production space
- Networking event access
- Register their agri-businesses postal address
- Develop technologies alongside precision agriculture specialists
- Demonstrate innovations to customers, investors and industry partners
- Access commercial farm testbeds and wider UK Agri-Tech Centre facilities
- Build collaborations with researchers, supply chains and industry networks
- Support funding applications, consortium building and commercial scaling
The Hub includes over 6,000 square feet of offices, meeting rooms and collaboration space (including an onsite café that works as an ideal informal networking space), alongside approximately 10,000 square feet of workshop and incubation facilities designed for fabrication, testing and pilot-scale production. Facilities include private offices, meeting rooms, conference and event spaces, co-working areas and access to specialist engineering and prototyping equipment.
The Midlands Hub also works with agri-tech specialists within DBT and acts as an international landing pad for agri-tech companies entering the UK market, providing access to business support, networking and funding opportunities, technical expertise and connections across the food and farming innovation ecosystem.
