The UK Agri-Tech Centre has welcomed the UK Government’s recognition of agri-tech as a key ‘frontier’ industry within Advanced Manufacturing, outlined in its Industrial Strategy. It also recognises the sector’s role to deliver ambitious growth, enhance productivity, strengthen climate resistance and reduce the emissions from agriculture.
A strategic vision
The Strategy, published today (June 23) identifies the high-potential industries that develop and commercialise strategically important technologies and describes how the Government will support their development and growth.
It highlights eight priority sectors, with Advanced Manufacturing – encompassing agri-tech – among them. Another key frontier industry is Digital & Technology, which includes Engineering Biology, covering precision breeding supported by a secondary legislation that passed in the House of Commons on May 13, 2025.
Fuelling innovation across the sector
The Strategy is a ten-year plan committed to the promotion of free and fair trade through strong international partnerships and the reduction of regulatory burdens, speeding up the development of innovation, including via the Regulatory Innovation Office. It also acknowledges the importance of UK-wide expertise and commits to supporting a nationwide approach to targeting areas across the UK that support the sectors included in the Industrial Strategy.
Alongside the Strategy’s publication, Defra has also confirmed its commitment to invest £200 million into the Farming Innovation Programme through to 2030, aiming to help unlock the potential of the agriculture sector.
The UK Agri-Tech Centre’s CEO, Hannah Senior said: “We welcome the UK Government’s recognition of agri-tech as a frontier industry to deliver on ambitions for growth, to boost productivity, build climate resilience and reduce emissions from agriculture. The UK Agri-Tech Centre has a successful record of supporting government ambitions in these areas and has already made an impact in driving company growth and industry adoption. Our nationwide capabilities and deep sector-wide expertise now have even greater potential to be maximised via this Strategy and we shall continue to work with Government, its agencies and the sector to bring it to fruition.
We also welcome the Strategy’s ten-year scope: agri-tech requires forward thinking on behalf of innovators and investors, but there are long-term dividends for the economy and society from its successful creation and deployment. The Strategy’s commitment to promote free and fair trade is also critical: there are significant global production needs, but also opportunities. The UK Agri-Tech Centre has established connections in international markets and is therefore well placed to deliver on these ambitions.
We also welcome the Government’s recognition of the role of a regulatory environment that is conducive to innovation. We are working with the Regulatory Innovation Office and are actively working on unlocking opportunities around regulation for automation & robotics and insect bioconversion.
It is encouraging to note the Government’s recognition of the importance of nationwide expertise via strategic clusters; we are proud of our UK-wide suite of cutting-edge facilities and expertise to support the test, trial and adoption of agri-tech innovation – successfully delivering solutions through to commercialisation.
Finally, we welcome Defra’s commitment on the back of the Strategy’s publication to allocate £200 million in FIP up to 2030 to support the homegrown adoption of technology that can make a real difference on farms in England and Wales, supporting productivity and resilience in the agricultural sector and the agri-tech companies whose products can enable this.”
To find out more about the Industry Strategy or how the UK Agri-Tech Centre is supporting the growth of the agriculture sector, please get in touch via [email protected]
