Our Meet the Team series profiles the individuals who make up the UK Agri-Tech Centre, offering you a glimpse into their stories and ambition for the sector. Next up is Dr Geoff Elliott, our Head of Business Development.
For Dr Geoff Elliott, our membership network is an invaluable tool to support your business at every stage of the journey.
How did you come to work in the agri-tech sector?
My journey began as a scientist studying mercury resistance in natural environments and I earned my degree in Genetics and my PhD in Environmental Microbiology in Liverpool. My first step into agriculture was during my time at UC Davis in California, where I tracked dust pollution in the Central Valley back to farms using genetics and lipid analysis. This experience opened the door to working with policy, academia and commercial sectors.
I later moved to Aberystwyth to study the environmental impact of the first GM crops and then to Dundee, where I researched nitrogen fixation globally. My real foray into the commercial world came at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen, where I managed a proof-of-concept project on food testing and eventually became a senior scientist. A law degree later, I joined Cambridge Enterprise and ran the agri-tech funding scheme, which supported early-stage innovations from universities. This path led me to CHAP and eventually to the UK Agri-Tech Centre.
What does being Head of Business Development involve?
My role covers a wide range of activities, but our primary focus is on bringing in commercial work. My team and I engage with members from various sectors—industrial, academic, and international—by networking and showcasing what we do. Ultimately, my goal is to drive positive change, impact, and innovation throughout the industry. The UK Agri-Tech Centre’s ecosystem is extensive, and my team and I are committed to expanding our newly launched industry membership offering to help innovative businesses grow.
Why is our membership a useful tool?
Agri-tech spans numerous sectors and areas, making connections crucial for success. For early-stage companies, understanding the funding landscape and knowing the right people to talk to is essential because the margins in this sector can be tight. The UK Agri-Tech Centre acts as a nexus for this network.
We have a range of membership packages that cater for the needs of innovators, scientists and businesses of all sizes across the agri-food supply chain which can be found on our membership page. We are here to talk to you about which level is right for you.
Our goal is to get you connected with strong cross-sectoral working opportunities and systems-wide approaches, inspire you to innovate and help you to accelerate the development and adoption of your agri-tech solutions.
Why should people work with the UK Agri-Tech Centre?
I’ve witnessed firsthand how challenging it is to bring an innovation from early stage to market due to numerous hurdles in the sector. At the UK Agri-Tech Centre, we offer an unparalleled combination of network, services, facilities and expertise to facilitate this journey.
Businesses we work with appreciate not having to approach multiple entities for different services as we bring everything together in one place. We are able to provide services – from better understanding government and policy, raising funds, trialling technology and connecting you with farmers and collaborators, all under one roof.