We were delighted to welcome Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) Minister, Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP, to the UK Agri-Tech Centre’s Midlands Agri-Tech Innovation Hub in early December, providing an opportunity to shine a light on the pivotal role the UK Agri-Tech Centre plays in helping agri-tech businesses grow faster and achieve greater success.
During the visit, Minister Eagle saw first-hand how our facilities and expertise are enabling pioneering ventures such as MagrowTec and Upcycled Plant Protein (UPP) to test, trial and commercialise game-changing technologies. From precision spraying systems to sustainable protein innovation, these businesses embody the creativity and ambition driving the UK’s agri-tech sector forward.
Our work with Defra continues to strengthen as the Department establishes a new programme to support the UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, recognising agri-tech as a vital engine of national productivity, resilience and long-term food security.
The visit also coincided with the launch of our new national campaign, “Grow Your Own Way: We mean business when it comes to agri-tech”. This campaign celebrates the innovators transforming agriculture through automation and robotics, data and sensors, controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and engineering biology, turning scientific advances into real-world commercial impact.
Minister Eagle’s tour formed part of a wider visit to the Harper Adams University campus, home to our Midlands Innovation Hub. It demonstrated how the UK Agri-Tech Centre operates at the heart of a vibrant innovation ecosystem, connecting partners, expertise and infrastructure to accelerate progress for the sector.
Hannah Senior, Interim CEO of the UK Agri-Tech Centre, said: “We were delighted to welcome Minister Eagle and introduce her to some of the innovative ventures we support. These businesses are transforming agricultural systems and driving economic growth. The technologies they are bringing to market will improve profitability, resilience and sustainability for agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture in the UK and globally. Our dedicated facilities help businesses accelerate their journey to market. It has been brilliant to support UPP and MagrowTec as they scale. UPP, for example, has benefited from our facilities and farm network for in-field testing, and recently secured £3 million to drive its commercial growth.”
