Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson visited NIAB's state-of-the-art crop research facilities at Park Farm, Histon, to see how Combined Authority funding was supporting innovation and business growth in the region's important agri-tech sector.
Joined by Combined Authority Business Board Chair Al Kingsley, and Business Board agri-tech lead Emma Garfield, they were visiting the site to find out how £3.5 million funding for NIAB over five years has helped grow small and companies specializing in cutting-edge areas like plant genetics, pest management, soil health, AI, and farm robotics.
The tour, led by NIAB CEO Prof Mario Caccamo, began at NIAB's SME business incubator 'Barn4', a purpose-built facility funded by the Combined Authority that includes research laboratories, plant growth containers, and vertical farming facilities. Businesses that are part of the incubator can use the facilities to help develop their research and products. Business founders are also given broader support, such as mentoring, business planning raising investment, and applying for grants, to further break down barriers to growth. So far, around 120 small and start-up businesses in agri-tech have been supported.
The group moved on to the MacLeod Complex, 2,800m2 of research glasshouse, and learned more about NIAB's research into legume and pulse crops. This is part of an industry drive to develop new opportunities for domestic protein production rather than relying on imported sources, with opportunities in this market for start-ups and SME businesses. One of the crop trials on the show was chickpeas, where work is underway to develop a variety suited to the British climate.
They concluded with a tour of NIAB's precision breeding facility.
Mayor Dr Nik Johnson said: "We want to make Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, along with partners in the East, a global hub of innovation in agri-tech. Combined Authority investment in NIAB, supporting new businesses and jobs, is part of our work to back the sector. It was fascinating to see the exciting research and commercialization of some products which could be on our own dinner tables very soon, and fantastic that it's happening right here, supporting our economy and creating skilled jobs."
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