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Collaboration key to agri-tech growth and adoption, Minister Zeichner hears

Minister tours Harper Adams University campus with TIAH and UK Agri-Tech Centre for demonstration of collaboration in action.

Left to right, Defra Minister Daniel Zeichner, Professor Ken Sloan, Dr. Peter Quinn and Stephen Jacob discussed the future or farming and growing, and how technology and skills would help deliver that.

28/03/25

Defra Minister Daniel Zeichner toured Harper Adams campus with partners TIAH and the UK Agri-Tech Centre to learn more about the teaching, research and development, growth and adoption of technologies and solutions to support the agri-food industry.

The Minister of State’s tour included the Future Farm, which was created to allow the university to unify strategic aims for both research and teaching, followed by a visit to the UK Agri-Tech Centre Midlands Innovation hub to see facilities and meet companies which are developing their products and scaling there.

The tours were followed by a working lunch with hosts and students and a round-table discussion of their priorities, the R&D agenda for UK agriculture, skills and education requirements as well as the land use framework and wider UK agricultural policy.

Minister Zeichner and TIAH Chief Executive spoke to students at Harper Adams about their education, their thoughts on continuing their development after their courses and the TIAH Learning Hub.

Tess Howe, Head of Partnerships and Policy at TIAH, said: "As the industry faces new challenges and technologies, it's essential that farmers and growers adapt and adopt the relevant skills to remain resilient and innovative.

"Our forthcoming Labour Market Information research highlights the critical skills required to invest and implement innovations, which have the potential to drive business resilience and sector growth.

"By collaborating effectively, we can foster a culture of knowledge exchange that addresses skills gaps and equips all farmers and growers with the skills they need to thrive."

Accelerating adoption of innovation in farming and growing

Dr. Peter Quinn, Chairman of UK Agri-Tech Centre, said: "As the largest dedicated agri-tech organisation in the UK, we drive business growth and accelerate the adoption of agri-tech innovation to deliver real world impact.

“We support a growing community of innovative agri-tech businesses, and we are proud to play a part in their success.

“It was great to introduce Minister Zeichner to growing businesses such as UPP, whose products are tackling labour problems for broccoli producers, creating alternative protein products, valorising waste and creating potential new income streams for producers.”

The event saw staff from TIAH, Harper Adams University and the UK Agri-Tech Centre talk to Minister Zeichner and Defra staff about the future of farming and growing, and how technology and skills will help deliver that.

Professor Ken Sloan, Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University, said: “When I met with the Minister in Westminster, I was keen to emphasise the importance of collaboration with external partners for specialist institutions like Harper Adams.

“We were delighted, therefore, to be able to welcome him to the University alongside our partners in TIAH and UK Agri-Tech Centre for a visit which demonstrates the strength of those links, to show him our Future Farm and meet our academics and students, and to discuss some of our many research projects.”