Opening up innovation in plant science

The Lawes Open-Innovation Hub from the outside
The Lawes Open-Innovation Hub from the outside

The Rothamsted Centre for Research and Enterprise, RoCRE is leading a transformation in howadvances in plant science can be translated into practical solutions for farmers in collaboration with the agricultural industry.

The newly opened Lawes Open Innovation Hub is targeted specifically at enhancing relationships between businesses and researchers to deliver new agricultural technology. Enterprises operating in the building will benefit from working alongside scientists from Rothamsted Research and their high level of expertise in a range of research areas.

Named after Rothamsted Research’s founder, Sir John Bennett Lawes, the Lawes Open Innovation Hub is the latest element to slot into place for the recently formed Rothamsted Centre for Research and Enterprise (RoCRE), which has seen £14 million of investment so far in facilities to improve commercial collaboration accelerating the transfer of innovation from the lab to the field.

The Lawes Hub has been made possible thanks to funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), with additional substantial investment from Rothamsted Research, the Lawes Agricultural Trust and regional growth funding accessed through the Herts Local Enterprise Partnership. Its objective is to promote collaboration and innovation in the fast-moving agricultural technology sector.

The ribbon is cut, people from left Chris Dunkley (Chief Executive), Chris Till (PhD student) Denise Legg (Current employee of Rothamsted Research), Rt Hon Peter Lilley (MP for Hitchin & Harpenden) Prof Achim Doberman (Director Rothamsted Research)
The ribbon is cut, people from left Chris Dunkley (Chief Executive), Chris Till (PhD student) Denise Legg (Current employee of Rothamsted Research), Rt Hon Peter Lilley (MP for Hitchin & Harpenden) Prof Achim Doberman (Director Rothamsted Research)

George Freeman, Minister for Life Sciences, welcomes the new development: “This pioneering new hub represents an exciting new stage in Rothamsted’s 170 year history, meaning more innovative ideas from the laboratory are to be spring-boarded into industry and at greater speed. It will very much support our Agri-tech Strategy, developing new approaches to food and farming and will strengthen the UK’s position as a world leader in 21st Century agricultural technology, innovation and sustainability.”

Chris Dunkley, RoCRE chief executive shares the minister’s point of view: “It’s a superb new resource for UK agriculture and will further strengthen Rothamsted Research’s global place at the forefront of developments in agricultural science – one of the government’s eight ‘Great Technologies’.

“But it’s a real departure from what some might see as the traditional academic approach,” explains Chris. With its bright colours, open-plan spaces and even an internal ‘street’, the Hub is designed to marry Rothamsted’s research capabilities with the vigour of commercial activity – the concept known as ‘open innovation’.

“Academia and commerce have common goals: finding new agricultural techniques and developing technologies in a bid to grow more food, more efficiently, to feed a rising population. It’s our intention that the Hub will allow us to work together more effectively in achieving those goals,” says Chris.

Built with the support of the BBSRC, the Hub boasts extensive laboratory facilities where industry research teams can carry out experimental work and benefit from the interaction and the use of cutting-edge high-throughput research platforms of Rothamsted Research. The highly flexible office space, and an ‘Agile Working Suite’ designed to provide hot-desking space for short-term assignments allow for the development of collaborations that suit a variety of project needs.

The Hub is the latest facet to Rothamsted’s development and expansion. The Centenary Building opened in 2003, while in addition to the hub this year has seen the construction of a much enlarged Conference Centre and the refurbishment of the Daniel Hall Innovation Centre to provide business incubation. Plant science companies have already started to make the Centre their new headquarters, a recent tenant being Plant Impact.

“The Rothamsted Centre for Research and Enterprise is the ideal environment for agricultural science, whether it be academic or commercial,” says John Brubaker, chief executive of Plant Impact. “Our decision to relocate our global head office and research effort to the Harpenden site has been transformational for our business, thanks to new research facilities, office and laboratory space, and – of course – access to Rothamsted Research’s network of the world’s leading scientists in soil science and plant nutrition.”