£10m fund to help Cornish farm businesses innovate with agri-tech

Significant new European Regional Development Fund grant will help boost Cornwall’s agri-tech sector
Significant new European Regional Development Fund grant will help boost Cornwall’s agri-tech sector

A new fund has been established as part of a £10m project to support research, development and innovation in agri-tech related technologies.

It is the first of its kind open only to those in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Open to small and medium-sized companies, it is seen as an opportunity to develop and apply new technologies to improve efficiency, profitability and resilience in the agri-food sector.

The new fund is hoping to prove the opportunity for smaller businesses to try something new which they may not have been able to do with their own funds.

The announcement is the start of a new wave of fund beneficiaries for ‘Agri-tech Cornwall’
The announcement is the start of a new wave of fund beneficiaries for ‘Agri-tech Cornwall’

The grant from the European Regional Development Fund, match funded by Cornwall Council, is part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

The funding is available in three strands, from a £50,000 to £250,000 collaborative research fund for businesses looking to undertake research, development and innovation, to a voucher scheme for projects ranging from £2,500-£50,000 available to support areas such as consultancy costs, feasibility studies or for the commissioning of specialist research and a subsidised graduate placement programme with salary subsidies ranging from £1,500-£2,250.

In addition, with match funding from Cornwall Council, the project will also create a dairy systems research platform, ‘Future Farm’, based at Duchy College’s Stoke Climsland campus.

This new facility will be distinct from a standard dairy farm as its infrastructure will be designed to enable research and innovation; measuring and comparing different factors and technologies for a healthy, productive and profitable dairy farm.

'Agri-tech Cornwall'

This announcement is the start of a new wave of fund beneficiaries for ‘Agri-tech Cornwall’.

It is a £10m wider initiative to create and develop a new sector for the Cornish economy, helping the UK become a world leader in agricultural technology and sustainability.

According to recent statistics, the global population is forecast to grow by 2.3 billion by 2050, meaning that food production will need to increase by between 60 and 70 percent to meet this demand.

Many traditional farming methods will need to adapt to become more efficient, more sustainable and more productive.

Cornwall already has a strong agricultural and engineering heritage, however the significant challenges facing this sector require new and improved ways to empower farms and their immediate supply chains.

This fund enables SMEs to rise to the challenge, applying their technologies currently set up in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to a global network.

Robin Jackson, the programme’s director said: “Cornwall’s strong agricultural heritage and culture, combined with exceptional rural internet capabilities and R&D facilities, make it an ideal location for innovators and developers in tech-led agriculture.

“The launch of this new fund is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to embrace these resources and try something they may otherwise have shied away from, for fear of not seeing an immediate return.”