Providing a path into, and growth within the agricultural industry for innovative SMEs.
LOOK AT YOUR BUSINESS IN A DIFFERENT WAY
Have you ever thought about developing your products or extending your operations for the land-based sector? Place your business in the heart of Gloucestershire, 5th largest county in the South West, rich in agricultural heritage, and with 74% of the region's land area used for primary food production, where better to take a deep dive into the world of agriculture and grow your business?
Funding from GFirst LEP’s Getting Building Fund, the European Regional Development Fund, and the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust, firmly establishes the next phase of our Digital Innovation Farm 'accelerator' initiative through Hartpury's Tech Box Park, which includes our recently launched Agri-Tech Centre.
To find out more about our FREE Tech Box Park programme and how we can support you, or book a tour of our facilities, please click the Book a Tour button.
Book tourFunding for Hartpury’s Digital Innovation Farm Tech Box Park has been provided by the GFirst LEP ‘Getting Building Fund’, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust.
Each of our five Tech Box units provide an innovative, self-contained working space for desk-based product development and testing.
Our flexible high-tech work and demonstration space offers SME’s a unique environment to launch and demonstrate products to clients both physically and virtually.
The 16ft x 40ft Tech Box Park units have been created using environmentally friendly, repurposed shipping containers clad in cedar wood and compliment the local environment at Hartpury's Home Farm.
Limited spaces available.
Based within a well-connected agricultural heartland, Tech Box Park benefits include:
The Hartpury Tech Box Park Programme provides FREE support to businesses in Gloucestershire looking to develop new or existing Agri-Tech products or services and help them accelerate to market. Support packages include:
Helping your business to understand sustainability good practice, meet environmental standards and reach accreditation.
Supporting your business to analyse, test and demonstrate new and existing products to clients physically and virtually.
Providing your business with access to agricultural trial and test beds to improve productivity and efficiency.
Offering your business a platform to promote products to Hartpury’s academics, students, peers, and potential customers.
Spend £10K and get £5K back!
Once you’ve completed a minimum of 12 hours of engagement on the programme i.e. through our business support packages, events and specialist support activities - you can apply for an Innovation Voucher.
Successful applications will be given a reimbursed grant of £5K.
You can use your Innovation Voucher to develop your business including product / service development or enhancement, process improvement or market research. If it enables the growth and development of your business - you can apply.
Get in touch to find out more.
Expressions of interest now being taken.
If you would like to find out more about the opportunities available for your business, we’d love to hear from you:
email: enquiries@DIA-T.Hartpury.ac.uk
tel: 01452 702546
Not sure if the Tech Box Park suits your needs? Fill out this short form below and we will point you in the right direction
Agriculture Expression of Interest Form
"We are in a huge time of change as the UK moves into a new era of agriculture. Farmers are the most important people in this industry, and we want to support them to make more informed and better business decisions. Driving these improvements will ultimately help us all strive toward a stronger agricultural industry."
“The DronePrep team have been working closely with the Hartpury Agritech team to explore how farmers can use drones to create diversified income for farm estates. It has been an amazing adventure thus far and we are incredibly excited to join the Tech Box Park community to strengthen ties with Hartpury and the farming community.”
"By placing the tools for driving sustainable growth into the hands of every business leader, we can build a community determined to make sustainability business as usual.”
“The University’s academic and agri-tech staff and students provide a perfect opportunity for partnership for both organisations, and we look forward to developing more learning opportunities as well as innovative products and solutions.”
"Emerald Research is a market leader in researching and developing our OptiYield 'Next Generation' plant nutrient, bio stimulant, and biological products. We're very excited to be working with Hartpury to develop, communicate, and inform the agricultural community and wider public about the importance of these technologies towards sustainable, net-zero, and regenerative farming"
“As a company we are highly innovative. Whether it’s using drone technology to scare pigeons or detect pests in crops, killing pathogens using UV Lighting, or developing sand heat storage energy solutions to take farms towards zero carbon. We hope that all our technologies will have a significant impact on the industry.
“I am enthusiastic about our products and the mental health and well-being benefits using our ‘touch and feel’ products bring to our users. The testing and trialing using fellow Tech Box member, Novazera’s new Biopolymer products is a brand-new innovation for us and something that, we are extremely excited about.”
“We want to now apply our technology to something that has always been at the back of our minds – indoor agriculture. The Tech Box not only gives us a place to better understand environmental factors affecting plant growth and yield, but also provides a space to collaborate, share ideas and find solutions to problems.
"The potential to develop something ground-breaking here is real. Whether it’s testing dissolvable tree tubes that disappear or trailing compostable film as a workable alternative to plastic hay bale wrap, we’re excited to work with Hartpury’s agricultural experts to test samples on the fields in real life where it should be, rather than in a laboratory.”
"Like most other sectors, Agriculture is producing more and more data by the day, and not being realistic about what's achievable can lead to frustration as things don't materialise as envisioned. It's my desire to provide a service that will help turn other people's ideas into reality."
A technology company aiming to connect riders of all levels to equestrian adventures, disciplines, horse breeds, schools, and facilities around the world.
A leading provider of insight and knowledge to the agri-food industry, Map of Ag works with agriculture clients across the world delivering pioneering analytics, modelling, and research.
“There is a real demand for the agricultural industry to now tell its supply chain story."
"We can see an amazing amount of opportunity around IoT in agriculture. Joining the Tech Box Park community offers us a unique chance to work in partnership with farmers, learn from them, and create business-changing solutions.”
“We are a passionate team of highly qualified product designers with extensive industry experience in a range of sectors. We have worked with over 100 clients and received awards and commendations for our design work. Trusted by our clients to develop their ground breaking products, taking ideas from conception through a rigorous product development process to create products ready for manufacture and product on shelf”
“Sustainable Business Design is a Cheltenham-based consultancy specialising in helping businesses to place sustainability firmly at the heart of the way they deliver value to their customers and in helping business prepare for the low-carbon economy through it’s “Go Climate Positive” programme. We believe that the problems of resource scarcity and climate change can be a catalyst for innovation and growth, as much as they are challenges to overcome.”
"Albright IP are a professional firm of British and European Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Our UK and European attorney teams have many years of experience in invention and brand protection, and work for clients in the UK and around the world."
"The Ideas Agency are the people behind the ideas of some of the most ambitious brands on the planet. We work to create ideas for new products, services, and marketing strategies that keep our clients relevant to their customers and ahead of the curve"
The Invest in Gloucestershire team have produced an inspiring place setting video highlighting the County’s strengths in cyber and digital technology, agri-tech, advanced engineering and renewables.
Gloucestershire has an impressive reputation for high growth business and innovation, especially now with the county earmarked for strong economic growth and many new infrastructure and development projects such as the Forum in Gloucester and the Golden Valley development in West Cheltenham. The landmark video has been produced to reach out to international businesses to showcase the many benefits and assets the county has to offer and demonstrate that Gloucestershire is a great place for businesses to innovate and grow.
