The Agriforwards CDT programme is strongly supported by a world-leading network of industrial partners including multinationals, SMEs, supply-chain companies, other research funding entities.
Key Agriforwards CDT Cambridge partners include G’s Fresh, Dyson Farming, Beko, MathWorks, Samworth Brothers, Jersey Farm Union, RT corporation (Japan), Defra and many more
The input of the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB) and the NFU is also significant. The AHDB is the largest public body to fund research and knowledge exchange (KE). Both the NFU and AHDB provide an effective route to knowledge transfer and exchange with the entire UK industry.
We are grateful to our industry partners for their continuous support in training, advising and inspiring our students.
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is a statutory levy board, funded by farmers, growers and others in the supply chain to help the industry succeed in a rapidly changing world. We want to create a world-class food and farming industry, inspired by and competing with the best. Change is happening faster than ever and we’re entering a defining time for the industry. We’re on the cusp of a new agricultural revolution, with a shifting landscape where driving productivity and maintaining competitiveness is key to our farmers succeeding.
We have a responsibility to get farmers ready for the change that’s coming and helping them to not only survive but thrive. There are exciting opportunities for those willing to grasp them. We want to unite the whole industry around a common goal to lift productivity, bringing people together to collaborate, innovate, and drive change.
Inspiring to succeed
To succeed in this rapidly changing world, we need to be focused on the future. That means having a bold vision, but also staying true to the values at the heart of the farming and processing communities we serve.
So whether we’re introducing tools to help farmers improve profitability, advising on reducing pesticide use or developing new markets for our farmers and processors’ products, we’re passionate about inspiring farmers, growers and processors to achieve their full potential. Striving for excellence so they can compete with the best around the globe.
We put people at the heart of everything we do. Be that through encouraging collaboration through our network of Strategic and Monitor Farms, providing nutritional information to educate children about where their food comes from, or developing apprenticeships for the next generation. We are the critical friend, who speaks honestly but offers support that can be relied upon.
Hundreds of people, working together for farmers
We work for more than 100,000 farming and supply chain businesses across the country. Our main team is based in Coventry supported by a 100+ force of regional officers up and down the country, getting hands on with farmers, growers and processors. Our international team develop export markets in new countries such as China and the Far East, as well as looking after key markets for UK exports such as France and Belgium.
The Dyson Farming has a simple, clear approach which they are determined to implement. The Dyson Farming tries to learn from the past to ensure that their core assets, such as soils, are protected and improved. The Dyson Farming aims to look forward to ensure that the decisions they make today impact positively on future production and value.
G’s Growers Ltd is an independent Producer Organisation comprising 17 grower members in the UK.
The G’s Growers cooperative was formed in 1984, when 19 like-minded growers banded together to collaborate and work together through a united front to serve the evolving national supermarket retailers.
This strategy allowed considerable economies of scale and simplification of non-added value activates could be consolidated, while enabling the cost of large-scale investments to be shared.
In 1998 G’s Growers became a recognised Produce Organisation allowing access to EU funding for capital projects ensuring UK agriculture was able to compete on a level playing field with European producer organisations.
As a producer organisation, G’s Growers believe that the EU and subsequent fruit and veg scheme has delivered considerable consumer and national benefit since its conception in the 1990’s, through the release of match investment funding allowing grower members the opportunity to take bigger investment risks, compete on pan European level and deliver projects that ultimately drive value for the UK shopper.
By working together G’s Growers members are able to share expertise, experience and knowledge to allow them to take advantage of economies of scale to ensure the efficient supply and availability of quality produce for our customers and consumers across the UK, Europe and North America.
G’s Growers crop range includes whole-head and baby-leaf salad, celery, radish, onions, salad onions, beetroot, mushrooms, Chinese leaf and leeks. G's production sites are based in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Kent, West Sussex and the West Midlands.
All G’s Growers members meet or exceed the rigorously high standards that are demanded by modern consumers, retailers and governments, as well as our own brand expectations, whilst farming with a focus on preserving and enhancing the environment around us for future generations.
Beko PLC is the UK and Ireland subsidiary of Arçelik A.Ş. Established in 1955, Arçelik A.Ş is one of the largest household appliance producers in Europe with a global workforce of over 30,000 people in more than 30 countries, distributing products and services to 146 countries. It is also the leading home appliances brand in Turkey, offering extensive and innovative ranges of both home appliances and consumer electronics. Arçelik A.Ş. is the consumer durables sector of Koç Holding, based in Turkey.
We have a clear vision - to inspire Great British manufacturing on the global stage.
Developing and proving innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in an agile, low risk environment, in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions. We focus on delivering bespoke manufacturing system solutions for our customers.
We specialise in digital manufacturing, additive manufacturing, automation and robotics as well as intelligent automation.
We operate some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world, and employ a team of highly skilled engineers, many of whom are leading experts in their field. This creates a high quality environment for the development and demonstration of new processes and technologies on an industrial scale.
The MTC’s areas of expertise are directly relevant to both large and small companies, and are applicable across a wide range of industry sectors. The MTC’s members include global manufacturing companies from multiple sectors. Research partners include the University of Birmingham, University of Nottingham, Loughborough University and TWI Ltd.
The MTC is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK.
Ceres is a collaborative Agri-Tech partnership between five leading UK universities and three renowned agricultural research institutes. Funded by Research England, it provides translational funding and commercialisation expertise to drive Agri-Tech innovation by accelerating high quality research to market.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Concordats set out agreed frameworks for co operation, between it and the Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive, which have devolved responsibilities for these matters in their respective nations.
Defra also leads for the United Kingdom on agricultural, fisheries and environmental matters in international negotiations on sustainable development and climate change, although a new Department of Energy and Climate Change was created on 3 October 2008 to take over the last responsibility; later transferred to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in July 2016.
MATLAB is produced by MathWorks, the leading developer of mathematical computing software for engineers and scientists.
Imperial College London deploys these tools to students, educators and researchers via a centralised license to both increase the administrative efficiency of software management and distribution and ensure that a common set of tools is readily available to all users.
The campus-wide MathWorks TAH license includes analysis, design, modelling, simulation, testing and code generation products for the engineering and science schools, plus computational finance products for the business and economic school
Formed in 1919 the Jersey Farmers' Union promotes the interest of those involved in agriculture and horticulture in Jersey and considers, discusses and advises on questions affecting the industry in Jersey.
Samworth Brothers aims to be the very best food company in the UK.
Our purpose is to do good things with great food. We seek to be a long-term force for good and reinvest in the future of the business to make a positive difference for our people, customers, suppliers and communities. We also donate 1% of our profit to charitable causes each year.
We make food that people love. This is possible because of our commitment to quality. We believe in quality ingredients, quality processes, quality training, quality facilities and bakeries and, of course, great people.
We are a cutting edge Agri-Tech company that builds and operates Controlled Environment Farms, providing a future-proof and sustainable solution for growing.
Our farms offer an innovative, technologically-driven approach to growing. We have complete and real-time control over our growing environment, ensuring that every day is the perfect summer’s day.
We keep our crops snug and warm within our protected environment; they are never rained on, trampled by welly boots, or eaten by pigeons. We don’t require any pesticide or use any nasty chemicals.
In all seriousness, our farms use up to 90% less water and a fraction of the space compared to conventional farming. Owing to proprietary data, every m2 of a ZCF farm is significantly more productive than 1m2 of traditional farm land. This means we can grow more in less space and operate within dense urban areas which brings down our food miles and in turn reduces our carbon footprint. Reducing our carbon footprint to Zero is an absolute priority for us. To achieve this, all of our farms operate on 100% renewable energy so nothing we do has a negative impact on the environment. In short, we are changing the definition and future of farming.
Our first working farm is in Clapham, London, in a disused air raid shelter some 33 metres underground. From here we have been supplying retail and restaurants for the past five years. As we expanded our capacity to reach this milestone, we made the necessary technical, biosecurity and HR improvements to become BRC, Red Tractor and Field to Fork certified, allowing us to stock many of the UK’s major retailers, including Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Ocado.
Founded at Tokyo Akihabara in 2005, RT Corporation designs, develops and commercializes AI & robots. We have an extensive record in creating and providing platform robots for R&D purposes, from wheel type mobile robots to humanoid type manipulators, for education and research organisations.
We’re on a mission to reimagine autonomous mobility with embodied intelligence, aiming to lead the world into a new era of autonomy. Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward, making mobility safer, smarter, and more accessible for everyone.
