South West AgriTech Showcase returns 21 March 2024

Building on the success of last year’s event, the South West AgriTech Showcase will return with a packed agenda and at a new venue, on Thursday 21 March 2024.

The event will focus on innovation and technology within agriculture, its commercialisation and adoption and how this can improve farming businesses and profitability.

“We will look at livestock, arable and dairy farming with a specialist in each session, alongside a farmer who has used technology to enable greater productivity, sustainability, and profitability,” explains Joanna Rufus, chair of South West AgriTech.

Sustainable farming practices will be one of the themes of the day. “Technology and innovation will enable land managers to become more efficient, productive, and thereby profitable; resilient and sustainable, and better able to protect and enhance the environment,” says Dr Robin Jackson, director of the Rural Business School at Duchy College.

The other themes of the day will include: Financial drivers for farmers, assisting an easier and more resilient transition to profitability, sustainable food production systems, and the use of technology and innovation to improve productivity.

“This fits with our definition of agri-tech – any technology on the farm, or that crosses the threshold of the farm, for use in agriculture, horticulture, or aquaculture which increases productivity and sustainability,” says Ms Rufus.

The South West AgriTech Showcase will feature the latest innovations, with the agenda promising high-profile speakers, the latest research, and an indoor marketplace dedicated to networking.

Following the success of the previous showcase, the event has scaled up to a new location. Westpoint Arena, will allow for further networking within an expanded marketplace. “We were extremely pleased with the number of attendees at our very first showcase,” adds Ms Rufus. “The feedback we received from both the programme and marketplace has been very rewarding, so we are really looking forward to building on this for next year.”

• Hold the date in your diary. Sign up for the event at £12.00 per person, will be available from mid January 2024.

Editors’ notes

South West AgriTech comprises six Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) – Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Dorset, GFirst (Gloucestershire), Heart of the South West (Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay), Swindon and Wiltshire and West of England (Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire); supported by a steering group of 45 members drawn from the South West Local Authorities, LEPs, academia and government departments and agencies.

The South West is England’s largest and most rural region with rich, diverse natural resources. With five of England’s 14 Food Enterprise Zones offering simplified planning and incentives, there is a huge range of site options. These range from collaboration space labs, rural and urban offices, science and business parks and employment land. Complementary sector strengths include aerospace, automotive, marine, nuclear, space, ITech and pharmaceuticals.

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