New glasshouse facility at Riseholme Campus

A new net zero glasshouse research and development facility is set for the University of Lincoln’s Riseholme campus.

The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership is providing a grant of £1,333,000 for the project, and the University of Lincoln is providing a further £888,666 – bringing the total project cost to just over £2m.

Knowledge transfer

The purpose-built glasshouse will offer specialist research infrastructure and innovation support services. This will allow SMEs and other businesses in the agricultural sector to adapt or improve their products or services.

The glasshouse will be sub-divided into independently controlled compartments, facilitating the delivery of multiple projects at the same time throughout the year.

It will provide a space for collaborative research and innovation. Eligible businesses will have access to research and knowledge transfer opportunities from university experts who will support businesses to adopt new technology and develop new products..

Innovation

Sarah Louise Fairburn, chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP Food Board, said: “This project will support those innovative businesses in Greater Lincolnshire that are working on agricultural and horticultural technology.

“The university’s Agri-Tech Incubator will establish a pipeline of businesses who require access to R&D facilities within a professional glasshouse environment, supporting future growth of the agri-tech cluster and ambitions of our UK Food Valley.”

University deputy vice chancellor Andrew Hunter said: “This investment demonstrates the University’s long-term commitment to world-leading research.”