Agri-food Technology

Nurturing Innovation

With a growing world population, climate change, and limited supplies of natural resources, making sure our food and supply chains are robust and effective has arguably never been more important. By focusing on improving productivity, efficiency, and sustainability, researchers at the University of Lincoln are developing new approaches that are having a major impact across the food chain.

We recognise that the application of technological innovation is crucial to helping to solve some of the big challenges facing agriculture and food production, so our research institutes, centres, and groups are focusing on key areas such as robotics and automation, AI, computer science, energy efficiency, engineering, crop science, and data management applications.

Two students working with the Thorvald robot in a greenhouse

Research Spotlight

Agri-tech Revolutions

A £4.9 million grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is helping to deliver a step change in activity and fund the drive to make the Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire region a global innovation centre for agricultural technology.

A Transformative Centre for Doctoral Training

The University of Lincoln, in collaboration with leading partner institutions – University of Aberdeen, Queen’s University Belfast and University of Strathclyde – has successfully secured £10.6m in funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to establish SUSTAIN, a transformative Centre for Doctoral Training.

Bringing together the expertise and resources of four academic institutions, SUSTAIN will provide a cross-disciplinary, multi-institution doctoral training programme to support innovative research in the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to sustainable agri-food. It will cover technical and social science aspects of AI, alongside training in plant, animal and/or biosciences, tailored to individual students’ needs and interests.

Lincoln Wins Queen's Anniversary Prize

The University has been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its work supporting the success and sustainability of the UK’s food and farming industries. The award, which is the highest National Honour in UK further and higher education, was presented to Vice Chancellor Professor Neal Juster at a special ceremony held at Buckingham Palace.

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Queen Camilla presenting the anniversary award to Professor Neal Juster

Improving Seasonal Weather Forecasts

New research led by the University of Lincoln has developed a new method using AI and machine learning to better understand changes in atmospheric circulation and help to improve predicting seasonal weather conditions in the UK and Northwest Europe.

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A wheat field with dark clouds overhead

Recent Developments