China and Innovate UK sign agri-tech MoU

The agreement will see the UK share knowledge and skills for agriculture in areas including big data and precision

Innovate UK has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government’s China Rural Technology Development Centre (CRTDC) to explore mutual collaborations in agricultural technology, or ‘agri-tech’.

During a week-long event, 55 representatives from British companies, universities and government sought to make stronger ties with China in order to share knowledge and skills in agri-tech innovation.

The event culminated in the signing of an MoU between Innovate UK and CRTDC in which both parties agreed to collaborate on big data and precision; intelligent agricultural equipment; prevention and control of crop and animal diseases; agricultural biotechnology to explore improvements in crop health and protection; and the development of nutritious foods that meet the needs of future consumers.

During the visit companies were able to make pitches to interested Chinese companies and organisations. Innovate UK said that this was followed “by a series of short meetings and many leads were generated”.

The UK visitors were also able to see several agri-tech demonstration projects that the CRTDC are sponsoring, including a hydroponics site in Hangzhou and an e-commerce pig trading centre in Chongqing. The centre has already traded around £2.5 billion of pigs in its first year and means that buyers can see the pig health and growth data before buying.

Innovate UK said: “The companies returned back to the UK with strong leads that are actively being followed up, and closer ties are being formed between UK research providers and the Agri-Tech Centres and the CRTDC and Chinese Universities.”