Nine innovative projects across Mid and North Wales have secured a combined £2.95 million in Collaborative Research & Development (CR&D) funding from Innovate UK, strengthening the regions’ agri-tech and food-tech innovation ecosystem.
The projects form part of the Agri-tech and Food Technology Cluster for Mid and North Wales, a programme designed to drive innovation across these sectors. Coordinated by the Cluster Management Organisation led by Growing Mid Wales and delivered in partnership with Ambition North Wales, M-Sparc, AberInnovation, AMRC Cymru, Innovate UK, and Welsh Government – the cluster promotes a wide range of funding opportunities. It also provides dedicated support to businesses and research partners, helping to accelerate technological advancements in agriculture and food production.
The funding supports collaboration between businesses, researchers and delivery partners to develop new technologies, products and processes that respond to key challenges facing the agri-food sector, including productivity, sustainability, crop health, packaging and food resilience.
Louise Jones, Wales Manager at Innovate UK, said: “These awards highlight the depth of innovation capability across Mid and North Wales. Collaborative R&D funding helps businesses work with partners to reduce risk, accelerate innovation and bring new ideas closer to market.”
The funded projects are supported through the Agri-tech and Food Technology Cluster for Mid and North Wales, which brings together businesses, researchers and delivery partners to accelerate innovation. The Agri-tech Cluster, managed by M-SParc, supports businesses working in agricultural technologies such as precision farming, automation and biotechnologies, connecting them to specialist facilities, expertise and tailored events. The Agri-food Cluster, managed by AberInnovation, focuses on innovation in food manufacturing, processing and sustainability, helping businesses develop new products, improve productivity and strengthen food security.
Both clusters are guided by a strategic steering group made up of key regional partners, ensuring activity is aligned with business needs, regional priorities and future growth opportunities across Mid and North Wales.
The nine funded projects are:
Diagnostig, Anglesey
HERALD (Health Enhancement through Rapid Assessment of Livestock Diseases): a rapid diagnostic platform for early detection of Johne’s disease in cattle, supporting healthier herds, improved productivity and future disease surveillance.
Lacuna Space, Ceredigion
STREAMS (Space Tech for River Environments & Agricultural Monitoring Sensors): developing a low-cost, satellite-connected water quality monitoring system to help farmers and authorities track nutrient pollution, support regulatory compliance and improve river health, even in remote rural areas.
Polytag, Flintshire (working with AMRC Cymru and a range of businesses over Mid & North Wales)
Digital traceability and storytelling for Welsh food and drink, creating an easy-to-use QR code platform that helps small producers meet new labelling requirements while sharing rich, multilingual product stories with consumers..
Lanotech, Powys
Welsh wool into premium feed ingredients; converting low-value Welsh wool into high-energy, feed-grade lanolin to replace imported soy and palm oil, creating a circular agricultural model that boosts farm incomes, cuts emissions and strengthens rural economies.
RapidX Bio, Ceredigion
Rapid plant disease and soil health diagnostics; developing a handheld, on-farm testing system that detects crop diseases and beneficial soil microbes in minutes, helping farmers act earlier, cut inputs and improve yields sustainably.
Neurabotics, Ceredigion
Semi-autonomous strawberry harvesting technology – developing a high-speed robotic harvesting system to help UK soft-fruit growers cut costs, improve productivity and restore profitability while strengthening domestic food security.
Agroceutical Products, Powys, Denbighshire & Gwynedd
Bracken for the Circular Economy (BraCE); transforming invasive bracken into a sustainable, peat-free growing media, creating new farm income while supporting peat reduction, circular agriculture and rural economies.
PlantSea, Denbighshire
Seaweed-based sustainable food packaging; developing recyclable and home-compostable packaging films from seaweed to replace single-use plastics and aluminium laminates within existing recycling systems.
TetrimTeas, Ceredigion & Gwynedd
NutriBREAD Cymru: developing a nutritionally enhanced white bread using Welsh-grown mushrooms to boost vitamin D, protein and fibre, improve public health and support sustainable regional food production.
Barbara Green, Project Manager for the Agri-tech and Food Cluster Management Organisation of Mid and North Wales, Growing Mid Wales, said: “Together, these projects showcase the ambition, creativity and technical excellence coming out of Mid and North Wales. Just as importantly, this investment is being spent in the region — supporting local businesses, researchers and farmers to turn bold ideas into practical innovations that have the potential to deliver economic and environmental benefits for the region.”
Elliw Hughes, Agri-food and Tourism Programme Manager for theNorth Wales Growth Deal, Ambition North Wales, said: “This investment reflects the value of regional collaboration, supporting businesses to scale innovation and contribute to a more productive regional economy.”
