The AgriFoRwArdS CDT is funded by UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) [Grant reference: EP/S023917/1], and has been established by the University of Lincoln, in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and University of East Anglia.
The Centre is committed to developing the next generation of experts in the agri-food robotics sector. Our enthusiastic, talented students are on a 4-year programme in a vibrant and research-intensive environment. The final year of entry to the CDT programme started in October 2023 at the University of Lincoln, UK.
Why Agri-Food Robotics?
Agri-food is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, twice the scale of the automotive and aerospace industries combined. However, the food chain is under significant pressure, examples of which include;
Population growth, climate change, political pressures affecting migration, population drift from rural to urban regions, and the demographics of an aging population.
Current agricultural practices are also harming the natural environment, with many species of wildlife facing risk of extinction over the next decade.
How will AgriFoRwArdS make a difference?
Addressing the challenges within the sector requires a new generation of highly skilled researchers and leaders in robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) with interdisciplinary expertise.
AgriFoRwArdS focuses on the development of advanced RAS technologies, which will advance the state-of-the-art in both the fundamental RAS science and the domain of agri-food.
The Centre brings together a unique collaboration of leading researchers located at the heart of UK agri-food sector including; Academics at Lincoln, Cambridge and East Anglia; The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC); leading Industrial Partners; stakeholders from across the food, farming and robotics industries.
