Novazera, a specialist in biodegradable plastic alternatives and anti-viral coatings, is the first business to move into one of the five units at Hartpury University and College’s Digital Innovation Farm Tech Box Park.
The £2 million tech park was made possible by £1.25 million of funding from the county’s local enterprise partnership GFirst LEP, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust.
Together with Cirencester’s Farm491, Hartpury’s Digital Innovation Farm is helping position Gloucestershire at the forefront of the growth in agritech, a market expected to be worth £30,428.14 million by 2027.
A spokesman for Novazera, which can name Hartpury’s vice-chancellor, principal and chief executive officer Russell Marchant as a director, said: ‘The university’s academic and agritech staff and students provide a perfect opportunity for partnership for both organisations, and we look forward to developing more learning opportunities as well as innovative products and solutions.’
David Owen, chief executive of GFirst LEP said the local enterprise partnership’s investment money for the innovative business centre had been won from the Government’s Getting Building Fund.
A statement from Novazera said it intended to use its residency as a technology sharing opportunity between itself and the university to research, develop and test new products and technologies.
SoGlos first revealed the firm’s intentions to move onto the site in June 2021.
By Andrew Merrell
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