Harper Adam University/ Satellite Applications Catapult Agri Spark Workshop

Harper Adam University/ Satellite Applications Catapult Agri Spark Workshop

The Satellite Applications Catapult and Harper Adam University would like to invite you to a Strategic Spark Session on the 26th of February focused on how the Space Technology can benefit the UK AgriFood sector and inform the delivery of the Local Industrial Strategy.

Spark Sessions are professionally facilitated workshops that bring together experts and decision-makers from a mix of technical, policy, and industry backgrounds to identify opportunities for cutting edge satellite technology to provide high value and high impact in areas of strategic priority.

This Spark Session is being designed in collaboration with Harper Adams University to explore grand challenges for the AgriFood sector related how satellite technologies can be used to ensure smarter, connected and more resilient supply chains. We are particularly focused on the role space can play in regards the future of autonomous farming and the opportunities for monitoring, forecasting and tracking of assets and products (both on farm and in transit).

If there are colleagues who you believe would benefit from attendance at the session then please confirm with us before forwarding.

Draft Agenda:

09:30-09:45        Welcome, introductions

09:45-10:00       Context and overview for the day

10:00-10:15        Review challenges board

10:15-11:00       Presentations outlining space capabilities

11:00-11:10       Break

11:10-11:20       Break-out group formation

11:20-11:50       Opportunity brainstorm & prioritisation

11:50-12:30       Opportunity development session

12:30-13:00       Present back and next steps

A final agenda will be sent out nearer the event. In the meantime, if you have any further questions either contact our coordinators or reach out to the Satellite Applications Catapult lead on this activity:

Joel Freedman – Joel.Freedman@sa.catapult.org.uk

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Ubiquitous Connectivity for Agriculture and Food

Our food system is facing unprecedented challenges. From population increase to climate change, demands on productivity to environmental protection – these pressures will place a further strain on agricultural value chains and influence the market forces which shape food production. The current consumer trends are at odds with the globalisation of food production and, as a result, new solutions are required to address these challenges.

Multiple and integrated digital technologies provide the speed, accuracy and autonomy required to enable such solutions. However, drawing upon multiple and vast data sources, these technologies require connectivity which is fit for purpose at a reach and scale capable of meeting the demands placed on our food system.

Rural areas within the UK are often characterised with poor connectivity and inconsistent mobile network services. As a result, the adoption of novel technologies on farms can be limited. Uniting terrestrial and satellite networks will ensure ubiquitous coverage for digital technologies and transform agricultural productivity and food systems.

Background info

The Satellite Applications Catapult (Catapult) is a unique technology and innovation company, boosting UK productivity by helping organisations harness the power of satellite-based services. Our Mission is ‘To innovate for a better world, empowered by satellites’.

We are driven by how our actions help the organisations we work with, both large and small, bring new services to market and to realise the potential from space. By connecting industry and academia, embracing a pioneering, agile, collaborative and entrepreneurial spirit, we get new research off the ground and into the market more quickly deliver game-changing results.

The satellite sector is undergoing transformational changes, leading to a greater amount of accessible data, higher spatial resolutions, automated analytics and diversified business models. The Catapult is at the forefront of this revolution, pushing the bounds of both technology and applications.

As part of a programme of work funded by the UK Space Agency, the Catapult is running a number of Spark Sessions to identify high-value opportunity areas for satellite technology in regionally significant sectors.  These sessions bring together technology experts, industry leaders, and academics, to discuss, brainstorm, and develop ideas for how satellite technology can be applied to solve real-world challenges.  Often acting as a catalyst within industries, these sessions drive innovation based on end-user insights and create communities of interest that cut across sectors.

The Spark Workshop which the questionnaire you have received relates to focuses on the use of technology within the agri-food and associated sectors to track, monitor and protect assets. This workshop is being run by Catapult in partnership with Harper Adams University.

Harper Adams University was first founded in 1901 and has gone from strength to strength since then, investing over 20 million to make it the thriving campus it is today. Set in 635 hectares of farmland in rural Shropshire it is the leading specialist university tackling the future development of our planet’s food production, processing, animal sciences, engineering, land management and sustainable business. The universities mission: ‘Higher education and research for the delivery of a sustainable food chain and rural economy’ compliment the mission of the Catapult as we work together to enable the rural economy through connectivity and technological advancement of business processes and smart farming.