News

New £2m glasshouse to provide ‘net zero’ food growth research and innovation facility at University of Lincoln

CambridgeHOK is delighted to have been commissioned to design and build a new glasshouse research and innovation facility for the University of Lincoln.

Based at the University’s Riseholme Park Campus and part of the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT), it will aim to deliver collaborative, impactful and high value research and innovation in the UK’s food and farming sector,

A key feature will be the use of geothermal ground source heating technology to lower its carbon footprint, and a focus on developing new Net Zero facilities for glasshouse food production.

When completed, it will offer access to specialist research infrastructure and innovation support services, and be sub-divided into independently controlled compartments to allow multiple research projects to be run at the same time.

Eligible businesses will be able to benefit from access to academic experts from the University of Lincoln, as well as many research and knowledge transfer opportunities aimed at nurturing the use of new technologies and processes, and the development of new products.

The project is being funded by a £1,333,000 grant from Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, and a £888,666 by the University of Lincoln, bringing the total project cost to just over £2m.

New opportunities for students and businesses

Professor Neal Juster, vice-chancellor of the University of Lincoln, said: “We are very excited at the prospect of our new glasshouse facility being constructed. It will be working with Net Zero technologies in line with our ongoing commitment to sustainability and a carbon free future.

“Working in conjunction with industry, we can deliver success by attracting and supporting investors. By working together, locally and with the government, we can deliver much more investment, innovation, job creation and food security."

Professor Simon Pearson, founding director of the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology, at the University of Lincoln, added: “The facility will present a great amount of new opportunities for not only those studying at LIAT, but for eligible businesses that will benefit from the research carried out at the facility.

“Once operational, we will develop a raft of new Net Zero facilities for glasshouse production. Our aim is to unlock substantive investment on glasshouse crop production across the GLLEP. These investments need viable Net Zero solutions for growers to reduce energy cost and carbon emissions.

“Investment in glasshouse production helps grow local economies, skills and food security”

Track record of research and innovation

Patrick Harte, joint managing director of CambridgeHOK, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded this contract as we are hugely committed as a business to working on research and development projects, as we know innovation, and finding new, more efficient ways of producing our food, is essential.

“We have a track record of working alongside universities and leading research facilities at CambridgeHOK. We feel not only extremely proud to be selected for projects like this, but also privileged to be involved, as it allows our team to work with people of a like mind, and truly innovate and bring something new to the table.”

The glasshouse facility will form part of Greater Lincolnshire LEP’s proposed Agricultural Growth Zone, designed to support Greater Lincolnshire agriculture and the delivery of the UK Food Valley.

Back to news