Barclays Eagle Labs & Agrimetrics launch data workshop for agri-tech start-ups

The free workshops will explore the climate around agrifood data and provide practical advice for building data best practice and interoperability into solutions. They will run across three mornings: 21 April, 28 April, and 5 May.

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Agrimetrics and Barclays Eagle Labs, who kick-off their Business Accelerator Programme for agri-tech companies on 18 March, are holding a joint virtual workshop for agri-tech start-ups on how to succeed in the agrifood data ecosystem.

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“Data is increasingly becoming an essential currency for agrifood businesses. Building data best practice and interoperability into solutions is vital for the long-term success of agri-tech businesses. These workshops will cover the business, technological, and sociological factors that start-ups need in order to flourish in the agrifood data ecosystem,” says Dr Matthew Smith, Chief Product Officer, Agrimetrics.

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The workshops will combine short instructive presentations, facilitated discussions, and solution design sessions. Dr Matthew Smith, former Business Development Director at Microsoft and a leading expert on applied data and AI in agriculture, and Professor Richard Tiffin, Agrimetrics’s Chief Scientific Officer and formerly Director of the Centre for Food Security at University of Reading, will lead the sessions.

Identifying and evidencing sustainability across agrifood supply chains is one emerging use case that is heavily reliant on data exchanges

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Day one will explore the new agrifood business scenarios. These include requirements to build resilience and reduce waste, to identify and evidence sustainability improvements, and to prove food provenance. Participants will consider new opportunities raised by these scenarios and storyboard data-driven solutions.

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‍Day two will focus on enabling data supply chains. Instructors will present new models of data exchange and present an overview of key data interoperability requirements. Participants will use this knowledge to build data exchange into the solutions storyboarded on day one.

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Day three will revolve around addressing imbalances in the agrifood data ecosystem. Participants will be presented with a menu of opportunities and approaching for building “for good” into their products, before applying this learning to the solution developed over days one and two.

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“Agriculture in the UK is a dynamic and vibrant sector and it is a sector that is both resilient and innovative and Barclays have been supporting farmers and growers for in excess of 275 years and have seen many exciting changes,” says Mark Suthern, Barclays National Head of Agriculture.

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“The opportunity to make informed decisions to help improve productivity profitability and sustainability is underpinned by the quality and accessibility of meaningful data. If you are a UK early stage start-up working on technology solutions for the Agri food supply chain I’d encourage to attend this workshop.”

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Applications for this free workshop series are invited from early-stage start-ups working on technology-driven solutions to agrifood supply chain challenges. All applications will be reviewed for suitability by Agrimetrics and Barclays Eagle Labs and applicants promptly informed of the outcome. The workshops will run virtually from 0930 – 1230 GMT on 21 April, 28 April, and 5 May. Spaces are highly limited so please apply early.

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Find out more and apply

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About Agrimetrics

Agrimetrics is the food and farming sector’s Data Marketplace. We enable organisations to safely share and monetise their data, whilst making it easier for data-consumers to access the information they need. Our goal is to help create a more productive and sustainable food system by enabling next-generation solutions as quickly and affordably as possible.

We are one of four centres for agricultural innovation founded with an initial investment from Innovate UK. Our founding partners are NIAB, SRUC, Rothamsted Research and The University of Reading. We have strategic partnerships with Airbus and Microsoft and are a participant in Microsoft’s prestigious AI for Earth programme.

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The four centres
The Agri-Tech Centres are a unique collaboration between Government, academia and industry created to drive greater efficiency, resilience and wealth across the agrifood sector. A £90m investment from the UK’s strategic innovation agency (Innovate UK) is enabling the Centres to harness leading UK research and expertise as well as build new infrastructures and innovation. They include CHAP (Crop Health and Protection), CIEL (Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock), Agri-EPI (Engineering and Precision Technologies), and Agrimetrics.

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