Growing Kent & Medway
Lead Participant:
NIAB.
Abstract
Public description
VISION
Growing Kent & Medway (GK&M) will deliver an uplift in Kent and Medway's economy through inclusive and innovation-led growth. The cluster focusses on the region's advanced horticulture, fresh produce packaging, food and drink processing industries, and enabling technologies that drive innovation and growth. As the UK prepares to leave the EU, GK&M will establish Kent & Medway as a world-leading region for the climate-smart production and processing of high-value, nutrient-rich foods and plant-based compounds.
GEOGRAPHY
Kent & Medway is home to the majority of the UK's high-value horticulture, processing and packaging, and a major gateway to global markets. The growth opportunity is significant with building blocks for success in place. However, spending just 1.5% of GDP on R&D, productivity in the region is under-performing because levels of collaborative research and innovation (R&I) lack intensity; entrepreneurial capacity is under-exploited; and there has been a steady erosion in numbers of knowledge-based workers. This is in contrast to other regions where investment to address similar challenges has led to significant prosperity. GK&M will turbo-charge the research, innovation and enterprise environment to boost growth in this critical sector delivering 1,744 additional jobs and £39.3M annual GVA by 2030.
Furthermore, the region has some of the widest social inequalities in the UK which is a barrier to achieving prosperity and well-being. GK&M will drive inclusive wealth creation so that untapped human capital can contribute to, and share in the region's prosperity.
NETWORK
GK&M comprises a world-class consortium of research excellent partners (NIAB EMR, Natural Resources Institute/University of Greenwich, University of Kent); significant Agri-food companies (APS Produce, Berry Gardens Growers, Chapel Down, Gusbourne Estate, Richard Hochfeld Group, Thanet Earth, Worldwide Fruit); an innovative technology integration business that operates across supply chains (Geku Automation); and a world-leading packaging company (Smurfit Kappa). It is backed by strong civic and business support with partners from the Kent & Medway Economic Partnership and Locate in Kent.
OBJECTIVES
We will stimulate research, innovation and business growth by:
People and Spaces: Providing state-of-the-art infrastructure that gives access to innovation, demonstration and research facilities to help businesses and human capital grow.
Collaborative Research & Innovation: Raising investment in industry-driven R&I and stimulating the technology commercialisation for climate-smart food production, novel plant compounds, value- addition and waste minimisation.
Enterprise: Fostering a vibrant, supportive environment in which businesses can innovate and thrive.
Workforce 2030: Developing a strategic framework for upskilling and professionalising the sector.
VISION
Growing Kent & Medway (GK&M) will deliver an uplift in Kent and Medway's economy through inclusive and innovation-led growth. The cluster focusses on the region's advanced horticulture, fresh produce packaging, food and drink processing industries, and enabling technologies that drive innovation and growth. As the UK prepares to leave the EU, GK&M will establish Kent & Medway as a world-leading region for the climate-smart production and processing of high-value, nutrient-rich foods and plant-based compounds.
GEOGRAPHY
Kent & Medway is home to the majority of the UK's high-value horticulture, processing and packaging, and a major gateway to global markets. The growth opportunity is significant with building blocks for success in place. However, spending just 1.5% of GDP on R&D, productivity in the region is under-performing because levels of collaborative research and innovation (R&I) lack intensity; entrepreneurial capacity is under-exploited; and there has been a steady erosion in numbers of knowledge-based workers. This is in contrast to other regions where investment to address similar challenges has led to significant prosperity. GK&M will turbo-charge the research, innovation and enterprise environment to boost growth in this critical sector delivering 1,744 additional jobs and £39.3M annual GVA by 2030.
Furthermore, the region has some of the widest social inequalities in the UK which is a barrier to achieving prosperity and well-being. GK&M will drive inclusive wealth creation so that untapped human capital can contribute to, and share in the region's prosperity.
NETWORK
GK&M comprises a world-class consortium of research excellent partners (NIAB EMR, Natural Resources Institute/University of Greenwich, University of Kent); significant Agri-food companies (APS Produce, Berry Gardens Growers, Chapel Down, Gusbourne Estate, Richard Hochfeld Group, Thanet Earth, Worldwide Fruit); an innovative technology integration business that operates across supply chains (Geku Automation); and a world-leading packaging company (Smurfit Kappa). It is backed by strong civic and business support with partners from the Kent & Medway Economic Partnership and Locate in Kent.
OBJECTIVES
We will stimulate research, innovation and business growth by:
People and Spaces: Providing state-of-the-art infrastructure that gives access to innovation, demonstration and research facilities to help businesses and human capital grow.
Collaborative Research & Innovation: Raising investment in industry-driven R&I and stimulating the technology commercialisation for climate-smart food production, novel plant compounds, value- addition and waste minimisation.
Enterprise: Fostering a vibrant, supportive environment in which businesses can innovate and thrive.
Workforce 2030: Developing a strategic framework for upskilling and professionalising the sector.
Lead Participant | Project Cost | Grant Offer |
|---|---|---|
| NIAB. | £15,110,044 | £ 11,757,000 |
Participant |
||
| WORLDWIDE FRUIT LIMITED | £27,000 | |
| SMURFIT KAPPA UK LTD | £28,000 | |
| LOCATE IN KENT LIMITED | £179,000 | £ 156,000 |
| KENT AND MEDWAY ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP (KMEP) | £31,000 | |
| UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH | £4,685,113 | £ 2,854,113 |
| RICHARD HOCHFELD LTD | £27,000 | |
| UNIVERSITY OF KENT | £4,448,091 | £ 3,142,091 |
| INNOVATE UK | ||
| NATIONAL INST OF AGRICULTURAL BOTANY | ||
| THE UNIVERSITY OF KENT | ||
| GEKU U.K. LTD | £27,000 | |
| GUSBOURNE ESTATE LIMITED | £28,000 | |
| UNIVERSITY OF GREENWICH | ||
| THANET EARTH LIMITED | £26,000 | |
| UNIVERSITY OF KENT | ||
| APS PRODUCE LIMITED | £28,000 | |
| CHAPEL DOWN GROUP PLC | £53,000 | |
| BERRY GARDENS GROWERS LIMITED | £29,000 |
People |
ORCID iD |
| Mario Caccamo (Project Manager) |