Shropshire Star

Newport's Ni-Park innovation centre 'to be 'catalyst for development'

The vice-chancellor of Harper Adams University has welcomed the approval of the Newport 'Ni-Park' innovation centre plans.

Published
An artist's impression of part of the site

The multi-million pound development, to the south of Newport, was approved at a meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee.

The agriculture and innovation hub is funded through the Telford Land Deal and Marches Local Enterprise Partnership and is supported by the nearby Harper Adams University.

Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University, Dr David Llewellyn, said: “Telford has already been identified as a high potential opportunity for agri-technology investment by the Department for International Trade, and we are working with companies in the UK and overseas to encourage them to consider Ni-Park as a location for their business.

"We are therefore delighted to see that the development has been approved by the local authority’s planning committee.

“Ni-Park will build on the expertise in agri-technologies at the university, most recently demonstrated in the multi-award winning, and world-first, Hands Free Hectare project which used autonomous vehicles and drones to grow arable crops.

"The government-funded Agri-EPI Centre for Innovation in engineering and precision farming also has a presence on our campus.

"By working with the local authority on this latest project we hope to see Ni-Park act as a catalyst for economic development and as a means to successfully transfer the latest technologies into farming practice.”