University of Lincoln

The Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT) aims to support and enhance productivity, efficiency and sustainability in food and farming through research, education and technology.

A specialist research institute of the University of Lincoln, UK, our multi-disciplinary team brings together sector-leading expertise in a diverse range of subjects. The Institute is directed by Professor Simon Pearson, who has almost two decades of experience in management and Research and Development roles within the industry, including at some of the UK’s biggest retailers and producers.

LIAT currently has 10 permanent members of staff, including the UK’s first dedicated Professor in agri-robotics, and through its cross-sectoral membership can access world leading specialisms in agriculture, artificial intelligence, robotics, ecology, hydrology, animal welfare, biology, genetics, food manufacturing, mechanical engineering, microbial resistance, new product development, supply chain management and economics, to name a few.

The Institute’s researchers are engaged in the development of technologies which add value or solve challenges across the food chain, ‘from farm to fork’, working with partners in industry and academia locally, nationally and internationally. Collectively, their aim is to deliver the world class research and higher level skills the UK’s agri-food industries need now and in the future.

Its headquarters are at the University’s beautiful 200-hectare Riseholme Campus just north of Lincoln, where researchers enjoy access to a working farm, woodlands, grasslands and watercourses.

LIAT also utilises the exceptional facilities at Lincoln’s main Brayford Pool Campus in the city centre and the National Centre for Food Manufacturing at Holbeach in southern Lincolnshire.

Find them on Facebook of follow them on Twitter at @unilincoln.

Member's Area/s of Interest

Research

University expertise helps secure major funding to support the future of British Farming

Academics from the University of Lincoln, UK, have collaborated to secure more than £1.6m for innovative projects that will help to ensure the sustainability of British farming and agriculture.

Agri-Tech spinouts from University of Lincoln and UEA gain funding

Robotic mushroom picking, strawberry yield forecasting and new bio-based materials to drive down the carbon footprint of car manufacturing are three new spin-outs to emerge from Ceres Agri-Tech, a partnership which includes six Agri-TechE members.

Trusted Bytes project to facilitate flow of goods across international borders

The world’s first trust framework for the full food supply system is to be developed by a collaborative project funded by Innovate UK. The £2.8m Trusted Bytes project will use novel digital technology that connects the supply chain with central government and other critical partners to help facilitate the flow of goods across international borders and drive productivity within the UK food economy.

Follow the Food BBC Series

Watch LIAT's Dr Iain Gould where he shares insight into saline soils research as part of the Innovative Farmer trials. Check out episode 4 'It never rains, it pours' as part of the BBC's Follow the Food series (Series 2 Episode 4).

New Building Cements Ambition to Establish a Centre of Excellence for Food Industry Innovation in Lincolnshire

Food industry businesses will soon be able to benefit from state-of-the-art technology at a brand-new, bespoke agri-food research and development facility in Lincolnshire. With construction now complete, the University of Lincoln's Centre of Excellence in Agri-food Technologies is the first building on site at the new South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone in Holbeach, and the latest development in an ambitious vision to put Lincolnshire on the map as a global leader in the agri-tech sector.

New ‘Data Trust’ Technology Could Transform Food Supply Chains, Safety and Traceability

A new report by food industry researchers published by the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) highlights the potential of a breakthrough technology to promote information exchange across food industry supply chains that may further support consumer confidence in food safety, origins and authenticity. The study, ‘Food Data Trust: A framework for information sharing’, produced in conjunction with the RCUK-funded Internet of Food Things Network Plus and led by the University of Lincoln, UK, examines innovation in the burgeoning technology of ‘data trusts’, which have been described by technology experts as ‘a glimpse into our collective future’ in the secure and effective use of big data.

Study: Current and Emergent Economic Impacts of Covid-19 and Brexit on UK Fresh Produce and Horticultural Businesses

This paper describes a study designed to investigate the current and emergent impacts of Covid-19 and Brexit on UK horticultural businesses. Various characteristics of UK horticultural production, notably labour reliance and import dependence, make it an important sector for policymakers concerned to understand the effects of these disruptive events as we move from 2020 into 2021.