New director for GFirst LEP funded centre

The Royal Agricultural University is delighted to announce the appointment of Angela Simkins at Farm491 – a new £5.5 million AgTech incubator being established by the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) in Cirencester.

The Farm491 facility will open in late 2016 and offer an affordable and flexible co-working environment for AgTech entrepreneurs. The name Farm491 comes from the 491 hectares of Cotswolds farmland which will be available to members for research and testing. They will also have access to the RAU’s extensive support and knowledge network that includes farmers, entrepreneurs, investors and academics - as well as farming data, research, equipment and resources.

On her appointment Angela said: ‘This is a very exciting time for the University – the combination of Gfirst LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) funding, and matched RAU investment  has enabled a unique offering of on-farm or in-field project spaces along with on-campus collaborative working for start-ups and companies with new ideas.’

Angela continues: ‘There is no doubt that the combination of agriculture and technology will be a significant contributing factor to feeding a growing global population and Farm491 will give a real focus for the Gloucestershire heartland in the development of agricultural technology.’

Angela joins from RDS Technology in Gloucestershire where she was Managing Director.