Agricultural link to industrial heartland confirmed

Growth Hub to connect Black Country manufacturing to the agricultural sector.

The Black Country LEP Growth Hub has become a member of the Agri-EPI Centre (Agricultural Engineering Precision Innovation Centre) in order to signpost Black Country engineering and manufacturing firms to supply chain opportunities in the agricultural and agri-tech sectors.

The Agri-EPI Centre aims to connect organisations in all sections of the supply chain in order to encourage excellence in engineering and precision agriculture for the livestock, arable, aquaculture and horticulture sectors. For Black Country companies this is an opportunity to apply their manufacturing and engineering expertise to the agricultural sector and for the sector itself this will hopefully see an acceleration of the use of robotics and automation to support sustainable food production and supply.

Rachel Eade, Black Country LEP Board Member said: “Black Country companies have been incredibly agile and supportive during COVID-19, diversifying their products and services in order to maintain their business but also demonstrating a real enthusiasm to help out.

“We hope through this new membership we can signpost engineering and manufacturing companies to the agricultural and agri-tech sectors. This is an opportunity for companies to diversify, and at the same time grow their business, attracting new customers and transferring the Black Country’s world-class precision engineering skills from the automotive sector to agriculture.”

Throughout the pandemic the Black Country LEP Growth Hub has provided daily, responsive, business support. From advice on the Government support available to businesses to guidance on employee support and signposting to a job brokerage service, the Growth Hub is the first point of call for concerns about how Coronavirus is affecting business.

This new membership is another way the Growth Hub can support the on-going recovery for Black Country business.

Find out more about the support available from the Black Country LEP Growth Hub here