Royal Welsh: Aberystwyth to get £35m for ‘innovation campus’

Plans have been unveiled to redevelop Aberystwyth University’s Gogerddan site as a centre for innovation as part of the government’s agri-tech strategy.
The development, which was revealed at the Royal Welsh Show, has been made possible by £14.5m from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
Other stakeholders, including the university itself, will bring the total level of investment to £35m.
“This investment is a vote of confidence in the work we do her at IBERS, and will enable is to build on the heritage of this site and to further enhance our position as global leaders in translational agricultural research.”
Wayne Powell
Of this money, £2.5m has been earmarked to develop the Pwllpeiran Upland Research Centre near Aberystwyth so it can specialise in improving upland agriculture through research-based innovations, training and development.
The remainder will be used the develop the campus, already the home of the National Plant Phenomics Centre and IBERS, into a research centre for food and renewable energy.
The new campus, which will be called the Aberystwyth Innovation and Diffusion Campus, should be completed by March 2015.
Professor Wayne Powell, director of IBERS at Aberystwyth, said: “This investment is a vote of confidence in the work we do her at IBERS, and will enable is to build on the heritage of this site and to further enhance our position as global leaders in translational agricultural research.”
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