Scheduled for the 8th of October at Stoneleigh Park, the HTA’s pioneering event will feature diverse demonstrations and presentations, aiming to revolutionise the horticultural landscape through innovation, collaboration, and strategic investment by connecting technology innovators with horticultural businesses.
According to the HTA, the event will also feature a range of presentations and demonstrations to provide attendees with a deep understanding of the latest innovations in the horticultural industry, including automation and robotics. With indoor and outdoor exhibits and afternoon demonstrations, FutureGrow promises to be a rich source of knowledge and inspiration, encouraging attendees to build relationships with innovators to shape future technology specific to the environmental horticultural sector.
Fran Barnes, HTA Chief Executive, emphasised the significance of the industry, stating: “With environmental horticulture crop production in the UK, including supply to forestry, valued at approximately £1.6 billion annually, the industry’s importance cannot be overstated. Notably, the ‘top 30’ among our 160 grower members contribute nearly £600 million to this total, underscoring our unique position to convene the UK’s most influential decision-makers regarding inward investment in horticultural businesses. Leveraging our role as a trade association, we have the ability to unite these businesses around shared research and development investment priorities. While our event will naturally attract our members, it will also welcome participation from all 300+ environmental horticulture growers in the UK and beyond, fostering a diverse and collaborative environment for innovation and growth.”
As a platform, the FutureGrow Expo hopes to bring together industry leaders and government policymakers to help influence future government grants and fiscal incentives for technology investment.
Barnes added: “Strategically targeting growers, the event aims to raise awareness of how existing and pre-commercial mechanisation/automation techniques can significantly enhance sustainable productivity growth in the nursery sector. This event offers industry professionals an unparalleled opportunity to gain insights from industry leaders, explore innovative technologies, and cultivate connections that could drive transformative solutions for their businesses.”
For more information about the FutureGrow Expo, we refer you to the HTA website.