We were exhibiting, alongside some of the small new technology companies such as B-Hive and Airponix, plus we had one of our Lab to Field Mobile Crop Science Labs on show in the outdoor area. York-based Biovale was also on the stand, showcasing products that used a bio-plastic material made from potato waste.
Chris Danks gave a talk on the role of Innovate UK in supporting the uptake and development of new technology and also the fact that the government is willing to support innovative ideas with what Chris calls “free money”. At the end of his talk, he asked several of the small companies to pitch their business. That led to CHAP Business Development Manager Chris Delf giving a short presentation about CHAP the following day, despite the short notice and minimal chance to prepare, using powerpoint slides kindly provided by Innovation Director Ruth Bastow.
One company approached the CHAP team immediately after the presentation, however the idea was more machinery related so he was referred to fellow Agri-Tech Centre Agri-EPI. The event did harvest quite few enquiries and interest in CHAP, and some useful contacts were made.
Meanwhile, at the first National Potato Industry Awards held on the evening of the first day, CHAP partner Fera Science took the Innovation Award for its work on setting UK service standards for Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) testing, identification, viability and monitoring. Dr Thomas Prior, Principal Plant Nematologist at Fera, proudly collected the award at the ceremony. Tom is a world leading expert on nematode taxonomy, with extensive experience of delivering high quality nematology diagnostics. Congratulations to the whole team for their hard work and dedication in supporting the industry effort to reduce the impact of Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN).
If you have any questions about working with CHAP on a specific project, please contact us at enquiries@chap-solutions.co.uk
