DronePrep, a technology business dedicated to opening up low-level airspace for drone use, is the latest company to join Hartpury College and Hartpury University’s Digital Innovation Farm Tech Box Park.
The firm supports drone delivery projects across the UK through its tech platform and app, connecting pilots with landowners and helping create flights plans over safe spaces.
When the Covid-19 pandemic began the business partnered with Royal Mail, NHS and other biotech companies offering scheduled drone flights to deliver PPE and Covid-19 test kits to remote communities.
Gareth Whatmore, DronePrep co-founder and chief executive officer, said: ‘The DronePrep team has been working closely with the Hartpury Agri-Tech Centre team to explore how farmers can use drones to create diversified income for farm estates.
‘It’s been an amazing adventure thus far and we’re incredibly excited to join the Tech Box Park community to strengthen ties with Hartpury and the farming community.’
The technology has also been used to help farmers monitor crop growth on their land using drones.
Hartpury’s Tech Box Park is dedicated to helping innovative businesses looking to develop new or existing products and launch them into the agri-tech market.
The Agri-Tech Centre is the first phase of what Hartpury calls its 2030 Digital Innovation Farm vision.
Russell Marchant, vice-chancellor of Hartpury University, said: ‘By 2030, our state-of-the-art complex will be attracting leading agri-tech companies and contributing to increased productivity in the UK and beyond.’
A £2 million investment including £1.25 million of government funding through the GFirstLEP initiative, made possible the launch of the Agri-Tech Centre in 2019.
Read more: First business moves into £2 million Hartpury Tech Box Park
By Andrew Merrell
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