Established in 2022, the Greenhouse Innovation Consortium (GIC) works together with national and international industries and the supply chain to develop and test technologies for the food and flower industry.
The GIC provides a collaborative platform where industry partners, researchers and technology developers work together to address real-world challenges in protected horticulture. We support the evaluation of new technologies under commercial and controlled-environment conditions, facilitate knowledge exchange between academia and industry, deliver specialist training and professional development, and help develop collaborative research and innovation projects. By bringing together expertise in plant biology, engineering, computer science, data science and environmental control, we generate practical, evidence-based solutions that improve crop production, resource efficiency and business resilience, while training the next generation of plant scientists and horticultural innovators.
Core values
The core values of the GIC are:
- develop and share knowledge.
- encourage ideas and challenge assumptions.
- build trust and strong authentic partnerships across industries.
- to have a positive sustainable and societal impact that can be measured.
What the Greenhouse Innovation Consortium (GIC) offer
The GIC supports businesses, growers, manufacturers, investors, policymakers and researchers through a range of research, innovation, education and knowledge exchange activities designed to accelerate the development, adoption and commercialisation of new technologies across protected horticulture and controlled environment agriculture.
Who are the Greenhouse Innovation Consortium (GIC)?
“We believe that the UK horticulture holds great potential for innovation and could be a major solutions to ensure food resilience.”
Dr Sven Batke, Reader in Plant Science at Edge Hill University and Chair of the Greenhouse Innovation Consortium (GIC).
The Greenhouse Innovation Consortium (GIC) is a collaborative partnership that brings together industry professionals, leading organisations from the greenhouse sector, and experts from across Edge Hill University’s academic departments. By combining practical industry experience with cutting-edge research and multidisciplinary expertise, the GIC fosters innovation, knowledge exchange, and the development of sustainable solutions for the future of the greenhouse industry.
The impact of the Greenhouse Innovation Consortium (GIC)
The Greenhouse Innovation Consortium (GIC) delivers its work through three interconnected project streams. Together, these areas create a pathway from research and skills development to product evaluation and the advancement of new ideas, ensuring that innovative solutions can be explored, tested, and developed in collaboration with industry partners. To find out more about our work in these streams, read our case studies below.
