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. Through this collaboration, we offer technical advice, networking opportunities, training, and professional development. Employing an interdisciplinary approach, we bring together engineers, computer scientists, and horticulturalists to work with plant biologists, providing targeted solutions to the crop and flower-growing industry. We also aim to train the next generation of plant scientists.
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.
Contact the GIC team“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.
This letter has been written by the GIC, not on behalf of Edge Hill University. We invite colleagues across the horticultural, agricultural, and environmental sectors to co-sign an open letter to UK Government ministers urging coordinated action to build a more resilient and sustainable horticulture sector. The letter draws on new research from our paper, Protected and Productive: How Greenhouses Should Deliver UK Food Security, which maps greenhouse locations across Britain and highlights the urgent need for policy alignment, investment, and support for modern protected cropping systems. The letter will be sent to the Secretaries of State for Defra, DESNZ, and DLUHC, and published on Plants, People, Planet (New Phytologist Foundation).
Meet the GIC companies
Supporters of the GIC
GIC projects
We have conducted extensive materials testing, including multiple crop trials, to evaluate innovative coating materials for the greenhouse sector in collaboration with Pilkington UK (part of the NSG Group) and Renolit. In addition, we are actively involved in improving greenhouse environments. This includes work at our partner Flavour Fresh’s facilities in Southport, where we help identify microclimate variations between growing bays. By monitoring crop performance, we aim to deepen our understanding of yield optimisation within controlled environments. We are also proud to have collaborated with local councils, and we’re delighted that the work of the Green Innovation Centre (GIC) has been recognised as a key priority in the 2025–2035 Lancashire Growth Plan. Currently, the GIC is working closely with the council and local colleges to create more accessible pathways for students interested in horticulture and plant science. We also host industry-funded student placements, providing valuable hands-on experience and helping students build essential skills in greenhouse horticulture.
