This £4m project will significantly add to Boston’s Higher and Further Education offer in support of local Agri-food and logistics businesses. Forming part of the Boston Town Deal Investment plans this fantastic development charts and builds on Boston’s history as a major hub for commerce and the food sector.

The Town Deal success celebrates the great character of Boston whilst recognising the need to kickstart economic growth to act as a catalyst for future investment to realise the undeniable potential in the area.

Led by the University of Lincoln’s National Centre for Food Manufacturing in partnership with Boston College, the University is already internationally recognised for agri-food technologies and automation. The project is to develop a food trade and logistics skills, knowledge, and innovation hub with local, national, and global outreach in support of the UK Food Valley’s aims to develop a Top 10 Global Cluster in sustainable food supply chains.

Bringing scientific innovations and technical support to businesses to adopt new, sustainable technologies, the project will provide a package of business support to address the sector’s key challenges across the food supply chain – namely carbon reduction and the need to digitalise and respond to consumer demand and social imperatives for sustainable and healthy food. Alongside this, a complementary skills offer will fuel the talent pipeline, providing access to high quality career opportunities for Boston’s community.

The food chain in Greater Lincolnshire accounts for 24% of all employment and is estimated to employ some 44,0000 people across the South Holland, Boston and East Lindsey council areas - representing 33% of the area’s 135,000 strong workforce (nationally the sector is 14%). The food sector clearly deserves its position at the heart of the future economic growth of Boston and the surrounding area.

Partners will work with employers to develop an enhanced skill offer specifically tailored to the needs of Boston’s businesses and community and draw on the University’s research standing in agri-food technologies to support producing well-trained people with skills aligned to future technologies as well as current skills needs.

This new Centre for Food and Fresh Produce Logistics will enable Boston Town to play a pivotal role in achieving the LEP’s UK Food Valley ambitions to grow and promote our world class food sector as a major talent and investment hub, driving business partnered enterprise, innovation, and research, with an aligned skills offer to enhance productivity and provide access to high quality career opportunities for Boston’s agri-food sector and community.