Overview

Shape the Future of Kent & Medway’s Agri‑food & Agri‑tech Economy

Your insight. Our investment. Real impact for the local economy.

Kent & Medway’s councils, universities and colleges are coming together to agree a single, long‑term plan for economic growth – and we want agri‑food and agri‑tech businesses at the table.

This Agri‑food & Agri‑tech Sector Workshop is your opportunity to directly influence where public investment, collaboration and action are focused over the next 10 years.

Why attend?

This is not another presentation‑led event. It’s a working session designed to guide decision‑makers.

We are asking businesses to:

• Tell us what is really holding back growth across food, farming and agri‑innovation
• Identify where the biggest opportunities lie for productivity, sustainability and resilience
• Help prioritise the practical actions and investments that will make the greatest difference

What you tell us will:

• Directly inform the Kent & Medway Local Growth Plan
• Shape councils’, universities’ and colleges’ investment and delivery plans
• Feed into engagement with central government, influencing future funding and policy decisions

In short: this is where sector insight turns into action.

What is the Local Growth Plan?

The Kent and Medway Economic Partnership (KMEP), working with Metro Dynamics, is developing a 10 year Local Growth Plan to set a clear economic direction for the region.

Local Growth Plans are requested by central government and are becoming a core way government understands local economies, sets priorities, and decides where to work jointly with regions.

Government has been clear that Local Growth Plans must, as a minimum:
• Set out a single, joined up vision for economic growth, shaped with input from businesses and other partners
• Provide a robust, evidence based picture of the regional economy, identifying distinctive sector strengths and opportunities, aligned with the national Industrial Strategy
• Identify clear shared priorities for joint working between local areas and central government, creating a platform for collaboration and coordinated action
• Include a focused investment pipeline of priority projects (typically 4–10 per region) that are critical to unlocking growth

The digital sector is central to the region’s future productivity, competitiveness and resilience – and this workshop is about making sure the plan reflects real world business needs.

Agri‑food & Agri‑tech Workshop – what we’ll focus on

Building on the completed evidence base, the session will explore:

• Skills, labour and workforce challenges across the food system
• Innovation, research and technology adoption
• Infrastructure, land use and supply‑chain resilience
• Collaboration between producers, processors, researchers and public partners

Kent & Medway has nationally significant strengths in food production, horticulture and agri‑innovation – and this workshop is about ensuring the Plan reflects real‑world business needs and delivery realities.

Who should attend?

This session is particularly valuable for:

• Agri‑food, farming and horticulture businesses
• Agri‑tech and food innovation companies
• SMEs and scale‑ups operating across the food system
• Organisations involved in research, skills, funding or delivery
• Businesses with growth ambitions in Kent & Medway
• Councils, universities and college leaders and staff

Networking included

Attendance is free, and places are limited.

A complimentary buffet lunch will be provided, with an emphasis on locally sourced food, offering valuable peer‑to‑peer networking with other businesses, delivery partners and decision‑makers.

Part of a wider programme

This workshop is part of a coordinated series shaping the Local Growth Plan across Kent & Medway during the week of 11 May. You are welcome to attend multiple sessions, including:
• Digital – Mon11 May
• Energy – Thu 14 May
• Ports, Transport & Logistics – Fri 15 May
• Cross cutting priorities – Fri 15 May