The Princess Royal opens Riseholme’s first-of-its-kind Geothermal Glasshouse
The Princess Royal has officially opened a pioneering Geothermal Glasshouse at the University of Lincoln’s Riseholme Campus, just north of the city. The first-of-its-kind facility gives researchers and businesses a place to develop and test new crops, technologies and growing systems for more efficient and sustainable food production across the UK.
During the visit, Her Royal Highness also received an honorary Doctor of the University degree, recognising her contribution to public life and her long-standing commitment to agriculture and rural communities.
Rather than relying on conventional heating and cooling, the glasshouse draws on deep boreholes for geothermal energy, offering a lower-carbon way to control growing conditions. Inside, independently controlled compartments allow several research and development projects to run at the same time, so innovations can move from early trials towards practical use on farms. The university says the facility forms part of its ambition to make Riseholme a nationally significant centre for agri-tech research, innovation and commercialisation.
Robots, AI and better strawberries
The Princess Royal was shown work by the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT), which is marking its tenth anniversary this year. Projects included autonomous robots capable of navigating difficult settings such as polytunnels, imaging and artificial intelligence designed to improve the productivity of strawberry picking, and technology that builds detailed 3D models of strawberry plants so breeders can identify promising varieties more quickly. Vice-Chancellor Professor Neal Juster said the facility “will enable ideas to be developed and tested alongside farmers and industry”, a point that matters in a county where food production is central to the economy.
A milestone year for the University of Lincoln
The opening came during the University of Lincoln’s 30th anniversary year, three decades after its first students arrived in 1996. It also marked a return visit for The Princess Royal, who opened the university’s Engineering Hub at the Brayford Pool Campus in 2012. For Lincolnshire, where farming and food processing support so many jobs, research facilities like this one help keep the county at the forefront of how food will be grown in the decades ahead.
Read more Find more good news from across the county in the November issue of Lincolnshire Pride, here.
