During a visit to Sussex glasshouses, HRI chairman Peter Siddall said: "HRI has enjoyed the support of the horticulture industry for the past 12 years and as the new organisations take shape, we are determined to strengthen our relationships with our colleagues in the industry," he said.
"This is a bittersweet time for us all as we implement the merger between HRI and the University of Warwick. We are dismayed by the loss of highly skilled and valued personnel and the closure of Efford, but we know that this is the last chance to secure a sustainable future for horticultural R&D.
"In future there will be new opportunities for multi-disciplinary research targeted at solving industry problems. We look forward to continuing the fruitful partnership between the new HRIs and industry leaders to strengthen innovation and technology transfer. The board and management of HRI are committed to make a success of these important changes."
The West Sussex Growers Association welcomed representatives from the University of Warwick and Horticulture Research International to tour its members' businesses last week following Defra's announcement that the university and HRI would merge. The association had organised the visit in order to show key university staff the diverse and successful businesses within its membership.
"As the winner of the HRI-sponsored Science into Practice award, we at SGP fully endorse the benefits available from top-quality and relevant research," said Dave Abbot of the UK's leading ayr chrysanthemum grower Southern Glasshouse Producers, one of the members visited by the party. "At SGP we have made much use of HRI near market research to our considerable gain."
Among the visitors were Professor Robert Freedman, head of the biological sciences department, David Mullins and Nick Tucker ofthe Warwick Manufacturing Group and Emily Paremain of Warwick ventures. WMG has been at the forefront in developing the use of agriculture products in industrial applications.
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