Drones create a buzz as idyllic new rural tech space opens

Around 800 square metres of redundant farm buildings at Harehope Farm, Old Bewick, near Alnwick, have been converted into new office space.

The Harehope Ag & Tech base is home to ‘Drone Ag’, agricultural software specialists focused on drone automation and AI technology for more efficient, productive and environmentally friendly farming.

They have developed Skippy Scout, a unique software available on iOS and Android, that leverages the power of drones to enable repeatable, traceable crop monitoring much faster than ever before.

Ali Gray, rural director at GSC Grays said “We are proud to be involved in the Harehope AgTech Base project, it is especially exciting as it will enable Drone Ag to develop and provide a much-needed future resource to the Agricultural industry.

“To survive and thrive without subsidy, with increasing volatility and changing weather patterns, farming needs to adapt, harness data and take advantage of technology in order to fine tune operations and reduce reliance on inputs”.

Drone Ag is the perfect example of how a company can utilise the space as the ideal proving ground.

Doorstep access to a variety of crops grown on the farming estate allows them to collect valuable data easily and conduct crucial testing on the technology they are using and developing daily. Having all of this at their disposal has allowed them to grow from strength to strength.

An early ‘hot desker’, Charles Penn of Newcastle-based Perspective Financial Group Ltd, said “Working from Harehope Ag & Tech base has given me the opportunity to work remotely with flexible availability, with this being the norm post covid it makes a lot of sense, and why not in a beautiful rural location?”

Charles added: “Drone Ag are a wonderful example of a young, talented, ambitious team driving change through using drones to make precision agriculture a reality at pace and scale internationally.”

Drone demonstrations took place at an official opening event recently.

The office space includes kitchen facilities, full fibre broadband, fully equipped workspaces, a workshop, conference facilities and an AgTech proving ground.

Flexible options from hot-desking on daily, weekly, monthly or longer terms to private full-time spaces are available.