Syngenta is to build a new £100 million agricultural bioscience centre at its existing Jealott’s Hill research station in Berkshire.
The company says the new Biological Sciences Technology and Research (BioSTaR) centre will deliver the latest advances in biological sciences, molecular and analytical research and digital innovation to shape the future of sustainable agriculture. Once it is fully operational – expected in 2028 – BioSTaR will further strengthening the UK’s role as a global centre for agricultural innovation, ensuring scientists have the advanced infrastructure needed to push the boundaries of bioscience, digital research and AI‑driven innovation.
BioSTaR will bring new and emerging agricultural sciences and technologies together under one roof, bringing together around 300 scientists who already work at Jealott’s Hill. Modern bioscience sits at the intersection of biological, chemical and digital disciplines, notes Syngenta, and is now powered by real-world data, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence. The combination of these capabilities at BioSTaR will help scientists understand how pests, pathogens, plants and soils interact and accelerate the development of tools that protect crops more effectively, while reducing environmental impact and strengthening farming systems in a changing climate.
Work at the new facility will range from designing crop protection products with novel modes of action and anticipating resistance before it develops, to creating products that respond to environmental signals such as temperature and soil quality. The centre will also benefit from significant investment in cutting-edge AI capabilities.
Examples of BioSTaR’s work programmes are: to decode biological complexity, by understanding how organisms interact with each other and the environment and to reveal specific points of intervention for pest control, plus plant growth stimulation for greater natural resilience; designing new classes of crop protection tools, including novel chemical and biological agents with new and different modes of action to deliver their intended effects safely and reliably; ensuring active ingredient delivery and responsible breakdown – enabling researchers to track how compounds move through plants and soils, how they break down, and how that process can be optimised for performance and environmental safety; and finally to scaling sustainable manufacturing – biological manufacturing processes make it possible to develop complex chemical and biological agents at scale and viable cost—putting innovation within reach of farmers everywhere.
“At Syngenta, we are focused on creating a more productive and sustainable future for agriculture,” says global head of crop protection R&D Camilla Corsi. “With this investment, we are pushing the boundaries of science. “Our ability to collaborate – across disciplines, across borders and with partners worldwide – is core to our success. It powers our speed, our creativity and our impact.”
Mike Hollands, president of Syngenta UK adds: “As the birthplace of many ideas that have transformed the world, the UK has a long history of innovation, and for nearly a century, our Jealott’s Hill research hub has pioneered many of the discoveries that continue to advance global agriculture. Already the UK’s largest facility dedicated to agricultural technology research, our investment in BioSTaR signals the next chapter in Jealott’s Hill’s critical role in advancing agricultural innovation.”