Will is a Lecturer for BioInnovation Wales and leads the Knowledge Exchange Hub in IBERS. He divides his time between coordinating postgraduate modules on Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and Waste Resource Management, and coordinating the provision of scientific support for the Farming Connect and Biomass Connect programmes from the Knowledge Exchange Hub.

Will has a background in soil science and ecology and his research looks for ways to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and make farming and food production more sustainable. 

Projects:

Biomass Connect, the Biomass Innovation and Information Platform, is a demonstration and knowledge sharing initiative to showcase best practice and innovations in land-based biomass feedstock production. Biomass Connect is funded the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DSNEZ), as part of the government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which looks to accelerate the commercialisation of low-carbon technologies and systems.

Farming Connect is a high profile, integrated project supplying focussed training, support and advice to the agricultural community in Wales, delivered through a pan-Wales programme of knowledge transfer activities, specialist advice and support for innovation. Farming Connect is funded by Welsh Government.

BioInnovation Wales is a partnership between the Institute for Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University and the College of Engineering at Swansea University. The scheme has been supported by the European Social Fund (Priority 2 ‘Skills for Growth’) through the Welsh Government.

In addition to his university responsibilities, Will is also a director of an external company, Vertikit, which aims to support the development of the CEA and Vertical Farming sectors in the UK.