• Charles Sturt’s AgriPark to assume management of Global Digital Farm and Renewables in Agricultural Centre of Excellence
• The two initiatives were developed by Charles Sturt and Food Agility CRC

Charles Sturt University’s Agrisciences Research and Business Park (AgriPark) will assume exclusive management of the Global Digital Farm (GDF) and the Renewables in Agricultural Centre of Excellence (RenCoE) in 2026.

The two initiatives were developed in collaboration between Charles Sturt and Food Agility CRC to unlock the power of data, digital technology and world-leading research to assist Australian farmers.

Food Agility’s Commonwealth funding ends in March 2027 so the decision has been made by both parties to transition management and delivery of projects across both portfolios to Charles Sturt’s AgriPark from the start of 2026.

The GDF, located at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga, has been the test bed for multiple agricultural technology and data projects. Three projects alone, with Zetifi, IAG and Myriota, and Farmbot, resulted in an impact worth an estimated $59 million to the Australian agrifood sector per annum.

RenCoE was developed in 2024 in response to the emerging challenges of energy resource security in regional Australia. Beginning with the Agri-Renewables Innovation Challenge, in partnership with Race for 2030 CRC, this centre is working with businesses to test and validate the technology that will drive the country’s low-emission future.

To highlight this innovation and industry-leading research, Charles Sturt and Food Agility created the Digital Agrifood Summit, which has held three events in Wagga Wagga since 2022.

Charles Sturt’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research Professor Neena Mitter said the Global Digital Farm and RenCoE have developed into powerful differentiators for Charles Sturt. 

“They combine digital infrastructure, industry co-investment and regional context to accelerate the delivery of solutions that matter to farmers and our regions,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to the next stage of this journey as we strengthen pathways from innovation to adoption with our industry partners.”

Deputy CEO and Chief Scientist at Food Agility CRC Professor David Lamb said the Global Digital Farm and RenCoE are the cornerstone of collaboration with Charles Sturt over the past four-and-a-half years.

“The Global Digital Farm represented Australia’s first university SMART Farm, focussing on grain farming, building upon Charles Sturt’s long-term leadership in precision agriculture R&D,” Professor Lamb said.

Acting Director of Charles Sturt’s AgriPark Mr Mark Bourne said, “As we enter this new chapter, the Global Digital Farm and RenCoE will continue to serve as vital bridges between world-class research and on-farm outcomes, ensuring regional Australia remains at the forefront of agricultural innovation, ensuring the legacy of innovation built through the Food Agility partnership will continue to grow."