Farmers invited to take part in North Wales tech trials
The initiative is being funded by taxpayers via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered by Mentera on behalf of Ambition North Wales.
Siwan Howaston, head of technical at Mentera, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for farmers in North Wales to be at the forefront of agricultural innovation.
"The adoption of technologies like LoRaWAN is crucial for creating more resilient, productive, and sustainable farm businesses.
"We encourage all interested farmers to apply and help us build a more technologically advanced future for agriculture in North Wales."
The scheme aims to help improve efficiency, productivity, and sustainability by integrating IoT-based solutions into daily farm operations.
According to Mentera, LoRaWAN technology could help support remote monitoring and management of livestock, water systems, soil health, and infrastructure.
For example, real-time soil moisture and temperature sensors could guide optimal slurry application, helping to reduce environmental risk and improve compliance with regulations.
The organisation says sensors could detect water tank levels and identify leaks to help prevent loss and infrastructure damage.
The technology is also being touted as a way of support livestock tracking, infrastructure monitoring, and the remote management of gates and machinery.
Farms participating in the trials will receive technical support from an agri-tech specialist to implement and assess the solutions.
The programme is open to farms in the dairy, red meat, pig, poultry, arable, and horticulture sectors across Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Anglesey, and Wrexham.
Cllr Nia Jeffreys, lead member for Ambition North Wales's Digital Connectivity Programme and leader of Cyngor Gwynedd, said: "The transformative potential of this project is significant for the farmers involved.
"All equipment is provided and installed, with the option to continue with use if they find the trial to be beneficial – so there could be much to gain."
Trials are scheduled to begin in September and continue through to February 1, 2026.
Mentera is now looking for 16 farms across north Wales to join the new network.
Applicants have until midnight on August 27 to submit their interest via Mentera's website at mentera.cymru/smart-agriculture-trials/.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Charles River profit forecast clouded by order cancellations from biotechs
Aug 6 (Reuters) - Charles River Laboratories' (CRL.N), opens new tab annual profit forecast raise on Wednesday was clouded by investor concerns about the higher number of order cancellations from clients, sending the contract research firm's shares down 8% in afternoon trading. The company's quarterly book-to-bill ratio – the number of orders versus those fulfilled – came in at 0.82x. Evercore ISI analyst Elizabeth Anderson said the ratio was below Wall Street expectations of 0.94x, adding some questions remain about demand environment in the sector. Charles River CEO Jim Foster said on a conference call that while proposals were higher in the quarter, cancellations from biotechs were also higher. Contract research organizations – including Charles River, Fortrea (FTRE.O), opens new tab and ICON (ICLR.O), opens new tab – have posted better-than-expected quarterly profit, reflecting a rebound in spending from pharmaceutical and biotech clients after a cautious stretch driven by tighter sector financing. Charles River's Foster, however, said that funding for smaller biotechs is still more cash constrained, due to the funding slowdown, and mid-sized biotechs are performing better, as many can support their R&D programs without external funding. "We are continuing to see clear signs that the biopharmaceutical demand is stabilizing, and in this environment, we are making gradual progress to return to organic revenue growth," he added. The Wilmington, Massachusetts-based company raised its 2025 adjusted profit forecast to $9.90 to $10.30 per share, from its previous range of $9.30 to $9.80. Charles River's overall second-quarter revenue came in at $1.03 billion, surpassing analysts' estimate of $985.1 million, according to data compiled by LSEG. On an adjusted basis, quarterly profit was $3.12 per share, above estimates of $2.50.
Time Out Dubai
2 hours ago
- Time Out Dubai
10 major parking changes in Dubai you need to know about
Parking in Dubai can be challenging with so many other drivers to compete with for a space. You may have a specific spot in mind, but it's often the case that someone else has got there first, and that means you'll need to find a new place to park. Parking has already changed a lot in 2025, with new rates, systems and zones introduced all across the city throughout the year. To allow you to keep on top of things and not get caught out when you're driving around, we've rounded up the big parking changes you need to know about this year in Dubai. 1) Salik payments available on 36,000 Dubai parking spaces (Credit: Dubai Media Office) Parkonic, a UAE-based smart parking solutions provider, and Salik, the city's toll gate operator, have partnered on 36,000 spaces across the emirate. The two companies will provide the region's first fully autonomous, AI-powered on-street and off-street parking solution at sites operated by Dubai Holding. It means that next time you park your car in Dubai, you may not even need a ticket or pay with cash. Payments will now be automatic and linked with your Salik account, so make sure you're topped up. The project aims to reduce congestion, cut carbon emissions, and directly support Dubai's Net Zero goals, while enhancing the overall customer experience. 2) Parkin to operate 29.6k new paid parking spaces (Credit: Dubai Media Office) Parkin, the leading provider of paid public parking facilities and services in Dubai, will start operating paid public parking facilities and services across several of Dubai Holding's master-planned communities. It means that 29.6k paid parking spaces will now be operated by Parkin in the city, following increading pressure on the availability of parking spaces across key destinations. The introduction of paid parking at these spaces aims to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion and improve the experience for residents and visitors. 3) Paid parking to be introduced at mosques The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department and Parkin sign first-of-its-kind partnership to organize smart parking around mosques in Dubai. In phase one, Parkin will operate and manage approximately 2,100 parking spaces across 59 sites, providing free parking for… — Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) July 31, 2025 The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department has entered a strategic partnership with Parkin. As part of the agreement, Parkin will operate and manage 2,100 parking spaces across 59 places of worship in Dubai. Paid parking will be rolled out by August at these sites and will be chargeable 24 hours a day, seven days a week outside of prayer hours. During prayer time, mosque visitors will be able to park free of charge for up to one hour. The agreement aims to make it easier for worshippers to find a parking space during prayer and improve access to mosques at all times. Parking spaces will be designated as Zone M for standard spaces and Zone MP for premium spaces, 41 sites will be located in Zone M and 18 in Zone MP. This means that tariffs will be Dhs2 for 30 minutes in Zone M sites and in MP at off-peak times, but will be Dhs3 in MP at peak times. For a full hour, tariffs will be Dhs4 in Zone M and in Zone MP at off-peak times. During peak times, Zone MP parking will be Dhs6 for an hour. 4) New public parking zones introduced in 2025 Credit: Parkin Several new parking zones have been launched throughout 2025 so be wary next time you're driving around. Public parking operator Parkin has launched new zones in major Dubai neighbourhoods. In July, a new 24/7 zone was launched at Al Khail Gate which introduced a flat Dhs30 for daily parking and an hourly tarrif of Dhs4 during both off-peak and peak hours. In May, two new zones were introduced in Mirdif which covers on-street and off-street parking. Off-peak parking was priced at Dhs2 per hour and during peak hours it was Dhs4 per hour. You may like: How mall parking *actually* works in Dubai 5) Salik launched ticketless parking in 18 locations Salik (Credit: CanvaPro) Tollgate operator Salik recently teamed up with Parkonic, the UAE's largest private parking operator, to bring parking solutions to numerous parking sites across Dubai. The initiative was first rolled out to 107 core locations across the UAE and now residents and visitors will soon be able to use its eWallet system across 18 new locations in Dubai. The new ticket-free and automatic parking payments using your Salik account will be available at these new locations. Locations include the Union Coops in Al Twar, Silicon Oasis, Al Quoz, Al Barsha, Mankhool and Nad Al Hamar. The Beach JBR, Park Islands, Heera Beach, Park Islands, Marina Walk, West Palm Beach, Opus Tower, Lulu Al Qusais and Azure Residence are also included in the new Salik/Parkonic locations. 6) Barrierless parking introduced at major Dubai malls Mall of the Emirates (Credit: Mall of the Emirates) In recent times, some of the city's biggest malls have removed parking barriers to make it quicker to get in and out of car parks. As long as your timing is right, you can make some major savings on parking at some of the city's biggest malls and focus, instead, on grabbing bargains. BurJuman has introduced Automatic Number Plate Recognition to calculate fees. It means that there's no longer a need for a ticket but you'll still need to pay at a machine and rates have not changed. City Centre Deira, Mall of the Emirates and City Centre Mirdif all removed barriers in their respective parking zones. Rates have not changed as a result of the changes. 7) Parking to change at Dubai public parks (Credit: Supplied) The city's official parking operator, Parkin, is set to take over public parking facilities at some of the emirate's biggest and most popular public parks. An agreement between Parkin and Dubai Municipality means that the parking operator will now manage several select free public parking facilities that are owned by Dubai Municipality. The two parties will develop planning and regulatory standards, streamline permit procedures and enable data exchange to support services. It has not yet been revealed which sites Parkin will begin operating the parking facilities at. But Dubai Municipality do operate the likes of Al Safa Park, Dubai Frame and Quranic Park. 8) New parking rates across Dubai In 2025, new parking tariffs have been introduced across the city at Parkin-controlled on-street and off-street zones. Premium spaces across the city have been hiked up to Dhs6 per hour at several zones across the city. It also clarified the peak and off-peak parking hours in Dubai. The increase in tariffs was announced alongside a change to dynamic Salik toll gate pricing in November 2024, but came into effect on Friday April 5 in 2025. Peak pricing will apply to six out of the 14 chargeable hours per day – 8am to 10am plus 4pm to 8pm – but these prices will not be in place on Sundays or on public holidays. Tariffs during off-peak hours will be unchanged. This means that what you pay will not change between 10am and 4pm as well as between 8pm and 10pm. The updated tariffs applied to zones A, B, C and D and can be seen in full here. 9) Parking fee increases in Dubai (Credit: Canva) Since the introduction of new Parkin rates in Zones A, B, C and D, price hikes have been introduced in specific neighbourhoods. Parking during major events at Dubai World Trade Centre has seen a significant spike to Dhs25 per hour. The area surrounding DWTC is now known as a Grand Event Zone, with parking now priced at Dhs25 per hour during big conferences. In April, Parkin doubled fees in four of the emirate's biggest neighbourhoods. Rates increased in Al Karama, Al Qusais, Madinat Dubai Al Melaheyah and Al Kiraf. Previously, Zone W parking spots cost Dhs2, but this latest announcement means that the price is now double. In February, fees increased in the Al Sufouh 2 area, which meant a hike in hourly prices in Barsha Heights, Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City. 10) Teachers and students to get cheaper parking (Credit: Canva) The city's official parking operator, Parkin, just announced it is changing the rules around parking fees, offering certain individuals a budget subscription fee. Offering new public parking subscriptions, the fees will be available to students, as well as the staff of private education centres. There will also be a new subscription fee for anyone seeking multi-storey parking access across the city. For students, the fee will start at Dhs100 per month, allowing access to both roadside and plots parking with zone codes A, B, C and D within a 500m radius of their campus. Teachers and staff at private education centres will also be able to redeem the Dhs100 fee along with parking near their campus. Looking for things to do in Dubai? All the sports events in Dubai in 2025 to sign up for Make 2025 the year of your PBs 50 brilliant outdoor activities to try at least once in Dubai Let's take this outside The incredible Dubai hotels offering more than just a room Did someone say freebies?
Scotsman
3 hours ago
- Scotsman
Leading UK digital agency secures acquisition - and is pulling in over £1 million EBITDA
The move creates a new force in the North West's marketing scene | No Credit A leading UK digital agency is excited to announce that they have secured a game-changing acquisition today (6). Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Serotonin , a Manchester-based company, has officially acquired Unparalleled - a digital agency known for its expertise in e-commerce and performance marketing. The move is set to create a new force in the North West marketing scene. With combined operations now generating more than £1 million in EBITDA annually, Unparalleled is set to bring in a team of 12 experts across Seratonin, increasing the total headcount to 32 - and aiming to grow that to 40 by the end of the year. Serotonin selected Unpralleled due to their proven ability to deliver exceptional ROI. The brand's use of advanced tools and data-led strategy makes it a unique enterprise. And Seratonin now plans to raise its first institutional funding round in Q1 2025 to accelerate growth and execute a targeted series of strategic acquisitions. Dom Carter , CEO of Serotonin, said: 'This is a deliberate step forward in building a high-performance agency group, one that brings together specialist talent under a shared vision for performance, creativity and results. 'The acquisition of Unparalleled further strengthens our position in a fragmented market, forecasts our EBITDA for 2025 at over £1mln, and expands our capabilities where it counts. 'Serotonin was already a serious player, now we're moving faster, going bigger, and focused on scaling through smart, strategic moves.' For Serotonin, known for working with large ecommerce clients like ASSOS of Switzerland, New & Lingwood and national property developers such as Legal & General, this acquisition marks the beginning of a wider buy-and-build strategy aimed at consolidating best-in-class service providers under one roof. Unparalleled brings deep expertise in ecommerce growth, having worked with high-performance brands such as The Private Clinic and Ebrands. Their strength in Google and Meta media buying, combined with their ability to leverage new technologies, significantly enhances Serotonin's paid media and digital strategy capabilities. 'The core principle behind Unparalleled was to provide high-growth brands with a strategic advantage through more intelligent and profitable marketing. Integrating with Serotonin allows us to apply this vision on a grander scale,' said Luke Bielby , Former CEO of Unparalleled, Chief Commercial Officer of Serotonin. 'This acquisition marks the creation of a new agency model—one built for agility, strategic acquisitions, and optimised for rapid growth.' - Serotonin was expertly advised by leading corporate law firm Pannone Corporate LLP, whose strategic legal guidance was instrumental to the successful completion of the transaction.
