Business & Technology
University of Lincoln wins Chelsea medal for RoboCrops
The University of Lincoln has won a Silver Gilt medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for its RoboCrops exhibit, centred on an AI-based plant analysis system called PhenAIx.
Created by the university and its Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology, the exhibit features PhenAIx, which examines plants for signs of disease risk, environmental stress and growth performance before visible symptoms appear. Researchers presented it as a robotic phenotyping platform combining artificial intelligence, imaging tools and robotics.
The award places an agricultural robotics project among the notable displays in Chelsea’s GreenSTEM zone, where science and technology sit alongside horticulture. The attraction drew interest from visitors and policymakers during the show.
Plant analysis
Developers describe PhenAIx as a diagnostic scanner for plants, designed to detect hidden indicators in crops earlier than growers could through visual inspection alone.
The approach reflects a broader push in agriculture to use machine vision and automation to improve crop monitoring. Earlier identification of disease or stress can help growers isolate plants, adjust growing conditions or change treatment plans before losses spread.
The system could also contribute to developing stronger, more climate-resilient crops. The university linked the technology to efforts to improve food production and support more sustainable agricultural systems.
Beyond factories
The exhibit also highlights a shift in how robotics is presented to the public. Rather than focusing on industrial or warehouse settings, it places autonomous systems in a biological environment where variables are harder to control and outcomes less predictable.
That matters because farming has become an important test case for robotics and AI. Weather, soil, disease pressure and other changing conditions make agriculture a more complex setting than many conventional automation tasks.
Visitors included London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who discussed how systems such as PhenAIx could be applied to food production and climate-related pressures. No further details were given on any deployment timetable or commercial rollout.
Education focus
Organisers also pointed to strong interest from school groups visiting the show. The mix of robotics, AI, biology and environmental science appeared to make the exhibit an effective demonstration of how digital tools are being applied in food and farming research.
That educational role is becoming increasingly significant for universities and research institutes. Agricultural technology has often struggled to attract broad public attention compared with consumer-facing AI products, even as the sector faces pressure to raise productivity, reduce environmental impact and respond to climate volatility.
The university said it hoped the exhibit would encourage more young people, especially those from rural and agricultural backgrounds, to consider careers in robotics, data science and agri-tech. The ambition reflects a wider effort across the sector to build a workforce that combines software, engineering and plant science.
The medal is likely to give the project greater visibility beyond academic and specialist farming circles. Chelsea remains one of the UK’s best-known horticultural events, and recognition there offers research-led projects a way to reach audiences that might not usually engage with agricultural automation.
Researchers behind the exhibit said systems such as PhenAIx could support earlier crop disease detection, environmental monitoring, climate adaptation and more sustainable farming methods. At the heart of the display is a machine intended to show that plant health can be assessed before damage is visible to the human eye.
Celebrating both GCSE and A-Level Results Days, the chain will offer the popular dish to students who buy one of its bubble teas.
The free offer is available at all 42 Rosa’s Thai restaurants across England and Wales.
To avail of the free noodles, students need to register on Rosa’s Thai website for a unique code, which they should present at the restaurant together with a copy of their results.
Rosa’s Thai has a new range of bubble tea flavours, including Ube-Taro, Matcha-Coconut, Mango Sticky Rice, and Milo Chocolate Milk, as well as favourites like Home-brewed Thai Tea with Tapioca, and Lychee Mango with mango boba.
Students can sign up for their free Pad Thai at rosasthai.com/result-day-free-pad-thai and find their nearest restaurant at rosasthai.com/locations.
The London Mint Office, which distributes commemorative coins and medals, appointed administrators on July 31 after 20 years in business.
The company’s website now displays a message confirming the appointment of Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP as joint administrators.
A spokesman for Alvarez and Marsal said: “On July 31 2026, Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP were appointed as Joint Administrators of The London Mint Office Limited in administration (the “Company”).
“Regrettably, the Company’s liquidity challenges have led to a number of immediate redundancies. We are supporting the affected employees through the redundancy process.
What Happens When a Company Goes Into Administration?
“The affairs, business and property of the Company are being managed by the Joint Administrators who act as agents of the Company and without personal liability.”
The announcement confirms that it is no longer possible to purchase coins or medals through the company’s website.
The London Mint Office operates a distribution centre in Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, where it employs a significant number of people.
Administration is a formal insolvency process triggered when a business cannot meet its financial obligations.
An insolvency practitioner is appointed to manage the company’s affairs and may attempt to restructure the business or sell off assets to repay creditors.
What happens when a company goes into Liquidation?
Founded in 2006, The London Mint Office describes itself as “one of the UK’s most trusted suppliers of historic, commemorative, and collector coins.”
It is part of Samlerhuset AS, a Norwegian company based near Oslo and one of Europe’s largest distributors of commemorative coins and medals.
Samlerhuset’s website states that it offers “provide a wide range of coins from ancient to modern, originating from virtually every country in the world.”
The London Mint Office has advised anyone with an interest in the company’s assets to contact the administrators at INS_THLMOL@alvarezandmarsal.com.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally decided that both discounters should be added to the Groceries Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order 2010, which currently applies to Asda, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose.
This order is designed to prevent large grocery retailers from using land agreements to block competitors from opening nearby stores, often through restrictive covenants or exclusivity terms.
Juliette Enser, executive director of competition enforcement and markets at the CMA, said: “We want everyone to have the best choice of supermarket and range of prices when buying their groceries.
“To ensure this happens, we put rules in place to prevent big supermarket chains blocking rival stores from opening nearby – and now we propose applying those rules to Aldi and Lidl too.
“This is about allowing shoppers to choose where they spend their money and levelling the playing field for all major supermarkets.
“Today’s proposals are provisional and we welcome views before deciding the best way forward.”
The CMA’s review found that Aldi, Lidl GB, and Lidl NI now meet the criteria of ‘Large Grocery Retailers’ (LGRs) due to their store footprint, nationwide presence, procurement model, and the breadth of their grocery range.
Aldi and Lidl were originally excluded from the 2010 order as ‘limited assortment discounters’, offering a smaller selection of products compared to traditional supermarkets.
However, the CMA’s provisional findings indicate that this is no longer the case.
All three now operate large grocery stores, each with more than 1,000 square metres of shop floor space, and offer a full range of products, though with less category choice than some competitors.
They also purchase goods directly from suppliers through integrated wholesaling.
With the UK grocery market estimated to be worth £215 billion, Aldi and Lidl are now ranked among the top five retailers by market share.
The CMA is seeking feedback from stakeholders before reaching a final decision.
Aldi and Lidl could join the other supermarket chains later this year.
The CMA is inviting views until 5pm on Monday, September 7, 2026, and will issue its final decision in the autumn after reviewing responses.
If the discounters are included under the order, they will be prevented from using land agreements to limit competition from other supermarket chains.
The CMA aims to ensure competition across the grocery sector to give shoppers more choice and competitive pricing by removing obstacles to new store openings.
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