A HI-TECH company is relocating to York to tap into the area's expertise in the bioeconomy.

Nottingham-based Azotic Technologies has strategically chosen to be closer to the University of York as part of a £10m expansion, bringing its 14-strong team to the city, with a further 20 to 30 high-skilled jobs created.

Building work is underway at Azotic's new facilities alongside the university’s Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) at Dunnington.

Science Minister George Freeman visited the Azotic site during a visit to the university to learn more about its pioneering BioYorkshire initiative.

BioYorkshire is a partnership between the university, Fera Science and Askham Bryan College which aims to turn York and North Yorkshire into the UK’s first carbon negative region.

BioYorkshire’s vision is to propel the region into growing a vibrant and dynamic bioeconomy - using renewable, biological resources to create greener products which minimise waste and reduce reliance on fossil fuel.

Harnessing the expertise of scientists and industry experts, BioYorkshire will help create jobs, boost the regional economy and develop sustainable solutions for key environmental challenges.

Azotic specialises in natural bacterial nitrogen fixation to address problems associated with modern fertilisers including nitrogen pollution.

The company has pioneered technology which allows plants to substitute the nitrogen found in the soil in highly polluting chemical fertiliser with nitrogen found naturally in the atmosphere. The technology is environmentally-friendly, reduces costs and proven to increase crop yields.

University vice-chancellor, Professor Charlie Jeffery, said: “This announcement from Azotic is fantastic news for the city and region and demonstrates the power of BioYorkshire in action - harnessing the expertise of our researchers and scientists with the commercial and technological know-how of a hi-tech company to drive innovation, environmental sustainability and economic growth.

“BioYorkshire offers the potential to build on the University of York’s world-class research and expertise in the bioeconomy to support the ambition for York and North Yorkshire to become the UK’s first carbon negative region.”

Steve Pearson, chief operating officer at Azotic Technologies, said: “To scale up our R&D and prove our ideas for a biological based nitrogen fertiliser alternative we needed access to specific lab equipment and expertise that we didn't have in-house.

“The solution was to hire and build new lab and office space at the Biorenewables Development Centre. This fantastic opportunity has given Azotic Technologies access to the high-spec equipment including fermentation, analytical equipment, protein purification and plant growth cabinets all adjacent to our new premises.”

The Minister toured the university’s biology labs to see York’s long standing strengths in plant science, industrial biotechnology applications, engineering biology, food systems and therapeutics.

Mr Freeman said: “Azotic Technologies’ move to Dunnington, alongside the university’s impressive expertise in the bioeconomy, represents exactly the kind of academic and commercial collaboration we are supporting across the country as part of our £25bn Science & Innovation budget for the next three years, to drive our Innovation Nation and Levelling Up plans.

“Science, research and innovation lie at the heart of our ambition to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and initiatives like this one are evidence that the UK holds some of the world’s greatest talent in the green innovation field.

"It is essential that we continue to harness this expertise across the whole country - including rural areas like Yorkshire - leveraging our leading research base to solve global challenges, while also supporting jobs and local economies across all four corners of the UK."