Cultivating Change: Real-World AI Innovation with Jeremy Kerswell, CEO of Plumpton College

🎧 Episode Title: Cultivating Change: Real-World AI Innovation with Jeremy Kerswell, CEO of Plumpton College 

🎙️ Podcast: AI Works Podcast Hosted by Richard Foster-Fletcher and Kurt Hintz

🔍 Episode Overview

How can leaders strategically use AI, robotics, and innovative technology to solve real-world industry challenges, drive productivity, and inspire lasting positive change? Jeremy Kerswell, Principal and CEO of Plumpton College, joins Richard and Kurt to discuss his practical experiences and future-facing strategies that position Plumpton as a pioneer in technology-driven agriculture and sustainability.

Jeremy discusses:

• Plumpton’s strategic use of robotics in their dairy farming, dramatically boosting productivity and providing students hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.
• Innovative industry partnerships, such as their £1 million tractor-sharing agreement, that create mutually beneficial relationships and reduce capital risk.
• Real-world applications of AI, robotics, and 5G technology—including their pioneering "smart vineyard" and precision agriculture initiatives.
• How Plumpton uses these innovations to reshape perceptions of agriculture, attracting new talent and students from diverse backgrounds.
• His approach to embedding critical data-analysis skills across Plumpton’s curriculum, ensuring students graduate prepared for a digitally-driven industry.
• Navigating strategic decisions around technology adoption, avoiding costly mistakes, and maintaining alignment with industry needs and college values.
• His vision for the future: creating greater harmony between food production, sustainability, and technology, positioning Plumpton College as a leader for the sector and community.

This episode offers engaging insights and strategic advice for leaders who aim to leverage AI and technology effectively, sustainably, and ethically.

🧭 What We Cover
✔️ Plumpton’s practical experiences with robotic dairy farming and how this innovation has dramatically improved productivity and animal welfare.
✔️ How strategic industry partnerships (including their unique tractor-sharing model) enable Plumpton to remain at the forefront of agricultural technology.
✔️ Plumpton’s innovative 5G-enabled "smart vineyard" project and the transformational potential it holds for global agriculture.
✔️ Strategies for embedding essential data skills into educational programs, directly responding to employer-identified skills gaps.
✔️ Balancing strategic leadership decisions, recognising when to pursue opportunities, and when to avoid costly technology pitfalls.
✔️ Jeremy’s long-term vision for Plumpton’s role in leading sustainable, tech-driven agricultural practices and influencing positive change across industries.

👤 About Our Guest

Jeremy Kerswell is Principal and CEO at Plumpton College, a prominent UK institution specialising in agriculture, sustainability, and land-based education. With nearly a decade at Plumpton, Jeremy is known for his strategic leadership, fostering innovative industry partnerships, and positioning Plumpton at the cutting-edge of agricultural technology and sustainability. Passionate about positive industry transformation, Jeremy champions pragmatic technology adoption that directly enhances productivity, sustainability, and education.

🔗 Links & Mentions

• Plumpton College: https://www.plumpton.ac.uk
• Jeremy Kerswell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-kerswell-4b0b4226
• Richard Foster-Fletcher on LinkedIn: https:/