HomeProduct Complimentary download Over 70 businesses and universities from across the United Kingdomwill share £16M from BBSRC, government and industry to develop 25 innovative business ideas and boost UK agriculture

Over 70 businesses and universities from across the United Kingdomwill share £16M from BBSRC, government and industry to develop 25 innovative business ideas and boost UK agriculture

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Publish time: 26th March, 2015      Source: United Kingdom
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Over 70 businesses and universities from across the United Kingdomwill share £16M from BBSRC, government and industry to develop 25 innovative business ideas and boost UK agricultureOver 70 businesses and universities from across the United Kingdomwill share £16M from BBSRC, government and industry to develop 25 innovative business ideas and boost UK agriculture" title="Share this link on Facebook">United KingdomMarch 24, 2015he 25 projects, worth £16M with £9.8M from government and £6.2M from industry, form the third round of funding to be distributed through the £70M Agri-Tech Catalyst, announced as part of the UK Industrial Strategy for Agricultural Technologies.The Agri-Tech Catalyst, run by Innovate UK and BBSRC, supports collaborative research between scientists and businesses to springboard projects from the lab to the market place – speeding up the time before the farmer and public benefit.Innovations in this round include the 'Sunshine Egg' – a project to help reduce vitamin D deficiency in humans by enriching naturally-laid chicken eggs with higher levels of the vitamin via chicken feed, and developing 3D camera technology to identify when broccoli is ready for harvesting – a key step towards the development of a fully automatic robotic harvesting system for the vegetable which will significantly reduce production costs.Greg Clark, Minister for Universities, Science and Cities said: "With a growing population and more extreme climate, providing a sufficient and healthy food supply has become more important than ever, as has the need to seek out innovations of doing so. "The Agri-Tech Catalyst is helping businesses and researchers by providing valuable finance to take innovations from any sector or discipline all the way from concept to commercialisation."Science and Environment Minister Lord de Mauley said: "Innovation in food and farming is crucial in supporting us to grow the economy and improve the environment. This new investment will help take ideas from the lab to the farmer's field, further developing our high-tech, highly-skilled agri-food sector."It is great that we can support innovative projects that are tackling such a wide range of challenges - from improved breeding of pigs and poultry to producing better wheat for cake and biscuit makers. Projects like these are essential to the competitiveness of our farmers and food producers and form a key part of our long-term economic plan."International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: "Funding technology to help protect farmers' crops from extreme weather and increase their yields will ensure people in developing countries have a stable and reliable supply of food."This will not only address malnutrition by allowing people to feed their families, but also enable them to sell their produce, ending aid dependency through growth and jobs."Professor Jackie Hunter, BBSRC Chief Executive, said: "Agriculture technologies have the potential to significantly transform our ability to provide affordable, accessible nutritious food against the challenges of climate change and the increasing population. These investments announced today will accelerate the translation of research into practical solutions which will benefit farmers and consumers."Ian Meikle, Head of Agriculture and Food at Innovate UK said: "The Agri-Tech Strategy aims to make the UK a world leader in agricultural technology, innovation and sustainability. The funding decisions announced today are expert-led and evidence-based, which support great ideas that address challenges of the future in food and farming. With business, research and government working together, these investments can unlock potential and deliver major benefits for society and the economy."Other winners from this round include developing environmentally-friendly cooling and heating to promote enhanced living conditions for healthier chickens and adapting the use of satellite imagery to identify the right time for farmers to tend to their crops.Businesses and researchers with ideas that have the potential to solve global agricultural challenges can apply for the fourth round of Agri-Tech Catalyst funding.BACKGROUNDFurther information on the winning projects from round 3 can be found on the Agri-Tech Catalyst's 'Previous Competition Results' section of the Innovate UK website.Launched in October 2013, the Catalyst supports industry-led 'proof of concept' development of near-market agricultural innovations. Designed to attract co-investment from industry, the Catalyst will aim to involve small and medium-sized enterprises alongside larger companies. The £70M government investment includes £10Mto support the transfer of technology and new products to developing countries.To date 77 projects worth nearly £60M (government and industry) have been supported by the Agri-Tech Catalyst.The £70M Agri-Tech Catalyst is funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, and the Department for International Development.The Agri-Tech Catalyst is run by Innovate UK and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).Details of how to apply for Round 4 of the Agri-Tech Catalyst can be found on the Innovate UK website (see first link above).More news from: BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council)Website: http://www.bbsrc.ac.ukPublished: March 26, 2015The news item on this page is copyright by the organization where it originatedFair use notice