New Crop Innovation Centre officially opens

A new Crop Innovation Centre (CIC) was officially opened last week (25 October). 

The centre, located at The James Hutton Institute in Invergowrie, will futureproof crop production and enhance food security for the UK and beyond. The First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney MSP and UK Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray MP, officially opened the Crop Innovation Centre. 

The CIC is home to the Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC) and the International Barley Hub (IBH), which were created in partnership with the University of Dundee Plants Sciences Division.

Both innovation centres were funded as part of a £62m investment through the Tay Cities Region Deal (TCRD) by the UK and Scottish Governments, which also facilitated the construction of the Mylnefield Farm building and the IBH Field Centre on the James Hutton Institute’s Invergowrie campus.

The investment offers a unique combination of world leading science and state of the art facilities for field, farm and lab that deliver technological and digital innovation focussed on future proofing crop production, enhancing food and drink security, managing our natural resources sustainably and supporting thriving rural communities in Scotland and across the globe.

Professor Colin Campbell, Chief Executive of the James Hutton Institute said: 

“We received funding for the Crop Innovation Centre in 2020, and the project is underpinned by decades of research at The James Hutton Institute along with partners.

“It cements the reputation of Scotland and the UK as global leaders in research and innovation. It was a pleasure to welcome the First Minister and UK Secretary of State to Scotland today to officially name the facility, and we’re grateful for all of the support we have received to make this ambition a reality.”

Barley is the predominant crop grown in Scotland, partly due to its key role in the world-renowned Scottish whisky industry, which accounts for 75% of the country’s food and drinks exports.  However, given climate change and other environmental challenges, coupled with increasing demand for the crop; research into genetics and breeding is vitally important to safeguard production and ensure a sustainable future.  

The IBH will promote scientific discovery and innovation to tackle these issues by piloting new breeding technologies such as precision phenotyping and crop management using data from sensors and drones.

First Minister John Swinney said:

“The James Hutton Institute’s new Crop Innovation Centre is an excellent example of the type of research and innovation infrastructure that is essential for any modern, dynamic country to thrive.

“Through the Tay Cities Region Deal and in partnership with the UK Government, we have invested £17 million in this project, which will provide jobs and help unlock the full potential of Tayside.

“The completion of the Advanced Plant Growth Centre and the International Barley Hub will put Scotland at the cutting edge of agricultural innovation, and help provide technological solutions to help improve food security in an ever-changing world.”

The 8000 sq mtr building will be powered by a high-performance data “computer farm”, which is one of the largest in the UK, and will also house a phenotyping centre, due to open in Spring 2025.

Over the next 10 years, the Centre is projected to contribute to over 900 collaborative industry projects supporting an additional 2,600 jobs in the UK, of which 1,760 will be in Scotland and 470 in Tayside.  It has been estimated that it will contribute over £900m GVA to the UK economy, over half of which will be in Scotland.

Pic credit: Scottish Government (Flickr)