Invergowrie’s James Hutton Institute (JHI) has revealed it is in negotiation with commercial companies over possible scientific collaborations as it forges ahead with plans to spend £62 million of Tay Cities Deal funding.
JHI’s chief executive Professor Colin Campbell told a meeting of the
Scottish Society for Crop Research that a spin-out business has already been established to handle innovation developed at the Institute and its commercial subsidiary, James Hutton Limited.
Professor Campbell said he had a long shopping list for the new funding which he said could have a transformative impact on agriculture, and went on to outline the “enormous” potential of the open science campuses planned for both Invergowrie and Aberdeen.
He said: “We have had a fantastic experience collaborating with Intelligent Growth Solutions in the development of disruptive technologies for the future of vertical farming.
“Hutton will be an even more open science institute facilitated by new investment on our sites and embracing many collaborators, stakeholders and the public.”
The Invergowrie campus will house the £35m International Barley Hub (IBH) and the Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC) innovation centres, while Aberdeen’s Craigiebuckler Campus will be home to the Hydro Nation International Centre.
The IBH, which has had a long gestation, is expected to be a centre of excellence which will link industry-focused research and innovation, to ensure the long-term sustainability of the agriculture, brewing, distilling, food and non-food sectors.
The APGC was also supported with a £27m investment from the Tay Cities deal and it’s aim is to generate state-of-the-art research and innovation infrastructure associated with totally-controlled-environment agriculture, a market expected to be worth $10 billion by 2025.
nnicolson@thecourier.co.uk
