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James Hutton Institute outlines plans for open science campuses

Prof Colin Campbell discusses the APGC project at SSCR Annual Lecture 2019
"Hutton will be an even more open science institute facilitated by new investment on our sites and embracing many collaborators, stakeholders and the public"

Ambitious plans for the establishment of two open science campuses at the James Hutton Institute’s sites in Dundee and Aberdeen were outlined by the Institute’s Chief Executive, Professor Colin Campbell, at the Scottish Society for Crop Research (SSCR) AGM and Annual Lecture 2019.

The next two years will bring significative milestones for the continued partnership of SSCR and the Institute, with SSCR marking its 100th anniversary in 2020 and the Institute turning 10 in 2021.

Dr Keith Dawson, SSCR chair, said: “As the Society moves closer to its 100th anniversary, there is no diminution in the relevance of its role to support, promote and influence the forward movement of science. Essential to such research support is our collaboration with the James Hutton Institute and we are hugely interested in the Institute’s plans for the future.”

In a nod to what the future holds for science and innovation at the Institute, Professor Campbell outlined the enormous potential of the planned open science campuses during his presentation at the SSCR AGM and Annual Lecture.

The science campuses will provide open access to the public, stakeholders and businesses and will house the International Barley Hub (IBH) and the Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC) innovation centres in Invergowrie, both funded by the Tay Cities Deal, and the Hydro Nation International Centre as part of the Craigiebuckler Campus Project in Aberdeen, plus new partnerships with business and industry.

Professor Campbell 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.

“We are already discussing potential collaborations with commercial companies and have also developed a spin-out business arising from innovation developed at the Institute and its commercial subsidiary, James Hutton Limited.”

The IBH is set to be a centre of excellence linking industry-focussed research with innovation, to both deliver immediate impact and ensure the long-term sustainability of the UK and international agriculture, brewing and distilling, food and non-food sectors.  It is backed by a £35m investment as part of the Tay Cities deal.

Similarly, the APGC has been supported with a £27m transformational investment from the Tay Cities deal and it seeks to generate state-of-the-art research and innovation infrastructure associated with totally-controlled-environment agriculture. It will mean the UK can play its part in leading the science agenda around this rapidly expanding global market which is expected to be worth $10 billion by 2025.

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Printed from /news/james-hutton-institute-outlines-plans-open-science-campuses on 19/03/24 03:19:06 AM

The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.