James Hutton Institute welcomes Tay Cities Deal signing and highlights urgency of innovation projects

“We must unlock the benefits of this investment with urgency and so look forward now to working with the Scottish and UK Governments and our partners in Tayside to finalise a workable funding schedule over the coming weeks. The value in these projects is directly linked to their being able to be built and delivering early: they can’t wait three or six years.”

The James Hutton Institute has today welcomed the signing of the Tay Cities Deal, hailing it as a huge vote of confidence in Tayside, while also highlighting the urgency of innovation projects funded by the Deal including the International Barley Hub and the Advanced Plant Growth Centre, which can increase food security, reduce the impact of climate change and create green jobs to aid our recovery from COVID-19.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Professor Colin Campbell, the Institute’s Chief Executive, said: “We welcome the signing of the final Tay Cities Deal and thank everyone involved in achieving this milestone. The £62m of Tay Cities Deal funding that the James Hutton Institute secured will be the biggest single investment in Scottish agricultural science ever and will drive and power the green recovery we all need and want.

“Our projects will not only account for over 2600 jobs - 40% of all jobs created through the Deal - but will also cement the reputation of Tayside, Scotland, and the whole of the UK as global leaders in agricultural research and innovation.

“We must unlock the benefits of this investment with urgency and so look forward now to working with the Scottish and UK Governments and our partners in Tayside to finalise a workable funding schedule over the coming weeks. The value in these projects is directly linked to their being able to be built and delivering early: they can’t wait three or six years.”

The International Barley Hub will support the industry sectors that depend on barley, Scotland and the UK’s most valuable crop. It will help create better barley varieties that are resilient to climate change and have even more health promoting benefits.

The Advanced Plant Growth Centre aims to revolutionise crop production systems to produce food locally, 365 days a year with less environmental impact. Such systems can be completely independent of the weather or availability of agriculture land, for example, indoor vertical farms using LED lights which have full environmental control and are located close to the population on unused derelict land.

Their potential economic impact is large: for each £1 invested in the Institute’s world-class science, there is a return of £12.75 to the UK economy, and for the International Barley Hub the economic return is even greater.

“These are truly transformational innovation projects, and we need to now take full advantage of our strengths and early lead over the international competition to deliver the benefits quickly,” Professor Campbell added.