On 22 November 2018 it was announced that the International Barley Hub [1] project - championed by the James Hutton Institute alongside industry and academic partners - would receive investment funding as a core project within the £300m Tay Cities Deal development programme. The project was green-lighted as part of an overall investment package of £62 million directed at two Institute-led innovation centre projects which will also see the Advanced Plant Growth Centre [2] become a reality.
Barley is one of Scotland's most important crops and a fundamental component of many key industries, is pivotal to brewing and distilling, yet remains largely under the radar in terms of the perception of its significance. This is surprising considering the importance of Scotland's drinks sector. Despite this, few people outside the farming industry appreciate barley's link to the economic well-being of the country as well as its significance globally as a nutritious food crop.
The James Hutton Institute is at the forefront of scientific progress where barley is concerned. Whilst research into wheat, the UK's number one crop, is fairly widespread, the James Hutton Institute is the UK's only centre of expertise for the UK's second largest crop, grown on about half of Scotland's arable land.
The International Barley Hub will be constructed and hosted at the Institute’s Dundee site and will create a unique, integrated, open platform for the translation of barley research into economic, social, environmental and commercial impacts benefiting breeding, farming, malting, brewing, feed, food, health and related industries.
The project has been developed in partnership with industry and other key sector stakeholders, to ensure that activities are targeted where they are most needed and can deliver maximum impact. Through the development and fundraising phase, the partners have embarked on an unprecedented programme of collaborative research and scoping work. Productive cross-sectoral relationships have blossomed from the work done to assess and define the case for the Hub, effectively meaning that it is already delivering for the partners and the economy.
For more information on the project, please contact Robbie Waugh [3], Director of IBH.
Links:
[1] http://www.barleyhub.org
[2] https://www.apgc.org.uk/
[3] mailto:Robbie.Waugh@hutton.ac.uk