Contract signed for construction of £28.7 m combined Advanced Plant Growth Centre and International Barley Hub This new contract comprises the construction of a combined Advanced Plant Growth Centre (APGC) and International Barley Hub (IBH). Procured via the SCAPE Scotland Construction Framework, and part-funded by the Tay Cities Deal, this next phase is part of a masterplan to create two institute-led innovation centres at Invergowrie, helping to establish Scotland as a leader in global food security and crop resilience. The Tay Cities Region Deal is a partnership between local, Scottish and UK governments and the private, academic and voluntary sectors which seeks to create a smarter and fairer Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth & Kinross under the headings Inclusive Tay; Innovative Tay; International Tay; Connected Tay and An Empowered Tay. The Scottish Government and UK Government will each invest up to £150 million in the Tay Cities Region Deal over 10 years, subject to final approval of robust business cases. This investment has the potential to lever in £400m of investment over 15 years. Enabling works for the IBH and APGC are ongoing on-site with a number of older buildings demolished to make way for the new facility being built in the heart of the Invergowrie Campus. Colin Campbell, Chief Executive at the James Hutton Institute said: “Moving into the next phase of the International Barley Hub’s construction is a significant milestone in this project, which aims to futureproof the barley sector across Scotland and the UK. This new facility will serve as the key research hub of the facility and is set to bring around £60 million benefit and over 1,200 jobs to Scotland over the next 10 years.” Scottish Government Business Minister Ivan McKee said:“The Scottish Government is investing £17 million towards the redevelopment of the James Hutton Institute’s facilities at Invergowrie, alongside our ongoing support for the Institute and its work to support innovation in the food and drink sector. Innovation in food and drink and more widely is being supported through the Scottish Government’s plan to transform the economy, the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.” UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord said: “These new facilities will undertake vital research that will support food security and the future prosperity of our farming industry, while also creating new jobs for the region. The UK Government is investing £45 m at the James Hutton Institute through the Tay Cities Deal, which is part of more than £2 billion for initiatives levelling up communities across Scotland.” Robbie Clark, Operations Director at McLaughlin & Harvey said: “We are delighted to be continuing our strong relationship with the Institute. Having recently completed the state-of-theart Barley Field Centre facilities, our highly experienced project team will now move seamlessly on to the delivery of the new Advanced Plant Growth Centre and International Barley Hub. By procuring the new facilities through the SCAPE Framework, the Institute will also provide measurable tangible benefits to the local community and economy as part of the build.” The James Hutton Institute and McLaughlin & Harvey have signed construction contracts worth £28.7 m for the next stage of the ongoing redevelopment of The James Hutton Institute’s Invergowrie estate. 18 Hutton Highlights
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODU0MDE=