Have UKs AgriTech Centres Achieved And Whats Next?

Change is in the air in the field of agricultural research, and there are plans to merge three of the four AgTech centers into one AgTech "catapult."

The goal is to "create an innovation ecosystem that strengthens relationships and accelerates strong, business-friendly and sustainable solutions."

Do you find it so useless? Could be But the message is clear: agricultural technology centers are about to start restructuring. So what happens?

Agricultural Technology Centers were created in 2013 with the aim of bringing new technology to market and reducing the productivity gap with foreign competitors, the UK has lagged behind for many years.

Also Read: Can Agritech Bring a New 'Golden Age' for Farmers?

The four centers created are:

1. Agri-EPI focuses on precision agricultural engineering and technology.
2. Chapters deal with pest and plant disease control.
3. The aim is to increase the profitability and productivity of the livestock sector.
4. Agricultural measures Using agricultural data to build better food systems.

The first three will be merged and the fourth, Agrimetria, will remain an independent unit.

Nine catapults

Created by government agency Innovate UK, nine Catapults work in more than 50 locations across the UK to help accelerate and scale new technologies.

Sectors range from gene therapy and pharmaceuticals to satellites and renewable energy, providing companies with the skills and resources to test, prove and improve their ideas.

When Science and Innovation Minister George Freeman announced plans to create a new agricultural technology catapult at the end of September, he stressed the need to commercialize the UK's academic research base to bridge the industry gap.

"As the world's population is expected to reach nine billion in the next 25 years, we need to double global food production using half the energy and water," he said.

"This is a challenge that will drive global demand for agricultural technology: technologies that enable us to produce more with less."

Council President Peter Quinn, who is overseeing the creation of the new Agri-Tech Catapult, said a new organization would build on the strong foundation of the three Agricultural Technology Centers to accelerate innovation and strengthen global agricultural technology. World Cup "Ecology".

The basic

But how big are these foundations?

Tina Barsby, former director of the National Agricultural Plant Institute, has her doubts and says there are important lessons to be learned from the past decade.

"The legacy of innovation hubs is not spectacular success," he said in a new paper in Science for Sustainable Agriculture .

“Agritech centers support claims that they have 'played an important role in turning agricultural innovations into commercial success' or that they have 'strengthened food security, reduced our carbon footprint and increased productivity' with evidence that does not support this.

UK agricultural productivity growth lagged behind other countries, he said, adding that progress in reducing the carbon footprint of UK agriculture remained "stubbornly slow".

"I find it difficult to name specific projects where the three centers have turned agricultural innovation into a commercial success over the last decade," he added.

As a member of the first Agri-Tech Strategy Leadership Council, Dr. Barsby also the "Fair Only" funding model.

"Limiting their ability to invest beyond equipment, capital and basic operating costs, the centers were completely dependent on commercial partners to attract investment in their research projects," he said.

This, he believes, has hindered the ability to create new agtech capabilities or fill gaps in the current R&D landscape.

© Agricultural technological centers

Accept the problem

Not surprisingly, the three agtech centers contested these claims, particularly in relation to carbon emissions.

"This is a very active area," said Phil Bicknell, director of CL. "Carbon-related research projects are carried out or underway in all agricultural technology centers."

A specific example is a chemical derived from daffodils, in which CEIL was involved in a project investigating the reduction of methane emissions from CL livestock.

The Chap Net Zero report sets out measures to reduce global warming caused by UK agriculture and fruit and vegetable crops.

Bicknell denies that the funding model has hampered the work of agricultural technology centers or made them dependent on trading partners.

"Our goal is to create and facilitate the relationship between academia and industry," he said.

"This means research and innovation to solve real problems and working together with business partners to deliver practical solutions."

Genetic improvement

But it's not just funding. Dr. Barsbeam believes that Agri-Tech centers are not focused on genetic innovation, but on technology that can contribute to productivity and efficiency in agriculture.

"The most important thing to increase productivity in agriculture is genetic innovation, but this has not been the main focus of any centre," he said.

"As a result, our main genetics institute, the John Innes Centre, has had little contact with the centres."

Dr Barsby has two separate plant science reviews, both of which point to the need for a connected R&D pipeline for genetic innovation to "translate promising initial findings from the lab to the field."

This lack of "interpretive" research represents a significant barrier to progress in the one area of ​​UK agriculture that can improve productivity, Dr Barsby said.

"As priorities for the new agricultural technology catapult evolve, the importance of translational research in the context of plant genetics innovation seems insurmountable."

Criticism is ignored

However, the Agricultural Technology Centers refuted the criticism and stated that the innovation of genetic technology is the main activity area of ​​all the centers.

They point to a recent pilot study where genetic selection was used to identify worm-tolerant prime sheep and breed them in larger flocks.

Breed is another industry-wide program to measure and collect methane emissions and breed sheep with a low carbon footprint.

Black Chap CEO Fraser said:

"Although genetic modification - conventional and advanced - is a central workplace in agricultural and animal production systems, we deal with other aspects of agricultural technology, such as engineering and precise control. Environmental conditions and biopesticides." development

"We believe Dr. Barsby's primary focus is on crop improvement in farm-managed agricultural systems, which, while important, is part of the centre's overall vision.

"Furthermore, productivity is the only measure of success. Agricultural Technology Centers aim to provide many complementary tools for an integrated and efficient agricultural system. Increasing productivity is only one of those tools."

As always, every story seems to have two sides to every argument and two scientific opinions.

What others have said about Agricultural Technology Centers

Daniel Pearsall, Science Coordinator for Sustainable Agriculture:

“Agri-Tech centers were created to overcome the neglect of translational research, with the aim of translating the knowledge of our brilliant UK scientists into practical technologies and agricultural applications.

But the model didn't work, partly because of limited capital resources and reluctance to get involved in genetics.

“They were mediators of resources rather than agents. Innovate UK says it has made a difference. The evidence on the ground suggests that this is not the case.

Dr Kate Pressland, Director of the Center for Effective Agricultural Innovation:

“Previously, agricultural technology centers were created with public funds, but they were given to generate commercial income, so it was difficult.

"This has made it difficult for farmers on the ground to conduct impact-oriented research and achieve measurable results in investments.

"However, they have been very active in applying for funding through Defra's latest Agricultural Innovation Program and have submitted numerous offers for projects aimed at farmers and industry, but they are competing against each other for the same funding. It is appropriate to gather under one roof.

What you need to know about the new Agri-Tech Catapult

What is a catapult?

Created by UK innovation agency Innovate UK, Catapults is a network of technology and innovation hubs.

They are independent non-profit organizations that provide resources and expertise to other companies, research institutions and governments to accelerate technological progress.

What are the implications of developing a new agricultural technology catapult?

The aim is to create a new framework for greater multidisciplinary cooperation, including climate protection, disease control and sustainability.

The exchange of knowledge with experts in other fields is considered a special advantage.

Will the new catapult of agricultural technology be more successful in increasing productivity and efficiency?

The three agtech centers strongly believe that they have done a good job, but they believe that the creation of the agtech catapult can be government research projects, comparing food and agriculture with other high-profile sectors. ... and research institutions attract investment.

"It positions food and agriculture as a strategic sector of the UK economy," a spokesman said.

What about CHAP, CL and Agri-EPI?

The centers will continue to operate until the new combined business becomes operational in April 2024.

All existing workflows and projects will remain until then and some may be transferred to the new Catapult.

Will you continue to focus on all crops, animals and technology?

The new combined company will continue to focus on all three sectors, while exploring new areas in the wider food, feed, fuel and fiber sectors.

Agritech and the future of farming in the east of England