Tuesday 11 08 2020
Innovation in dairy production is to be enhanced through a new digital partnership project involving academia and industry.
The £50,000 seed-corn project, which is being led by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) alongside the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and the University of Strathclyde, seeks to establish south-west Scotland and Cumbria as the leading region for advanced, sustainable and high-value dairy processing. The project is government funded through UK Research and Innovation’s flagship £236m Strength in Places Fund (SIPF).
The digital dairy will use digital twinning, combining digital communications and advanced manufacturing, to enable the tracing of milk, cheese and other products and provide assurance to retailers, wholesalers and consumers.
Professor Milan Radosavljevic, Vice-Principal, Research, Innovation and Engagement at UWS, said: “UWS is committed to collaborative, world-leading research and innovation, which makes a real difference to the communities we serve. The proposed digital dairy project is a great testament to the power of collaboration for the wider societal benefits.
“The project has real potential to create a more resilient and efficient dairy industry, which is of great importance for rural areas across the UK and internationally. I look forward to the next steps and to seeing the impact that this important partnership will have.”Professor Milan Radosavljevic, University of the West of Scotland
Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, said: “We are delighted to join forces with the University of Strathclyde, the University of the West of Scotland and other consortium partners, to bring about a step change in research and innovation in dairy production and processing.
“In the long term, this project will bring much-needed jobs and economic activity to this rural area.”
Strength in Places Fund panel chair, Dame Kate Barker, said: “We are pleased to recommend this bid for early-stage funding. It provides evidence of excellent research that meets business need and great potential for collaboration, by bringing together a consortium to contribute to increased growth and productivity in areas of local economic activity.”
The three universities will work alongside Dumfries and Galloway Council as well as regional and multi-national dairy-processing companies (Arla, First Milk, Lactalis Mclelland, Dale Farm); Newton Rigg College and seven enabling technology companies (Afimilk, CENSIS, Lely, Novosound, Seric, BT, Boston Networks).