Innovate UK and BBSRC announce new £16 million competition to drive forward novel, resource efficient, low-emission food production systems.
This new funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Innovate UK is a joint investment as part of their new strategic partnership announced last month. The partnership will support UK businesses to engage with and benefit from the UK’s excellent research base to grow and scale innovations.
Healthy sustainable diets
As outlined in Innovate UK’s plan for action, the secure supply of safe, nutritious and affordable food supports good health. Changing consumer trends, ageing society and concerns over diet-related disease continues to drive changes to our diet.
This new competition will support the development of novel food production systems that create new sources of resource efficient, low-emission foods, particularly proteins to deliver healthy and sustainable diets.
We welcome proposals that have the potential to significantly shift the current state of the art in at least 1 or more of the following 6 priority areas:
- novel plant based products or production systems
- acellular food production
- cellular food production
- novel aquaculture systems
- new food production systems
- total controlled environment agriculture systems
Low emission food production systems
Dr Tom Jenkins, Deputy Challenge Director for the Transforming Food Production Programme at Innovate UK, said:
This funding will enable UK companies to partner with our world-leading science-base to develop innovative, low emission food production systems that meet rising consumer demand for products like alternative proteins.
Producing food in new environments can help take pressure away from traditional land-based systems while also supporting our transition towards net zero.
A rapidly evolving sector
Dr Lee Beniston, Associate Director for Industry Partnerships and Collaboration at BBSRC, said:
This joint BBSRC and Innovate UK investment will support incredibly important capacity building, research, innovation and business-led commercialisation to help develop alternative, more sustainable protein sources.
This will help to ensure the UK continues to be at the forefront of what is an innovative and rapidly evolving sector in the UK and globally.
Competition opens 18 January
This exciting new competition opens for applications on 18 January 2023. Find out more about the competition at: novel, low-emission food production systems: industrial research.
Register your place at the Novel Low Emission Food Production Systems competition briefing webinar on 19 January 2023 to find out more about how you can apply.
Further information
Keep an eye out for further funding opportunities by signing up to the UKRI newsletter and Innovate UK newsletter.
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