News
Experts explore new marine protein to enhance poultry feed
A group of industry professionals is exploring a fishmeal alternative derived from marine sources to evaluate potential benefits for gut health and growth performance in meat chickens.
The Innovate UK initiative, ‘Farmed Marine Proteins for Poultry Feed’, assessed the viability of using Artemeal – a protein product made from artemia – as a novel replacement for fishmeal in the diets of young broilers. The aim was to monitor health outcomes, optimise growth and reduce environmental impact.
£326k given to insect protein research
Innovate UK has awarded £326,610 to help the UK insect sector address regulatory barriers.
This IBC-Net project, led by UK Agri-Tech Centre Ltd, will overcome regulatory hurdles in insect bioconversion, the process of using insects to break down organic waste into protein for animal feed, oils or fertiliser.
Edinburgh and south east Scotland innovation action plan unveiled
A new action plan, which puts business growth and innovation at the forefront, has been launched.
Developed by Innovate UK, Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region, and Scottish Enterprise, the proposals aim for a resilient and investment-attractive economy by leveraging regional capabilities.
Source: Business Insider
Rhizocore Leads Innovative Project to Tackle Agricultural Pollution with Fungi Bio-Filters
Rhizocore Technologies Ltd has secured a £1 million Defra grant to advance a fungi-based bio-filtration system designed to mitigate agricultural water pollution.
In collaboration with The James Hutton Institute, Harper Adams University, and Cheshire Wildlife Trust, this initiative aims to deliver scalable, nature-based solutions for improving water quality.
‘Cool Calf’ could help accelerate dairy journey to net zero
Hilda may look like an ordinary calf, but the sprightly, Scotland-born animal represents an historic moment for the world’s longest-running livestock genetics project and could help accelerate the dairy industry’s journey to net zero.
Why birth of IVF calf Hilda in Scotland is being hailed as a milestone for greener farming
Vets working on a project to breed more environmentally-friendly cows have described as “hugely significant” the birth of a calf using IVF, saying it could accelerate the dairy industry’s journey to net zero.
The calf, named Hilda, is part the Dumfries-based Langhill Herd, which has been a source of data for the UK dairy industry for more than half a century.
Source: The Scotsman
What Was Life Like for Innovating UK Businesses in 2024
Innovate UK has released its State of Innovation 2024 survey, drawing on data from over 2,000 UK firms to provide a thorough breakdown of UK businesses’ innovation activities, including their priorities, challenges, and plans for the year ahead.
Source: Digit News
Second round of bio-based manufacturing fund opens
Businesses in Scotland’s bio-based manufacturing industry have been invited to apply for support packages of between £25,000 and £1m, as Innovate UK opens the second round of its Launchpad funding programme. A total of up to £5.25m is being channelled into the Launchpad for Scotland in this round, with grant funding available for projects from micro to small or medium-sized enterprises, or consortia.
Source: Business Insider
Green Bioactives awarded prestigious Innovate UK grant to develop revolutionary biomanufacturing platform
Green Bioactives (GBL), a world-leader in the discovery, development and sustainable production of high-value natural products using its proprietary plant cell culture technology, announced that it has been awarded a significant grant from Innovate UK, in partnership with the University of Edinburgh