A “game-changing” digital dairy project has landed a £21 million grant.
The Digital Dairy Value Chain aims to create 600 new jobs across south west Scotland and Cumbria and could generate an extra £60 million a year for the region.
The scheme, which will be based at Scotland’s Rural College’s Barony campus at Parkgate near Dumfries, received £50,000 from UK Research and Innovation last year to help develop the proposal, which aims to decarbonise the dairy industry and keep skilled workers in the region.
And that initial work has led to a full £21.3 million award from UKRI’s Strength in Places fund.
Principal and chief executive of SURC, Professor Wayne Powell, said: “This funding is wonderful news for the dairy industry in Cumbria and South-West Scotland, as well as for the renewal and decarbonisation of the industry as a whole.
“It will provide a world-class platform for business innovation in advanced, sustainable, high-value dairy production and processing. SRUC and our partners are excited to be moving to the next phase of this fantastic project.”
The project team will work with the dairy industry to develop technologies for sensing and data handling, as well as infrastructure to support innovation and growth for local businesses, nurturing young entrepreneurs and teaching and training of new skills and capabilities.
It will deliver advanced manufacturing processes to create a fully integrated and traceable supply chain as well as help businesses to develop new products and explore new markets.
Farmers will be able to monitor their cows and feeds, their environment and the milking process, while there are also possibilities for sensing and use of data in smart factories producing more and better dairy products.
As well as SURC, the project includes South of Scotland Enterprise, the University of Strathclyde, University of the West of Scotland, CENSIS, First Milk, Lactalis UK & Ireland, Kendal Nutricare, Cows & Co Group, National Milk Records and SmartSTEMS.
SOSE chairman, Professor Russell Griggs, said: “Dumfries and Galloway is often referred to as the heartland for dairy farming, accounting for almost half of Scotland’s dairy herd.
“The investment through this initiative and 600 new jobs it aims to create are potentially game-changing for the industry.
“SOSE is delighted to be involved and look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners on this innovative project, with the aim of helping dairy farming become a sustainable and thriving industry.”
UK Science Minister, Amanda Solloway, added: “The fantastic work the Digital Dairy Value Chain is doing shows that science and innovation is not just for Silicon Valley start-ups, but for dairy farmers too.
“This £21.3 million investment is part of the UK Government’s Innovation Strategy which outlines how we plan to harness the skills and ingenuity of every corner of the UK in order to cement our status as a global science superpower.”
.jpg?w=600)
