1/22/2016

1

AgriFood: Connecting and Funding

Ian Meikle – Head of AgriFood

@meikle567

Nutri-Wales challenges

• R&D is a “must” for food companies:

- developing products for the growing ‘free from’ sector,

- developing novel food products

- or in meeting the public health challenges such as reducing sugar, fat, salt (and increasing fibre) in the nation’s diet.

Innovation is the key driver of productivity

� Companies that

persistently invest in R&D

have:

� Higher productivity

� Better value added

per employee

� More exports

1/22/2016

2

1. Working with the research community and across government to turn scientific excellence into economic impact.

2. Accelerating UK economic growth, nurturing small, high-growth companies, with strong productivity and export success.

3. Building on innovation excellence throughout the UK, investing locally in areas of strength.

4. Developing Catapults and other centres within a national innovation network

5. Evolving our funding models; help public funding go further.

Innovate UK’s 5-point plan

1/22/2016

3

Overview

• 30% of global economy is food related

• 60% more food needed by 2050

• Growing need for new sources of

protein & ‘healthier ’ foods

• Natural/healthy food & drink £250bn

• Improving agri-productivity £300bn

• Precision-ag, bio-pesticides @ c. 15%

UK Agri-Food generates: £103bn GVA;

£18bn exports; UK’s largest manufacturing

sector; 3.8 million people employed

Exports: crop protection, animal pharma

and breeding, precision ag, healthy food

Research: Syngenta, PepsiCo, KWS, Cogent,

Mondelez, Tate & Lyle, BBSRC institutes

Global Market Opportunity

UK Capability

• AgriFood: growing and transforming

• Pressing need to close the Yield Gap

• Supply Chain shocks – develop resilience

• Protecting and valuing Ecosystems

• Stringent legislation – across supply chain

• Consumer pressure, CSR, competitive adv.

• Untapped investor take-up

• Identifying investible companies

• Connecting bio-economy landscape

• Rural powerhouse

• Targeting global growth

• Connecting research to industry

• Cross-sector working: space, health, HVM

• Authenticity and traceability

• Addressing large societal challenges

Timeliness & Importance

Additionality

Improving Agricultural

Productivity

Novel genetics / breeding

Combating agro-chemical and

anti-microbial resistance

Enhanced resilience to biotic

and abiotic stress

Individualised

livestock/aquaculture nutrition

& healthcare

Advanced & Precision

Engineering

Enhancing Food

Quality

Reducing Sugar, Salt & Fat

Enhanced nutritional value

New/smarter ingredients

Protein development

Authenticity and Traceability

Food Safety

Smarter Packaging

Modern methods of food

manufacturing

Joining up value chains across borders & boundaries

Building on UK strengths & cross sector working

Nurturing disruptive technologies

Our ‘connect’ activities

• Build family of 4 AgriTech centres

• Work with Defra on FFP25 & Food Innovation Network

• Connect NI, Wales, Scotland & Eire – cross border supply chains

• Connect with LEPs and smart clusters e.g. AgriTech East – ‘rural

powerhouse’

• Demonstrator programme?

• Collaboration Nation, Grand Challenges, Open Innovation,

cross sector working & connecting with research base

• International bi-laterals; inc. in partnership with UKTI, DFID

and in response to H2020 and other global callsFor the full interactive version: http://tinyurl.com/jl224lx

1/22/2016

4

Our ‘fund’ activities

• Still in development

– Mixture of grants and loans

– Also

• H2020, Newton Fund

• Private follow-on investment

• Corporate innovation funds – e.g. open innovation and incubators

• SBRI – lead customer

• International development funding

@meikle567

www.innovateuk.gov.uk

We can’t stop

thinking about

the future