Multi-million-pound dairy innovation centre opens in Scotland
Source: DairyNews.today
A multi-million-pound research centre aimed at advancing dairy industry innovation and sustainability has opened at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Barony campus near Dumfries.
The Dairy Nexus project, backed by £4 million each from the UK and Scottish governments and £738,000 from South of Scotland Enterprise, seeks to decarbonise the sector and improve sustainability in milk production.
The facility is expected to house around 60 staff, including 15 new hires. Its location positions it to support dairy innovation in key producing regions such as Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria.
The centre will bring together researchers, advisors, farmers, and businesses to tackle real-world industry challenges and enhance productivity.
UK government minister for Scotland Kirsty McNeil and Scotland’s employment and investment minister Tom Arthur officially opened the labs.
Russel Griggs, chair of South of Scotland Enterprise, said Dairy Nexus would also attract jobs and investment. "It will drive innovation to help decarbonise the dairy sector while boosting productivity, improving animal welfare, and developing new dairy-based products," he said.
The project is the first to be completed under the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, which secured up to £350 million in funding from the UK and Scottish governments in 2019.
Originally planned as a two-storey building, the facility was redesigned as a single-storey structure due to financial pressures linked to Brexit, inflation, and the Covid-19 pandemic. It was constructed by Portakabin.
The facility is expected to house around 60 staff, including 15 new hires. Its location positions it to support dairy innovation in key producing regions such as Dumfries and Galloway and Cumbria.
The centre will bring together researchers, advisors, farmers, and businesses to tackle real-world industry challenges and enhance productivity.
UK government minister for Scotland Kirsty McNeil and Scotland’s employment and investment minister Tom Arthur officially opened the labs.
Russel Griggs, chair of South of Scotland Enterprise, said Dairy Nexus would also attract jobs and investment. "It will drive innovation to help decarbonise the dairy sector while boosting productivity, improving animal welfare, and developing new dairy-based products," he said.
The project is the first to be completed under the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, which secured up to £350 million in funding from the UK and Scottish governments in 2019.
Originally planned as a two-storey building, the facility was redesigned as a single-storey structure due to financial pressures linked to Brexit, inflation, and the Covid-19 pandemic. It was constructed by Portakabin.
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