UK and Scottish Ministers Open £8 Million Dairy Innovation Hub in Southern Scotland

Backed by £4 million each from the UK and Scottish governments and an additional £738,000 from South of Scotland Enterprise, the facility is led by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC). The project is designed to support decarbonisation and boost the long-term sustainability of milk production.

The Dairy Nexus will serve as a collaborative hub, bringing together researchers, farmers, industry advisors and businesses to address sector challenges, improve productivity and explore new commercial opportunities.

“The UK government is investing £1.4 billion across Scotland to drive economic growth,” said Kirsty McNeill, UK parliamentary under-secretary of state for Scotland. “The Dairy Nexus will be instrumental in delivering sustainable growth as part of our Plan for Change.”

Russel Griggs, chair of South of Scotland Enterprise, said the project is expected to stimulate local job creation and investment. “This facility will help the dairy sector decarbonise, boost productivity, improve animal welfare and unlock new product innovation,” he said.

The centre will employ 60 staff, including 15 new roles. Tom Arthur, Scottish minister for employment and investment, said the project would enhance the value of the region’s dairy industry, which supports more than 1,300 producers and nearly 1,000 farms.

Dairy Nexus is the first initiative launched under the Borderlands Growth Deal in Scotland, which aims to drive job creation and economic development across southern Scotland.

Originally conceived as a two-storey facility, the project was scaled back to a single-storey design built by Portakabin due to financial constraints linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit.