Seven dairy research projects that have won a total of £2m are set to have significant implications for productivity and sustainable production on a national level.
The Digital Dairy Chain has announced the winners of the 2023 collaborative research and development grant competition, run by Innovate UK.
Projects have received grants of between £200,000-£350,000 which will be invested in work taking place predominantly across Cumbria and South and West Scotland, the Digital Dairy Chain’s geographical reach.
Projects had to be collaborative and business led, as well as showing a realistic potential to support business growth, scale-up and job creation for the sector.
Galebreaker Ltd is leading one such project which has been awarded £270,000 through the competition to create a cost-effective ventilated environment for calves.
The Galebreaker team will be working in collaboration with Ross Vance from High Skeog Farm in Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway, and researchers from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC).
Other innovative projects set to receive a share of the funding range from developing the world’s first ready-to-feed baby milk free from tropical oil emulsifiers, to establishing a new model using genomics and IVF to rapidly breed more methane-efficient, sustainable cattle.
The Digital Dairy Chain is a five-year project that offers those involved in the dairy supply chain across Cumbria, South and West Scotland a range of services to boost productivity
Stuart Martin, programme director of the Digital Dairy Chain, said: “The calibre of applications we received for this first round of R&D competition funding set the bar extremely high.
"These are groundbreaking ideas across a number of innovative subject matters, which will have significant implications for dairy productivity and sustainable production on a national level.”
Andrew Gardner from Galebreaker, added: “The Digital Dairy Chain funding will allow Galebreaker to design, build and test an innovative and cost-effective calf housing solution.
"Galebreaker and High Skeog Farm are aligned in thinking that a key strategy to transforming a dairy farm is by improving the health and welfare of the youngstock, bringing productivity and sustainability to the milking herd.”
The Digital Dairy Chain is set to announce 2024 dates for a second round of collaborative R&D funding later this year.
