Two UK government funding bodies have recently announced intentions to establish a £15 million sustainable protein research hub, marking the largest single public investment the UK has made in plant-based and cultivated meat to date.
The centre will focus especially on the commercialisation of high-quality innovations and the development of the next-gen sustainable proteins. Its announcement comes on the heels of recently released research from Green Alliance research which found the UK’s sustainable protein industry could be worth up to £6.8 billion annually and create 25,000 jobs by 2035
The earmarked funds, from Biotechnical and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Innovate UK are set to enable businesses and researchers to carry out projects such as the upscaling of production and reduction of costs in the areas of plant-based foods, cultivated meat, and fermentation-based proteins. The two parties state that the announcement will “ensure the UK capitalises on its cutting-edge research and innovation potential” in these sectors.
Innovation and Knowledge Centres have been set up by UK Research and Innovation in other sectors including synthetic biology (Imperial College London) and smart infrastructure and construction (University of Cambridge).
Dr Stella Child, Research and Grants Manager at the Good Food Institute Europe, comments: “It’s great to see the UK investing in essential research that will make sustainable options delicious, affordable and accessible – and position the country as a global leader in this burgeoning field.
“This is exactly the kind of investment our recent report called for. To maximise the potential of this groundbreaking new research centre, the government must also step up policy efforts in other areas like regulation to develop a thriving sustainable protein sector.”
