Supporting large AgriFood businesses: Dunbia’s innovation journey towards low carbon beef
Discover how Dunbia is spearheading innovation with the support of the Innovate UK Business Connect AgriFood team. Hear how Dunbia, a major player in the AgriFood sector, collaborates with cross-sector networks and communities to overcome significant industry challenges.
Learn how Dunbia is taking advantage of the support on offer from the Innovate UK Business Connect AgriFood team to aid them in their innovation journey, particularly during their low-carbon beef project, funded by Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, which is setting new standards for sustainability in the industry.
Creating a strong innovation pipeline strategy
Dunbia is one of the UK’s leading beef and lamb processors and is supplied regularly by up to 40,000 British and Irish farmers. Influential throughout the supply chain, Dunbia have successfully secured multiple Innovate UK grants to develop and drive the adoption of innovative technology and processes that deliver more efficient and sustainable livestock systems.
Michael McWhinney, Head of AgriFood R&D at Dunbia UK, has a history of managing large collaborative innovation projects that have improved the efficiency, quality, and consistency of beef production in the UK. Funding secured through the UKRI Transforming Food Production Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK and BBSRC, fuelled Dunbia’s ‘Conception to consumption’ project with Breedr and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), which aligned farmers to consumers using modern data, decision support and precision agriculture techniques (read more on p15 of the Transforming Food Production Delivering Impact brochure). The collaboration with Breedr has continued using funding from Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK, to explore innovative solutions for a low carbon, pasture-fed beef system with FAI Farms.
The Innovate UK Business Connect AgriFood team provided significant assistance with each project application and facilitated access to expertise across a wide range of specialisms including animal health, soil health and biodiversity, helping to refine ideas and build project teams. Dunbia’s successful management of their research pipeline, planning ahead to take advantage of both Innovate UK funding and support, has accelerated their ambitions for innovation adoption and behavioural change on farms throughout their supply chain.
Michael and Dunbia are a good example of how companies can utilise expertise from other sectors to solve big industry challenges. Their strategic approach to R&D has been key to their progress, and we have enjoyed working closely with Dunbia to help plan their project pipeline, and access the partners and funding needed to ensure success.
– David Telford, Head of AgriFood at Innovate UK Business Connect
Top tips for large AgriFood businesses
Lucy Mather, Knowledge Transfer Manager – Livestock & Aquaculture at Innovate UK Business Connect, has supported large businesses like Dunbia to connect with complimentary expertise from other sectors who are facing similar challenges and can enable outside-the-box thinking.
With over 10,000 connections in our AgriFood supply chain network, the innovators in our community can help find comprehensive solutions to business challenges.
Watch the video below for advice on how to benefit from Innovate UK Business Connect support.
Are you interested in collaborating with us?
If you would like project support for your business, we highly recommend that you:
- Read the Innovate UK good application guide for those interested in applying for an upcoming funding opportunity.
- Subscribe to our Innovate UK Business Connect AgriFood newsletter for updates on the latest news, funding opportunities and networking events.
