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The Horticulture Innovation Partnership
Extending links for collaborative research and
innovation in Horticulture
Mary BosleyChair of the HIP
Why is Horticulture innovation important to the UK economy ?
• Sector makes a vital contribution to jobs, food security, nutrition, health and well-being.
• Employs over 100,000 workers.
• Occupies 5% of the (non-grass) cropped land area.
• Produces 40% of total farm gate sales, worth £3.4 billion.
• Three-fold value-added multiplier downstream in processing and supply chains.
Source: Defra (2011) and AHDB MI (2011).
The Challenges
A vision for innovation which prioritises research needs and aligns with funders’ policies and priorities and helps industry to:
• Expand UK and overseas markets.
• Drive profitability along the supply chain.
• Enhance competitiveness & resilience
How the HIP works
• A developing partnership between growers, suppliers, processors, packers, retailers, policymakers, research funders and providers.
• Launched in March 2013 - conceived and funded by industry as an independent stakeholder organisation.
• Industry-led activities through tri-partite working groups comprising industry, research providers and funders.
• The HIP Funders Group informs research funders of the research challenges faced by industry.
How the HIP works
The Partnership has worked together to develop a shared vision for business innovation to create a resilient Industry, able to take advantage of expanding opportunities in a global marketplace. The HIP is:
• A contact point to influence research funds offered by Govt. and other organisations.
• Ensuring there are funded programs directly relevant to Horticulture and Potatoes.
A HIP case study – Ornamentals Strategy
• Initiative joining up whole ornamental supply chain raising industry profile and demonstrating the benefits of plants and landscapes.
• 13 industry organisations contributed and circa100 others consulted.
• Identified 9 key research objectives to deliver the benefits.
• Objective to influence policy and priority setting across Govt. departments and to encourage Research Councils to use existing and new funding schemes to deliver the agenda.
Extending links for collaboration – as Horticulture Coordinators for BBSRC
• As the coordinator for the BBSRC Horticulture and Potato Initiative (HAPI), the HIP is steering researchers to focus on the Industry’s challenges to deliver business benefits.
• 10 projects funded through HAPI rounds 1 & 2.
• The HIP advocates industry partners’ needs & ensures pathway to impact and knowledge sharing.
• Fostering wider links between projects to create a HAPI community.
• Building awareness of successful collaborations between companies & researchers to secure further participation in public-private funding.
Extending links for collaboration – Horticulture Knowledge Exchange Fellowship
A new Research Councils’ initiative - BBSRC / NERC co-funded 3 KE fellows in partnership with the HIP, who will:
• Facilitate networks between industry and academic research groups to enable an accelerated uptake of research outputs.
• Enable supply chain businesses to access NERC and BBSRC research investments to address innovation needs.
• Publicise advances that could benefit industry.
• Highlight gaps in knowledge & barriers to the uptake of research.
• Translate industry challenges into clear & prioritised research opportunities.
Extending links for collaboration – the Agri-Tech Strategy
• Disappointingly the HIP- led Innovation Centre (IC) proposal did not succeed.
• The proposal, built through extensive consultation with the supply chain & capturing industry priorities, remains valid.
• The HIP has engaged with emerging consortia to include these priorities in their proposals and we shall continue drive discussions with the funded ICs.
• The HIP can make the connections between the ICs and provide an interface to the industry.
• Sector positioned to take best advantage of the Agri-Tech ICs to energise innovation and drive growth.
Conclusion
• The HIP is extending links for collaborative research and innovation for horticulture.
• By driving discussions with HIP stakeholders to ensure future research and innovation needs are clearly articulated to potential funders and investors.
• We are facilitating stakeholder engagement in relevant funding initiatives and opportunities through our communications activities.
• We welcome you to be part of the HIP community - visit www.hip.org.uk