New strategies and models for commercialising innovations in the processing of agri- and food co-streams

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A report "Waste or resource?-stimulating the bioeconomy", published in March 2014 by the House of Lords Science and Technology select committee, highlighted the level of waste generated in the UK and the potential to exploit this for the generation of high value products. BBSRC funded research at The University of Nottingham over the past five years has been looking at the technical barriers behind the conversion of agricultural residues (such as wheat straw) into fuels such as ethanol. This research has developed a range of techniques to handle waste biomass streams and highlighted the need to generate higher value products in addition to energy. This has been accompanied by research, funded by Innovate UK, into alternate waste streams and products. This fundamental research has identified a number of potential high value products from a range of waste streams arising from the food industry. It has also developed techniques to extract, purify and concentrate these products. Overcoming these technical barriers to the exploitation of waste is only the first step in the process. Commercial implementation is subject to another range of barriers such as capital costs to establish the process; cost effectiveness of the process; considerations of intellectual property and potential disruption to the current operations. This FLIP application is to allow a research fellow, who has been primarily responsible for this basic research at Nottingham, to spend a period of 18 months with New Food Innovation Ltd (NFI). NFI is a small company that provides a conduit and consultation role for the introduction of novel products and processes into the food industry. The company has an extensive network of contacts within the industry and has expertise in all areas related to the commercial exploitation of research. The company will provide the fellow with training in aspects of commercial exploitation. At the same time the fellow will develop business plans for those waste streams and products that have been identified from the preliminary research. These include the extraction and purification of proteins from potato waste and brewers spent grain that may have functionality in structuring foods. Another example is the preparation of pulp material from fruit waste that may have functionality in food structuring due to its high water retention properties. A small part of the placement will include the fellow visiting other research groups (at Nottingham and elsewhere) to help identify other potential waste streams and products. This FLIP will deliver a range of benefits to the interchanger and the partners. The interchanger, who is already skilled in the technical aspects of the research, will receive training and gain an appreciation of the equally important commercial barriers and how they may be assessed and crossed. This will benefit and inform their future research activities. Nottingham University, and the PI in particular, will be able to explore potential "pipelines to exploitation" for the existing research portfolio that it has accumulated and, along with other institution, identify other areas of investigation. NFI will have access to new technologies and products that they can assess and as appropriate help transfer these into the relevant industry.