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

一份报告“废物还是资源？2014年3月，英国上议院科学与技术特别委员会发布了一份名为《刺激生物经济》的报告，强调了英国产生的废物水平以及利用这些废物生产高价值产品的潜力。BBSRC资助的诺丁汉大学的研究在过去的五年里一直在研究农业残留物（如小麦秸秆）转化为乙醇等燃料背后的技术障碍。这项研究开发了一系列处理废弃生物质流的技术，并强调了除了能源之外还需要产生更高价值的产品。与此同时，由Innovate UK资助的关于替代废物流和产品的研究也在进行。这项基础研究从食品工业产生的一系列废物流中确定了一些潜在的高价值产品。它还开发了提取、纯化和浓缩这些产品的技术。克服这些废物利用的技术障碍只是这一进程的第一步。商业实施还受到另一系列障碍的制约，如建立流程的资本成本;流程的成本效益;知识产权的考虑以及对当前业务的潜在干扰。这个FLIP应用程序是为了让一个研究员，谁一直主要负责这项基础研究在诺丁汉，花了18个月的时间与新食品创新有限公司（NFI）。NFI是一家小型公司，为食品行业引入新产品和新工艺提供渠道和咨询。该公司在行业内拥有广泛的联系网络，并在与商业开发研究相关的所有领域拥有专业知识。该公司将为研究员提供商业开发方面的培训。与此同时，该研究员将为初步研究中确定的废物流和产品制定业务计划。这些包括从马铃薯废料和啤酒糟中提取和纯化蛋白质，这些蛋白质可能具有结构化食物的功能。另一个例子是从水果废弃物中制备果肉材料，由于其高保水性，该果肉材料可能在食品结构中具有功能性。一小部分的安置将包括研究员访问其他研究小组（在诺丁汉和其他地方），以帮助确定其他潜在的废物流和产品。该FLIP将为交换机和合作伙伴带来一系列好处。已经熟练掌握研究技术方面的交换者将接受培训，并了解同样重要的商业障碍以及如何评估和跨越这些障碍。这将有助于并为他们今后的研究活动提供信息。诺丁汉大学，特别是PI，将能够为它积累的现有研究组合探索潜在的“开发管道”，并沿着其他机构，确定其他研究领域。NFI将获得他们可以评估的新技术和产品，并酌情帮助将这些技术和产品转移到相关行业。

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.