Dairy Evolution NeXt Network (DEX) - A Network for the Exchange of Knowledge and Expertise in the UK and Ireland Dairy Sectors

研究背景：英国和ROI乳制品行业存在着共同的挑战，它们在这两个行业有着悠久的合作历史。在英国，农产品出口额每年超过180亿欧元。同样，在爱尔兰，出口额为120亿欧元。两国每年相互进出口超过40亿欧元的农产品。然而，最近的冲击，如英国退欧和新冠肺炎，对两国的国际供应链、贸易和融资机制提出了质疑。鉴于北爱尔兰和爱尔兰共和国之间供应链的高度一体化性质，英国退欧对爱尔兰岛的乳制品行业具有重大影响。此外，消费者对植物性替代品的兴趣与日俱增，突显了创新和开发面向市场的附加值产品的必要性。市场挑战将导致奶农和生产者需要重新思考他们的商业模式，并为不确定的商业条件开发新的可持续解决方案。先前的研究承认农业食品创新网络面临的挑战，特别是农业食品公司目前面临的技能短缺，这影响了它们从市场获取和利用信息和学习以及主动应对市场威胁的能力。有人呼吁进行研究，以考察农民竞争和生存所需的创业技能。此外，关于农业食品公司如何在不确定和危机时期进行商业模式创新的研究有限。据我们所知，目前还没有关于农业食品部门如何从危机中恢复的研究。目的和目标：该项目有3个主要目标：目标1：建立一个可持续的英国和ROI社会科学研究人员网络，以确定共同的研究优先事项，并促进与乳品养殖业部门内的知识交流和创新有关的研究想法和新方法的共享(在重大市场变化的背景下)；目标2：进行一项范围研究，以比较英国和ROI内的奶农之间当前和潜在的知识交流与合作形式，并确定这些奶农之间的创业、创新和数字化技能(和技能差距)；目标3：与非学术合作伙伴建立多行为者网络，为研究重点提供信息，从而确保网络的长期可持续性和利用率。潜在的应用和好处：DEX网络将通过聚集多学科专家和行业利益相关者来识别行业挑战并共同创建将产生重大影响的优先研究主题，从而提供价值。将提供证据，支持英国和区域组织国家农业食品支持系统(例如，国家农村发展方案)之间的最佳做法交流和政策交叉。为了确保用户将受益于DEX网络，四个工作包(WPS)将汇集四个申请者的研究优势：政策和支持(Dundalk)、可持续商业模式(Ulster)、创业和新产品开发(CORK)和数字创新(Exeter)。在每个WP中，将在每个申请者的组织中举办为期一天的研讨会(北爱尔兰1个，英格兰1个，ROI 2个)。用户将受益于讲习班期间和之后的知识交流(专题介绍、案例研究、非正式网络建设)。预计这将在创新和多样化战略领域对用户产生影响。除了研讨会参与者，研讨会的内容将通过总结报告和播客向更广泛的学术界和业界利益攸关方传播，以最大限度地扩大项目的影响。

The Context of the Research:Common challenges exist for the UK and ROI dairy industry, where they have a long history of collaboration. In the UK, exports of agri-food products accounts for over 18 billion euro annually. Similarly, in Ireland, exports are worth 12 billion euro. Both countries import and export over 4 billion euro of agri-food produce to each other every year. However, recent shocks such as Brexit and COVID-19 have questioned both countries' international supply chains, trade and funding mechanisms. Brexit has major implications for the dairy industry on the island of Ireland, given the highly integrated nature of the supply chain between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Furthermore, increasing consumer interest in plant-based substitutes highlights the need for innovation and developing market-oriented added-value products. Market challenges will result in the need for dairy farmers and producers to rethink their business models and to develop new sustainable solutions for uncertain business conditions. Prior research acknowledges challenges facing agri-food innovation networks, in particular the skills shortages agri-food firms currently face, which impact their ability to acquire and utilise information and learning from the marketplace and respond proactively to market threats. There have been calls for research to examine the entrepreneurial skills necessary for farmers to compete and survive. Furthermore, limited research exists on how agri-food firms can engage in business model innovation in times of uncertainty and crisis. No research to our knowledge exists on how the agri-food sector can recover from crises. Aims and Objectives:The project has 3 main objectives:Objective 1: To develop a sustainable network of UK and ROI social science researchers to identify common research priorities and to promote the sharing of research ideas and new methodologies in relation to knowledge exchange for innovation within the dairy farming sector (in the context of significant market changes); Objective 2: To undertake a scoping study to compare the current and potential forms of knowledge exchange and collaboration among dairy farmers within the UK and ROI and to identify the entrepreneurial, innovation and digitisation skills (and skills gaps) among those dairy farmers; Objective 3: To build multi-actor networks with non-academic partners to inform research priorities, thus ensuring the sustainability and utilisation of the network in the long-term.Potential Applications and Benefits:The DEX Network will provide value through bringing together multidisciplinary experts and industry stakeholders to identify industry challenges and co-create priority research themes that will create significant impact. Evidence will be provided to support the exchange of best practices and cross-fertilisation of policies between UK and ROI national agri-food support systems (e.g. national Rural Development Programmes). To ensure users will benefit from the DEX Network, four Work Packages (WPs) will bring together the research strengths of the four applicants: Policy and Support (Dundalk), Sustainable Business Models (Ulster), Entrepreneurship and New Product Development (Cork); and Digital Innovation (Exeter). In each WP, a one-day Workshop will be held in each applicant's organisation (1 in Northern Ireland, 1 in England and 2 in ROI). Users will benefit from the knowledge exchange during and following Workshops (presentations, case studies, informal network building). It is anticipated that this will lead to user impact in the areas of innovation and diversification strategies. Beyond the Workshop participants, Workshop content will be disseminated to the wider community of academics and industry stakeholders through summary reports and podcasts, in order to maximise the reach of the project.