Rothamsted Centre for Research and Enterprise opens its doors to a specialist in crop and livestock nutrition that is keen to find specific solutions for UK farming
Crop and livestock nutrition is the focus of the latest enterprise to set up its research and development facility on the Rothamsted campus where the affiliated Rothamsted Centre for Research and Enterprise (RoCRE) provides incubation space for agricultural technology businesses.
Timac Agro UK has announced that the company has established its headquarters at RoCRE to take advantage of the hub for agri-tech businesses, which promotes collaboration and innovation by partnering research with commercial organisations.
“We now have 15 businesses on site and we are delighted that Timac is joining the Rothamsted community,” says Chris Dunkley, executive director of RoCRE. “By partnering in this way, the science that Rothamsted does becomes more relevant and practical to the wider industry, and we are very much looking forward to working together.”
Timac specialises in plant and animal nutrition, creating products from arable and grass fertiliser to bio-stimulants, soil conditioners, mineral blocks, bedding and slurry enhancers. It sees the move to the Rothamsted site as a way of further developing its research and industry links.
“Our job is to enhance nutrient efficiency to better meet plant and animal needs and help farmers to make greater margins,” says Cyril Cappe, Timac’s general manager. “UK farmers have specific challenges and needs, and by working with Rothamsted we can develop specific solutions.”
Cappe adds: “We want to help build a sustainable business for farmers and for the next generation of Timac Agro UK. To do that we need to go a bit further than everyone else, working with scientists and experts in their field to increase nutrition efficiencies.”
Timac’s parent company is the Roullier Group, based in Brittany. “As a global company, we are always investing in research and development, with over 70 partnerships with universities around the globe.” Timac has already funded a Rothamsted PhD project on the control of tillering in wheat, and is developing a demonstration platform on Rothamsted’s 400ha farm.
“We will be able to carry out trials and bring farmers along to see what we’re doing,” says Cappe. “We also have access to the large conference facility and a network of like-minded agri-tech companies which will help us to extend our innovation and ability to think outside the box. This move is a key milestone to allow further development and reinforce our links in the UK agricultural market.”
The Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Rothamsted Research and the Lawes Agricultural Trust are shareholders of RoCRE. BBSRC also provides strategic funding for Rothamsted Research.
