New £38m alternative proteins research centre launched
The National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC) researchers will work to secure a continuous supply of safe, tasty, affordable, and healthy proteins which also support Net Zero goals and futureproof the UK’s food and animal feed security.
The UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and Innovate UK have today announced £15m funding over the next five years for the centre, with the remainder of the support coming from partners.
NAPIC will host researchers from the University of Leeds, the James Hutton Institute, the University of Sheffield and Imperial College London as they harness world leading science to create a strategy for alternative proteins which will take them from the discovery and innovation phase, right through to commercialisation.
Professor Anwesha Sarkar, director of research and innovation for Leeds’ School of Food Science and Nutrition and project leader for NAPIC, said a phased transition towards low-emission alternative proteins which have a reduced reliance on animal agriculture was imperative to deliver sustainability and protein equity and to ensure a sustainable planet.
Highly complex marketplace
“There are many challenges though, and population-level access to and acceptance of alternative proteins is currently hindered by a highly complex marketplace – and there are worries about taste, nutritional equivalence and cost, as well as health and safety concerns for consumers and the fear of diminished livelihoods for farmers,” said Sarkar.
“NAPIC will provide a robust and sustainable platform for open innovation and responsible data exchange and collaboration with partners from industry, regulators, academic partners and policy makers that mitigates the risks associated with this emerging sector – and also addresses the short- and longer-term concerns of consumers and producers.”
Those behind the NAPIC believed it could serve as a ‘true catalyst’ to realising a projected UK growth potential in alternative proteins of £6.8bn annually, with 25,000 jobs created across multiple sectors – figures predicted by the environmental group Green Alliance in 2023.
Co-director Professor Derek Stewart said: “There is a huge biodiversity in non-animal sources of protein and we have barely scratched the surface of this. NAPIC has all the skills, experience, and collaborators across all sectors to make the transformative change to transition alternative proteins to the mainstream.”
National Protein Strategy
More than 30 researchers from the four institutions and more than 120 NAPIC partners will work closely with industry, regulators, investors and policymakers to create a vibrant alternative protein innovation ecosystem and produce a clear roadmap for the development of a National Protein Strategy for the UK.
The project will be focused around four interdisciplinary ‘knowledge pillars’ – Produce, Progress, People and Perform – each working on new technologies that could unlock the benefits of alternative proteins. See box below for more details.
Bespoke technical, entrepreneurial, regulatory and policy training will be offered by NAPIC in an effort to develop the future leaders of the sector, as well as promote the exchange of knowledge through what it described as an “unrivalled international network of partners, including the United Nations”.
Project co-lead professor Karen Polizzi from Imperial College London added: “Transitioning to healthy, sustainable sources of protein is a pressing global challenge. NAPIC will help facilitate this transition by supporting researchers and industry in all parts of the process from product design through to consumer acceptance.”
