Innovation Hubs

Six New Hubs For Innovation

In 2022, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) funded six new Hubs as part of the Open Innovation Research Club (OIRC) on diet and health.

In 2023, the British Nutrition Foundation was mandated by BBSRC to coordinate the six OIRC Hubs. An overview of all the Hubs’ activities is available on the BNF website: oirc.org.uk.

The hubs address shared barriers to innovation across the food and drink sector and aim to reduce the huge impact poor diet has on public health.

From maximising the nutritional value of foods to better understanding what influences dietary choices and the relationship between food and health, these new innovation hubs bring together leaders from academia, industry and wider stakeholders.

Each Innovation Hub will build cross-sector collaborative networks to improve the UK’s capacity and capability and deliver world-class innovation around diet and health.

The Biofortification Hub is an important component of the OIRC initiative. It will connect academia, industry and policymakers to collaboratively pursue shared research priorities in the development of crops, foods, feed and fodder with higher levels of nutrients.

Six New Hubs For Innovation
The six new innovation hubs will support and drive progress across strategic priority areas
Group 27
Biofortification Hub – Quadram Institute & John Innes Centre (Norwich)
RIPEN Hub – Imperial College London
Promoting sustained acceptance of healthy foods (Consumer Lab – University of Bristol
Development of functional foods and beverages (INFORM – University of Reading
Understanding how food and beverages deliver improved nutrition across the life-course University of Southampton
STAR – University of Surrey, Guildford

Six BBSRC Innovation Hubs were established in 2022 as part of the Diet and Health Open Innovation Research Club (OIRC). They are: