The Scottish Crop Research Institute (SCRI) and the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute have agreed in principle to unite, boosting Scotland’s rural-environmental research capacity and enhancing their global work.
SCRI has international development links to Africa and trade links to China, whilst the Macaulay is active in more than 40 countries. The new organisation is expected to create an international office.
The move is in line with the Scottish Government’s aim to streamline the public sector and follows the First Minister’s encouragement in early 2008 of plans for the boards of SCRI and the Macaulay to explore uniting.
The SCRI, based at Invergowrie, Dundee employs about 300 staff and has an annual income of £17m, of which £13m comes from the Scottish Government. Its scientists work on potato and soft fruit breeding, pests and disease, food quality, plant-led interactions and genetics.
Scotland’s unique bio-mathematical and statistical organisation is part of the SCRI group and has offices in Edinburgh, Dundee and at the Macaulay. It will be part of the new institute.
The Macaulay Institute, based in Aberdeen, also employs 300 staff and has an income of over £16m, again with £10m from the Scottish Government. It has expertise in land use and sustainable development. It also provides services to organisations, including industrial sectors.
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