Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

Our Research

A key research area for LIAT is energy efficiency and sustainability of food production systems. Solutions include wireless communications, extended data networks, and sustainable energy innovation. We also have specialisms in soil and water and value chain sustainability.

Research Projects

Alleviating nutritional stress for wider environmental rewards in sustainable UK protein crop production

The project has one overall aim: to optimize nutrient management for faba bean improvement. Applying optimal nutrient doses is important for achieving higher crop yields while keeping farm production costs minimal and reducing environmental impacts.

Project Lead: Dr Ravi Valluru

Co-Investigator: Professor Simon Pearson

Funder: Innovate UK

Collaborative Fruit Retrieval Using Intelligent Transportation

The aim is to create an innovative approach for soft fruit producers that drives labour productivity, reduces waste, and increases marketable yield. It will help to de-link the sector from critical dependencies on seasonal labour and drives towards net-zero by reducing farm waste.

Project Lead: Professor Elizabeth Sklar

Co-Investigator: Marc Hanheide

Funder: Innovate UK

Butterfly

Project Butterfly brings together a consortium of UK High Value Manufacturing working across sectors, along with solution providers and research organisation to share best practice and demonstrate the power of I4.0 to deliver near-term impact on the road to net zero manufacturing.

Project Lead: Professor Simon Pearson

Co-Investigators: Elizabeth Sklar, Janet Bellamy

Funder: Innovate UK

AgriFood4NetZero: Plausible Pathways, Practical and Open Science for Net Zero Agrifood

The AgriFood4NetZero Network+ brings together key research leaders and their organisations and networks in a mission-led collaboration. The Network adopts a co-development approach to engage scientists and stakeholders to progress and prioritise UKRI and other research to support the agri-food system’s contribution to transitioning to a net zero UK by 2050.

Project Lead: Professor Simon Pearson

Funder: UK Research and Innovation

Qualicrop

To develop and introduce farm-gate, just in time automated crop grading for delicate produce (e.g. strawberries and grapes), adding value for tight-margin growers and ultimately disintermediating an inefficient supply chain, lowering costs to consumers.

Project Lead: Professor Grzegorz Cielniak

Co-Investigator: Simon Pearson

Funder: Innovate UK

Contained Technologies UK Ltd by Alex Szymborski in Digital Supply Chain Hub: Consortium Testbed – FMCG

The consortium will contribute to the Digital Supply Chain Hub by establishing a test bed for the food sector that will facilitate secure and permission-led digital collaboration enabling significantly enhanced resilience and sustainability.

Project Lead: Professor Simon Pearson

Funder: UK Research and Innovation

Project Pythagoras

Project Pythagoras is a 24-month feasibility study which will develop understanding of how a protein crop can best be grown sustainably and profitably, while still providing a marketable, affordable, and nutritious product for the end consumer.

Project Lead: Janet Bellamy

Co-Investigators: Leonidas Rempelos, Ravi Valluru, Samson Oyeyinka

Funder: Innovate UK