Visit to the James Hutton Institute
2025/11/7
On Friday, 7th November, Deputy Consul General Minori Ishii, along with other participants of the Scotland’s Global Food Security Conference, visited the Dundee (Invergowrie) site of the James Hutton Institute. The institute, based in both Invergowrie and Aberdeen in Scotland, is an interdisciplinary scientific research organisation focused on land use, crop science, and natural resource management. It has over 600 staff members and 150 graduate students and is equipped with state-of-the-art research facilities and experimental farms.
During their visit, the participants received an overview from Professor Colin Campbell, the Chief Executive Officer of the research institute. They were then guided by him on a tour of the following state-of-the-art facilities.
1. Vertical Farming Facility: A facility created by Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), a collaborative research partner based at the Institute.
2. Plant Phenotyping Platform 'PlantScreenTM Modular System': A cutting-edge system that automatically analyses plant growth and physiological responses non-destructively.
3. International Barley Hub (IBH): A genomics research hub aimed at sustainable production and quality improvement of barley.
In addition, the James Hutton Institute has long-standing partnership with the Suntory Group, which has established a presence in Scotland. This collaboration includes a blackcurrant breeding programme for varieties used in Ribena, a drink owned by Suntory, and projects focused on peatland restoration and conservation.
During their visit, the participants received an overview from Professor Colin Campbell, the Chief Executive Officer of the research institute. They were then guided by him on a tour of the following state-of-the-art facilities.
1. Vertical Farming Facility: A facility created by Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS), a collaborative research partner based at the Institute.
2. Plant Phenotyping Platform 'PlantScreenTM Modular System': A cutting-edge system that automatically analyses plant growth and physiological responses non-destructively.
3. International Barley Hub (IBH): A genomics research hub aimed at sustainable production and quality improvement of barley.
In addition, the James Hutton Institute has long-standing partnership with the Suntory Group, which has established a presence in Scotland. This collaboration includes a blackcurrant breeding programme for varieties used in Ribena, a drink owned by Suntory, and projects focused on peatland restoration and conservation.