The University of New England (UNE) welcomes the announcement by Member for New England and Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce of funding to support a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Armidale, which brings veterinary, agriculture and chemical sciences together as part of an initiative to advance primary production.
The Agvet Chemical and Technology Innovation Centre of Excellence will focus on regulatory sciences research, and operate as an industry-aligned coordination centre through a partnership between UNE and CropLife Australia, the national peak industry organisation for the plant science sector.
The CoE, to be hosted by UNE and based on the UNE Armidale Campus, will bring farmers and producers together at the paddock fence with scientists and industry experts from across Australia and globally. The funding will enable the establishment of a Chair of Regulatory Sciences at UNE and the supporting infrastructure to enable the research and knowledge translation to occur.
UNE Vice Chancellor and CEO Professor Brigid Heywood said that the CoE will provide a showcase for collaborative university research, with and for industry to develop solutions with global impact.
“This Centre of Excellence builds on UNE's rich history of delivering improved outcomes and profits for Australian farmers at the intersection of science, research, technologies and agricultural production,” Professor Heywood said.
“Investment into regional Australia is crucial and pays real dividends for farmers and regional communities. I also look forward to the opportunities that this partnership will deliver for our students and graduates.
“The CoE builds on UNE’s already very strong track record of successful public/private partnerships, with collaborations including ABGU and the Poultry Hub housed on our Armidale campus,” she said.
CropLife CEO, Matthew Cossey said the CoE is a great example of effective collaboration between industry, regulators and researchers who have worked together over several years to develop the initiative.
“Ensuring access to safe, effective and modern agvet chemicals and technologies is crucial to growing agriculture productivity, improving global competitiveness and delivering even better environmental outcomes from farming.
“This is why appropriate public policy and regulatory processes must be informed and developed with the support of science-based, robust expertise,” he said.
