Crop & Soil Innovation Pipeline (CSIP)

The Crop & Soil Pipeline (CSIP) is a challenge platform aiming to generate new knowledge to transform food production.

The unique breadth of expertise across the N8 AgriFood programme in the crop and soil research area allows the creation of a single portal. This enables research and industry partners to access the expertise and facilities of all N8 universities – delivering an innovation platform that integrates fundamental crop and soil science and state of the art farms with translation expertise, to generate transformative solutions for the agrifood sector.

We need a new agricultural system that will produce the food our global population needs in a resilient and sustainable way, reducing emission and waste, and maintaining soil function. Each of the N8 universities has access to unique and cutting edge technology platforms and facilities, as well as interdisciplinary expertise in the agrifood sector. Association with groups such as the Crop Health And Protection (CHAP) Agri-tech Innovation Centre expands CSIP facilities and expertise further.

No other UK grouping has the breadth of expertise and infrastructure across crop and soil research. This unique strength allows CSIP to act as a single portal to integrate expertise and infrastructure to create a hub that brings together businesses, farmers and academics to actively generate significant, lasting transdisciplinary solutions to meet the challenges of sustainable agriculture.

Features of CSIP

Provide a vital link between academic expertise and stakeholders and an accessible mechanism to allow academic partners to access facilities across all institutes increasing research power through collaboration.
Engage industry to prioritise their challenges in interactive forums, and de-risk research and development programmes especially for pre-competitive collaborations.
Provide bespoke collaborations between industry and academia for close to market research.
Provide a point of contact to facilitate interdisciplinary partnerships and a platform for knowledge exchange.
Boost international competitiveness of the N8 universities in crop and soil research and act as an influential voice for plant and soil science in the North of England.
Act as a translational pipeline to increase the impact of fundamental research, address food security, sustainability and environmental challenges in producing ‘public good’ or pre-competitive crop and soil technology.