UK Agri Tech Centre - Northern Hub
Meet Stephen Burns, Head of Projects at the Northern Hub of UK Agri Tech Centre on Easter Bush Campus. Stephen finds motivation in the Centre’s ability to offer end-to-end solutions. He and his team are currently involved in upwards of 84 live projects.
Tell us about your background and how you came to work in this sector?
I started out in electronics and electrical engineering, working with the Ministry of Defence as an Electronics Engineer. From there I attended the University of Strathclyde and graduated with a degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering.
After a couple of years working in IT development, I spent 12 years working at Edinburgh Napier University with Electronics Design Technology Support Centre for Scotland (EDTC), a grant-funded organisation, where I helped small businesses transform their ideas into commercial products. This involved supporting them to secure funding, partnering them with industrial and academic experts, and for some, getting a product on the market.
Towards the end of my tenure there, I worked on projects related to abattoirs and dairies concerning potential energy efficiencies. This paved the way for my move to SRUC and eventually to Agri-EPI Centre when the company was first getting started. I am now Head of Projects at the UK Agri-Tech Centre.
What does being Head of Projects entail?
Being Head of Projects at the UK Agri-Tech Centre is all about building the team and ensuring we start to merge our processes, documents and software so that we are all working consistently. I spend a lot of time networking, connecting problems with solutions and looking at our project portfolio holistically to identify opportunities for partnerships or connections. It is also about helping our team of Project Managers and Coordinators grow into their roles and succeed in delivering the many exciting projects we have going at any one time.
What exciting projects are your team working on at the moment?
We have upwards of 84 live projects at the moment, all of which are exciting in their own right. One project that’s been grabbing a lot of attention is “Dancing with Daffodils”, which has seen considerable success. This project is developing a UK-based supply chain for a naturally sourced methane-reducing feed additive using a specific alkaloid extracted from daffodils.
Our GreenShed project with SRUC, focusing on creating more circular environments and on regenerative agriculture, is also very topical right now. We have others that work across multiple partner organisations to address different aspects of the solution.
Projects that make a difference environmentally, economically, and sustainably are always important for us.
Stephen Burns, Head of Projects at Northern Hub of UK Agri-Tech Centre
What inspires you in this line of work?
Working with and helping develop cutting-edge technologies from trial to commercial stage is especially rewarding. The networking and the people I meet are also a big inspiration—especially the farmers.
Understanding their challenges and seeing how they overcome them is truly inspiring. These stewards of the land are dedicated to making their food production as efficient, productive, and sustainable as possible. Helping to make their jobs even slightly easier is a big motivation.
Of course, my team is a motivation as well. Seeing the passion and commitment of the people at the UK Agri-Tech Centre to make a difference is very special and not something you find in most workplaces.
How can the UK Agri-Tech Centre help deliver a project?
The UK Agri-Tech Centre offers end-to-end solutions. We have the expertise and networks to connect companies with the right avenues, revenue streams and resources to deliver successful projects. Our expertise spans crops, livestock, aquaculture and engineering to provide expert knowledge and cross-sector support.
Are you developing an agri-tech innovation?
We can help accelerate your innovation progress. Get in touch with Stephen Burns and his team to find out how we can help your project succeed.
For further information, please contact:
UK Agri-Tech Centre Northern Innovation Hub
University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Campus
Roslin
Midlothian, EH25 9RG
Director of Business Development: Rose Judeh-Elwell
e: info@ukagritechcentre.com
t: +44 (0) 131 239 7100