105047Development of a high-precision insect rearing facility for industrial protein production utilising Black Soldier Flies.ClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UK"The project aims to make significant efficiency gains in the breeding of insects to achieve industrial-scale production of a replacement for fishmeal, an unsustainable animal feed ingredient. The UN predicts that by 2025, the world will have a 60m tonne deficit of protein with which to feed animals, fish and humans, equating to 12x current global fishmeal production. This problem is amplified in the EU, where 95% of soy protein is imported (MVO 2015), while 88 million tonnes (€143bn) of food is wasted each year, a key feed-source of insects. It is clear innovation is needed and more specifically, locally grown, sustainable sources of protein for future food supply. Entocycle farms and processes the Black Soldier Fly (BSF), whose larvae consume organic waste and convert it into high-quality protein and co-products, creating a circular economy. Entocycle's focus is development of bespoke innovative technology which bring down production cost through efficiency and uniformity of key processes. We have developed patent-pending breeding technology and prototyped high-potential solutions to other key challenges, bringing this much needed solution to market at competitive prices. The companies' market entry will be the Aquaculture sector, a market where insect protein was deregulated in July 2017\. This market is worth £116m in the UK today and set to grow to £233m by 2030 (gov.scot, 2018). The improvements on current state of the art will enable a UK company to be the first to achieve economies of scale in the industry, stealing the march in this high-value, high growth market. A local high-quality protein source will contribute to increased agricultural productivity and food security in the UK, and lower dependencies on imports. As described by Alltech, a global leader in animal health: ""Insect protein has been in the spotlight for some time now, and the industry has been waiting for a source that is both affordable and available. Entocycle was chosen as winner of 2018 Pearse Lyons Accelerator because they are addressing those two points."""