Trouw Nutrition announced June 10 a new strategic partnership with the University of Alberta. Trouw Nutrition will work collaboratively with scientists of the University of Alberta Faculty of Agricultural, Nutritional & Environmental Sciences (ALES) to enable the acceleration of key research and development activities using University of Alberta facilities.

This partnership is built on strong, long-standing relationships between the University of Alberta researchers and Trouw Nutrition, according to the announcement. The agreement will create opportunities to both deepen existing collaborations as well as to explore new research and innovation opportunities in animal nutrition, Trouw Nutrition said.

“The collaboration with the University of Alberta fits in our strategy to develop a global network with scientific centers of excellence in specific areas of animal nutrition, animal health and livestock precision farming,” Trouw Nutrition research and development director Coen Smits said.

“Trouw Nutrition will benefit from this partnership by gaining new skills and knowledge in current and new field of scientific areas and by strengthening our research with well-known academia from the University of Alberta,” added Marjan Beerthuis, manager of grants and contracts with Trouw Nutrition Innovation.

ALES dean Stanford Blade said, “We are very pleased by the establishment of this important agreement. Our faculty is acknowledged for its leading work that brings together production agriculture, food, nutrition and health. This exciting partnership between Trouw Nutrition and our faculty will use the company’s global presence and deep knowledge of animal nutrition to engage University of Alberta researchers and students. ... I am confident that this collaboration between Trouw Nutrition and the University of Alberta will ensure that we contribute to solving global problems together."

According to the announcement, ALES has unique research facilities and, for example, the availability of large numbers of calves that could be useful to further strengthen Trouw Nutrition's LifeStart program and explore lifetime production.

The Discovery team at Trouw Nutrition R&D, led by Theo van Kempen, was carefully selecting collaboration opportunities while visiting the university last year, the announcement said. Currently, the relevant Trouw Nutrition researchers are connecting to identified university researchers, and funding applications are being drafted that will enable research in a new environment and even reduce research costs. Every year, there will be a joint update of the research program with the university to discuss the progress and to identify new research opportunities.

Some collaborative projects have already been initiated, the company said.

Trouw Nutrition, the animal nutrition division of Nutreco, is a global player in innovative feed specialties, feed additives, premixes and nutritional services for the animal nutrition industry. Its 8,000 employees across the world help farmers, home mixers, feed producers, integrators and distributors feed a growing world population. Established in 1931, Trouw Nutrition is headquartered in the Netherlands and had net sales of 3.9 billion euros in 2018.