[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – Alltech has acquired Coppens International, a leading international aquatic feed solutions company in the Netherlands. Coppens International is now part of the Alltech family of companies, which includes 14 other companies that Alltech has acquired globally since 2011.

For almost 24 years, Coppens International has earned a strong reputation for being an innovative, high-quality aquatic feed producer. The company’s specialties include temperate and tropical marine and freshwater diets for a variety of juvenile and adult species. The company also produces top-quality ornamental, specialty and bait feeds. Alltech’s latest acquisition enhances the Coppens International product range by integrating Alltech’s microalgae and protein platforms, thereby providing customers with cutting-edge sustainable technologies pertinent to success in today’s demanding aquaculture industry. 

Always thinking ahead, Alltech already owns one of the world’s largest commercial algae production sites in Kentucky, USA. No longer a buzzword, algae are gaining attention for their application to the feed and food industries as a highly sustainable source of protein and DHA omega-3.

Coppens International is one of the most innovative, high-quality aquatic nutrition businesses that manufacture a range of aquatic nutrition solutions, with a strong production infrastructure, right in the heart of Europe. Coppens International has an impressive and dynamic distribution network spread across more than 60 countries, including the Netherlands, France, Germany and Australia. Coppens International products are sold to fish producers via direct sales or through distributor and dealer channels.

“Coppens International has many qualities we admire in a fish nutrition business: a robust, quality production system, dynamic routes to market and a pioneering spirit for research and development, which, all combined, present us with numerous synergies,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech. “With a combination of Alltech’s primacy in science and Coppens International’s strong distribution network, we have a winning formula for moving aquatic nutrition forward to greater feed efficiency.

“Aqua producers face many common challenges, such as mineral absorption, feed costs and efficiency,” continued Dr. Lyons. “With Coppens International now part of the Alltech family, we can make global efforts to address these challenges for our customers.”

Improved nutrition is a pressing need for the productivity of the world’s aquatic food chain. By improving nutrition, aquatic producers are able to realise a significant increase in feed efficiency.  Alltech’s continued commitment to tailoring nutrition and health programmes allows producers on the land and in water to raise healthier animals, crops and fish through a process that is better for animals, fish, consumers and the environment. With the welcome addition of Coppens International to the Alltech family of companies, fish producers around the world can expect nutritional, efficient and effective aquatic feed.

“With an average growth rate of 10 percent per annum, this is a truly exciting time to be in the aquaculture sector,” said Anno Galema, managing director of Coppens International. “By joining Coppens International with Alltech, we now capitalise on this growth and bring together the best aquatic nutrition solutions to aquatic producers around the world.

“I am delighted Coppens International is now firmly connected to a company at the forefront of science, animal health and nutrition,” continued Galema. “Our future with Alltech now strengthens our ability to deliver aquatic feed nutrition solutions like never before.”

Coppens International will continue to be headquartered in Helmond, the Netherlands, and led by Galema, who will report to Patrick Charlton, vice president at Alltech and newly appointed CEO of Coppens International.

The Coppens International business is spread across three locations. The first, its headquarters in Helmond, the Netherlands, focuses on customer and sales support. The second location in Nettetal, Germany, focuses on production, scheduling and logistics, exporting quality aquatic feed to more than 60 countries worldwide. The third location in Valkenswaard, the Netherlands, focuses on research and development.

Alltech has more than tripled its sales in the last four years, with current sales revenues in excess of $2 billion USD. Since 2011, Alltech has successfully completed 15 acquisitions.

“Today’s aquaculture sector requires focus, dedication and an aggressive approach to continuous improvement of nutritional technology,” said Charlton. “Moving forward together with Coppens International provides a wealth of opportunity and growth, which will benefit aquatic producers across the globe.”

Read Dr. Pearse Lyons' thoughts on the acquisition and how this will impact global aquaculture nutrition on our blog. 

[BENGALURU, India] – Global animal health and nutrition company Alltech is delighted to announce the 2015 winner of the Alltech Innovation Competition, India, hosted in Bengaluru. The competition celebrates business and entrepreneurship, and challenges the creative minds of university students. Institute of Rural Management Anand students, Mohit Dave, Pranav Harshe and Varun Modi were awarded the first prize of Rs. 1,50,000/- for their outstanding competition entry – “Saadhan.”  The Saadhan is a for-profit venture to reduce rural poverty, providing greater ownership to farmer producers, especially for cashew apple production. This provides a solution to one of the biggest problems in the cashew industry. Despite being rich in nutrients, the cashew apple’s commercial potential has not been fully explored or realized.

The competition, held at the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK campus, Bengaluru, was judged by a diverse panel of judges comprised of Alltech team members, venture capitalists, an angel investor and entrepreneurs: Dr. Aman Sayed, general manager,  South Asia,  Alltech;  Krishnan Mundanat, regional controller, South Asia, Alltech; Ravindra Neralla, project manager, Asia Pacific, Alltech; Subhadeep Sanyal, vice president, Omnivore Partners; Ashwin Raguraman, chief operating officer, India Innovation Fund; Pavan Kumar, CEO and founder, Workbench Projects; and Saket Agarwal, CEO and founder, Onnivation.

A total of seven universities battled in the competition, each presenting forward-thinking business plans on their innovative ideas in the areas of agriculture and sustainability. The teams were facilitated by Dr. Sayed Aman, South Asia, general manager, Alltech, and Dr. H. Shivanna,  vice chancellor, UAS GKVK, Bengaluru. The teams and their projects were:

1. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad – venture idea to link modern retail stores in cities with producers of fruits and vegetables.

2. Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow – consultancy services to farmers based on soil health and crop condition.

3. Institute of Rural Management Anand, Gujarat – for-profit venture to reduce rural poverty, providing higher ownership to farmers and producers.

4. Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bengaluru – venture idea in livestock healthcare industry with “Naturaceutical” products.

5. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore – venture idea based on poly-house cultivation.

6. University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru – venture based on providing food products for healthy living.

7. University of Agricultural & Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga – venture idea to reduce crop waste and scale economies.

The runner-up in the competition was University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru team. Mithila Hegde and Shruti Ajay received a cheque of Rs. 75,000/- for their ragi (finger millet)-based confectionery business plan. The other five university teams each received Rs. 20,000/-

In the opening video address to the participants, Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech, encouraged the participants that, “Innovation is what we dream.” He emphasized the need to “make things happen” and stressed the importance of revitalization of the agriculture sector through innovation.

A panel discussion with the university students and judges was interactive as it brought venture capitalists, university officials and the private sector to one discussion. Dr. Sayed Aman, general manager, South Asia, Alltech, said, “Alltech ignited the entrepreneurial spirit among the students, but they displayed real insight, talent and knowledge. This is welcomed as the agriculture and food industry is and will continue to be the main driver of country's economic growth.” 

This was the first time the Alltech Innovation Competition, initially launched in the U.S. in 2012, has been held in India. Ms. Godha Govind, Alltech Asia-Pacific training manager, and Medha Singh, project coordinator, coordinated the competition.

Alltech continues to work with universities to ensure the development of talented and educated Indian agribusiness graduates through its education program, including the Alltech Young Scientist program and the Alltech Career Development program. For more information, visit education.alltech.com.

The Alltech Innovation Competition reflects Alltech’s commitment to lifelong education and the inspiration of innovation and entrepreneurship. The competition is also held annually in Kentucky, USA, and in Dublin, Ireland. For more details on the competition in India, contact india@alltech.com.

[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – Around the world consumer demands for higher quality and greater variety have positively impacted the craft brewing industry. A recent study on the global craft brewing industry, conducted by yeast expert Alltech, discovered that there are more than 10,000 craft breweries worldwide. Of those, 86 percent are in North America and Europe, with Europe pipping North America to the post by only three craft breweries. Even so, the U.S. has just surpassed 4,000 breweries, which represents a nearly 20 percent growth in the last year and far exceeds any other individual country’s count by thousands. The Asia-Pacific region currently has 661 craft breweries.

“The rise of craft beer as a beverage of choice is indicative of consumers’ demand for differentiated, interesting and quality products,” said Aidan Connolly, chief innovation officer of Alltech. “Alltech’s history is rooted as a supplier of yeast not only to the animal nutrition industry but also to the beverage industry. It has been 15 years since we acquired the Lexington Brewing Company and during that time we have witnessed the development of more discerning drinkers as consumers switch from the big beer brands to those with distinctive taste and a story to tell. This change in consumer sentiment and demand has obviously driven the big beer brands, like AB InBev and SABMiller, to join ranks.”

The Global Craft Beer Survey assessed the number of craft breweries through information obtained in partnership with local beverage associations and Alltech’s sales force, which operates in 128 countries. The top 10 locations for craft breweries in the world are: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Brazil and Japan.

According to Connolly, the organizer of the survey, one distinctive point to note with this survey is in relation to each country’s population. “It is fascinating to compare the number of craft breweries in each country. While Japan leads the Asia-Pacific region with 200 craft breweries, New Zealand is by far the leader in the number of breweries per head of population with 23 times more breweries per head than Japan.”

The Global Craft Beer Survey raises some questions in regard to uptake of the craft brewing phenomenon in the Asia-Pacific region. For example, China and India rank among the top ten countries for population and GDP yet neither country has more than 60 craft breweries. Given that China rivals the U.S. as beer drinkers with close to a doubling in terms of consumption, will there be a brewery boom in the country’s future?

Overall, Connolly estimates the craft beer industry’s net worth at $50 billion.

This is Alltech’s first global survey of the craft brewing industry. It was undertaken at the request of president and founder Dr. Pearse Lyons for the company’s own information because data assessing the international craft brewing market was not readily available. Born and raised in Ireland, Lyons hails from five generations of coopers who supplied barrels to distilleries for a quarter of a century. While completing his degree at the British School of Malting and Brewing, he interned at both the Guinness and Harp Lager breweries and later worked as a biochemist for Irish Distillers, makers of the beloved Jameson whiskey. In the U.S., he founded biotechnology company Alltech and acquired his own brewery, which today is Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co., the maker of award-winning barrel-aged beers and spirits.

Alltech is responsible for The Alltech Craft Brews and Food Fair held annually in Ireland. The event returns to Dublin’s Convention Centre Feb. 5 – 7, 2016. Exhibitor space has almost sold out, proving the popularity of craft beverages in Europe.

[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – Global animal health and nutrition company Alltech is delighted to announce the 2015 winner of the Alltech Innovation Competition hosted at its European headquarters, Dunboyne, Co. Meath. University College Dublin (UCD) students, Catherine O’Connell, Rebecca Fitzgerald and Shannon Coco, were awarded the overall prize for their outstanding competition entry – Moo Shoe. The Moo Shoe provides a solution to one of the biggest problems in the dairy cow industry – lameness, an issue that affects one in five cows on Irish dairy farms. A total of six universities battled for the prize fund of €4,000 while runners-up each received a cheque for €1,000.

The Moo Shoe is made from durable, antifungal polyurethane and rubber. The shoe slips securely over hooves, eliminating the need for glue or nails, and it prevents the primary causes of lameness. “When researching and developing our idea, we were amazed to discover that little exists on the market to prevent lameness. The average cost of lameness per cow in Ireland is a staggering €283, whereas the Moo Shoe ensures infection-free and injury-free hooves for a minimal cost per cow,” said Rebecca Fitzgerald.

Facilitated by Dr. Aoife Lyons, director of educational initiatives at Alltech, and Professor Damien McLoughlin, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, the competition celebrates business and entrepreneurship, and challenges the creative minds of university students. Teams from Dublin City University, Dublin Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin, National University of Ireland Maynooth, University College Dublin and University of Limerick each presented forward-thinking business plans on their innovative ideas in the areas of agriculture, food, human health and sustainability.

The competition was judged by Dr. James Roche, emeritus professor at UCD, Constantin Gurdgiev, economist and lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, and Ross Hunt, co-founder of Agrilarity, a company dedicated to digitising and automating agricultural processes.  

“These young people are a reflection of the talent and potential that Ireland has to offer,” said Dr. Aoife Lyons. “Alltech is known for working with our customers to identify problems and provide natural solutions. This year’s competition entrants displayed real insight, talent and knowledge. By combining academic expertise with innovation, each group had a potentially viable product to bring to market.”

The concepts presented by the university finalists were as follows:

·         University College Dublin – Moo Shoe - provides a solution to lameness in dairy cows

·         National University Ireland Maynooth – Moodley Manor – manufacturing dairy-free & animal-free foods

·         Dublin City University – The Summit Shaker – stainless steel protein shaker

·         Dublin Institute of Technology – Hear Here Ltd. – assistive technology devices for the deaf and hard of hearing communities

·         Trinity College Dublin – GreenCar - a peer‐to‐peer car sharing company

·         University of Limerick – Integrated digital marketing communications platform for small and medium enterprises  

Alltech continues to work with Irish universities to ensure the development of talented and educated Irish agri-business graduates. Last year’s winner, John Kennedy, from Waterford Institute of Technology, won the overall prize for an android app using GPS technology to guide farmers while spraying and spreading fertiliser. The concept ‘Field Buddy’ is currently in development, and Kennedy is furthering his studies in the area of information technology to develop new apps for the agricultural industry.  

The Alltech Innovation Competition reflects Alltech’s commitment to lifelong education and the inspiration of innovation and entrepreneurship.

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – In a battle of brains amongst seven Kentucky universities in the 2015 Alltech Innovation Competition, it was Kentucky State University and the University of Pikeville who emerged as victors, respectively capturing the undergraduate and graduate first place designations. Each team won $10,000, the amount with which Dr. Pearse Lyons founded Alltech, now a $1 billion company operating in 128 countries.

The University of Pikeville’s team of two graduate and two undergraduate students won the graduate competition with Rhizofeed, their herbal extraction company based in Pikeville. Using bloodroot harvested in Eastern Kentucky, Rhizofeed extracts whole rhizome for use in poultry feed to improve gut health. Less expensive and more stable than probiotics, according to the student team, rhizome extract has anti-inflammatory properties and has been linked to improving the immune system, regulating digestion and promoting weight gain. Rhizofeed aims to target poultry producers looking for alternatives to probiotics or antibiotics, a market expected to grow as an increasing number of major food companies, such as McDonald’s, demand antibiotic-free production. Grown, extracted and sold from Kentucky, Rhizofeed will further diversify Eastern Kentucky’s regional economy while improving poultry production globally.

Making their inaugural appearance at the annual Alltech Innovation Competition, Kentucky State University captured first place in the undergraduate competition with an aquaponics venture. Old Kentucky Home Aquatics, focuses on in-pond aquaponic raceway systems, inspired by the regional potential for farmed catfish and vegetables as well as a drive to support small-scale farming. The business will construct raceways in established ponds, educate farmers and develop a processing route to build regional agriculture. The raceway systems will provide for easier harvesting, higher stocking densities, better water quality and waste collection while controlling overfeeding. Floating rafts enable the incorporation of aquaponics, such as the growth of Bibb lettuce and spinach, using fish waste as a nutrient source.

The winning teams’ competitors included Bellarmine University, Brescia University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and Western Kentucky University. With seven universities going head-to-head, Dr. Karl Dawson, chief scientific officer at Alltech, noted the challenge this year’s judges had in naming winners, “The quality of the work this year was several magnitudes better than ever before but what made the winning projects so innovative was the simplicity of the ideas and the quality of the presentations.”

“I have been amazed, totally amazed, over the three years we have now run this competition. The event brings out the best,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “Young people find a way to do it, and both winning projects use products from Kentucky—yet not tobacco—to build two viable Kentucky businesses.”

The Alltech Innovation Competition, now in its third year with annual competitions held in both Kentucky and Ireland, holds value to Alltech, not only in terms of the ideas and possible collaborations brought forward but also in terms of talent identification. “Recognizing the innovators and future leaders in the state is very important to us,” said Dawson.

Also central to the Alltech Innovation Competition’s founding mission is its contribution to the state’s economic engine. “To inspire these young people that you can be innovative is the real value of the Alltech Innovation Competition. We have to look for new solutions and inspiring these young people is integral,” said former Kentucky governor Paul Patton, now the interim president of the University of Pikeville.

Alltech will run a sister competition in Dunboyne, Ireland, this Wednesday. The Alltech Innovation Competition reflects Alltech’s commitment to lifelong education and the inspiration of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Thirty brilliant young minds from eight Kentucky universities came together today at the second annual Alltech Innovation Competition at Bluegrass Community & Technical College in Lexington, Kentucky to present their business ideas for creating jobs in the Commonwealth and improving the food and agribusiness industries.

If you’ve ever watched ABC’s “Shark Tank,” you know the stakes are high for the competitors – impress the judges, and earn the chance to make your business dream come true. With $20,000 from Alltech in total cash prizes at stake, students prepared intently for months leading up to the competition to develop innovative ideas and deliver comprehensive, awe-inspiring business plans in their presentations to wow judges and potential Kentucky investors who could ultimately fund their projects.

Last year, the grand prize of $10,000 – the same amount of money that Dr. Pearse Lyons initially invested to found Alltech in 1980 -- went to the University of Kentucky team for their idea for reclaiming mountaintops with switchgrass for fuel.

But were they able to maintain their dominion at the top?

This year’s results may evoke comments on the long-established state-wide basketball rivalry, as the school’s fierce rival, U of L, took home the top title with Trifecta Cooking Equipment’s patented FuturFry deep fryer. The patented technology will help restaurant operators save 40 percent on annual cooking oil costs by extending the life of cooking oil, and increasing energy efficiency. 

When presenting the $10,000 check to the team, Dr. Pearse Lyons said, “It wasn’t oil or using less energy that caught mine and the judges’ attention. It was the possibility that this innovation has to improve food production all around the world.”  

Congratulations to the winning team. We look forward to seeing the results of your implementation and wish you continued success. Kudos also to the runner-up for the grand prize, Morehead State University, who presented Omega-3 enriched pork from The Better Pork Company.  

And don’t fret UK fans, the University of Kentucky still took home the “Alltech Choice Award,” recognizing their excellence in innovation for their business, Arymza Technologies, which produces enzymes that assist in the processing of starch.

As Dr. Lyons stated in his closing remarks, because of the winning team’s success, and the success of the teams from all eight universities that presented today, the state of Kentucky is the true winner. Today, our great state came away with eight incredible innovative ideas from eight universities from across the Commonwealth, and now it’s integral that we keep these bright young students in our state to ensure innovation in Kentucky will continue to race forward. For more information on the Alltech Innovation Competition, visit http://www.alltech.com/education/university/alltech-innovation-competition.

To see more photos from the event see the album on Alltech's Facebook page.

[Dunboyne, Ireland.] – Global animal health and nutrition company Alltech is delighted to announce the 2014 winner of the Alltech Innovation Competition hosted at its European headquarters, Dunboyne, Co. Meath. Waterford Institute of Technology student John Kennedy was awarded the overall prize for his outstanding competition entry - Field Buddy. The concept android app, Field Buddy, will allow farmers to avail of GPS technology when fertilising their fields. A total of six universities battled for the prize fund of €4,000 while runners-up each received a cheque for €1,000. Waterford Institute of Technology’s winning entry showcased a concept that has the potential to improve costs and efficiencies on farm while encouraging sustainable environmental practices.

Facilitated by Professor Damien McLoughlin, UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, the competition celebrates business and entrepreneurship, and challenges the creative minds of university students. Teams from University College Dublin, Dublin City University, Dublin Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin, Waterford Institute of Technology and University of Limerick each presented forward thinking business plans on their innovative ideas in the areas of agriculture, distilling, human health and long term environmental sustainability.

The competition was opened by Dr. Aofe Lyons, director of education initiatives at Alltech and judged by Frank Mulrennan, CEO of Celtic Media Group, Constantin Gurdgiev, economist and lecturer at Trinity College Dublin and Declan Coyle, one of Ireland’s most internationally experienced leadership and development consultants.

“These young people are a reflection of the talent and potential that Ireland has to offer” said Dr. Aoife Lyons. “Alltech are known for working with our customers to identify problems and providing natural solutions. This year’s competition entrants displayed real insight, talent and knowledge. By combining academic expertise with innovation each group had a potentially viable product to bring to market”.

The concepts presented by the university finalists were as follows:

University College Dublin – Crateless – a revolutionary pig farrow

Dublin City University – Twist & Go – an innovative new baby bottle concept

Dublin Institute of Technology – Canu Cover – a waterproof & biodegradable cover for cannulas

Trinity College Dublin – Down to Earth - environmental sustainability lectures for children

University of Limerick – Yeats Vodka - an Irish super premium vodka

Waterford Institute of Technology – Field Buddy – an android app for GPS spraying of fertiliser

Alltech continues to work with Irish universities to ensure the development of talented and educated Irish agri-business graduates. Last year’s winners, AgTeCH4 from the University of Limerick, won the overall prize with their personal gas detector, a device designed to detect poisonous gasses released from slurry on farms. AgTeCH4 are currently developing their company through University College Cork's Graduate Business Innovation Programme 2014, IGNITE. AgTeCH4 is hoping to launch their product on the market later this year and is currently undertaking research for the development of future devices.

[DUNBOYNE, Ireland] – The first Irish Alltech Innovation Competition 2013 saw six teams from five universities present business plans to a panel of judges, with the top prize awarded to the most viable venture. AgTech4, from the University of Limerick, won the overall prize of €4,000 with their personal gas detector, a device designed to detect poisonous gasses released from slurry on farms. This device has the potential to create jobs, bring business to Ireland and also to save lives across the globe.

Teams from the University of Limerick, Dublin Institute of Technology, University College Dublin, Dublin City University and Waterford Institute of Technology each presented a business plan for product or service of their own creation. Judges Frank Mulrennan, CEO of Celtic Media Group; Constantin Gurgiev, lecturer in finance from Trinity College Dublin and Declan Coyle, leadership consultant and director of Andec, were consistently impressed with the overall standard of the ventures.

Other business concepts included a custom car sticker company called Vinyl Styling; a compostable container for household waste called Tierrabox; an onsite test for pyrite in building materials called Silex; a BYO bottle filling station called Ishca, and a foot reviver from Synergy Foot Solutions.

The winning personal gas detector from AgTech4 is a portable device that can be strapped to the arm of a person going on-farm and will sound an alarm at in the presence of hydrogen sulphide and methane gas. These gasses are invisible and highly toxic, resulting in 23 deaths since 1996 and this device is sensitive enough to sound an alarm before any physical symptoms manifest.

“The range of ideas presented here was fantastic. All of these projects started with a serious problem and were combined with academic expertise to result in a product that is in some cases ready to go to market,” said Constantin Gurgiev. “If I had the funds in place I would have taken those ideas straight to pitch.”

Dr. Pearse Lyons found the overall competition encouraging, stating that “if we want hope for the future of our country all we have to do is look to the youth. If these young people are a reflection of the talent and potential that Ireland has to offer then we have nothing to worry about. This is where we need to put our investment and this is where the solutions will come from. This has been a fantastic start to Alltech’s Gathering initiatives and I wish the best of luck to all contestants in their future careers.”

[LEXINGTON, Ky.] – In May 2012, Alltech issued a challenge – create jobs in the Commonwealth, a state that ranks number one in its basketball prowess yet is the fifteenth worst for finding a job. On Saturday, three universities - University of Pikeville, University of Louisville and University of Kentucky – rose to that challenge at the Alltech Innovation Competition, proposing a diverse array of economic development solutions, ranging from switchgrass for fuel to aquaponics and modular housing.

The three student teams were asked to focus on the nine Eastern Kentucky counties of Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin and Pike. While Kentucky hovers just above the national unemployment rate of 7.9 percent at 8.1 percent in December 2012, some Eastern Kentucky counties have seen unemployment rates above 13 percent, nearly double that of the national base.

A panel of independent entrepreneurs and private investors selected the University of Kentucky as the $10,000 winner of the Alltech Innovation Competition. The UK team’s four MBA candidates – Lee Gage Goatley, Jarrod Willis, Jordan Denny and Jordan Laycock – proposed a plan for reclaiming mountaintop sites by growing switchgrass for fuel production. When the switchgrass is processed with a white rot fungus, butanol is produced as a by-product. While ethanol is the most popular fuel additive globally, it is corrosive, unable to be transported through pipelines, and it diverts corn from its use as an important food source. Butanol, on the other hand, is less corrosive, can be transported through pipelines and has a much higher concentration of BTUs.

With exclusive rights to technology developed by two University of Kentucky professors, the UK team’s TerraCast Technologies would target 104,925 acres of reclaimed mountaintop land in the nine Eastern Kentucky counties. Organic, sustainable, perennial and drought-tolerant, the switchgrass would provide additional income for Eastern Kentucky farmers, who would be contracted to seed and harvest.

The switchgrass would be processed with water, white rot fungi and soil microbes in an on-site fermentation bunker to produce acetate, butanol and ethanol. Acetate has marketability as a universal solvent used in cleaning supplies. The butanol, however, would be sold to specialty and petroleum companies for fuel production, a significant need given Kentucky’s 20 percent biofuel initiative and federal renewable fuel standards of 36 billion gallons by 2022.

“Ten thousand dollars, the top prize in today’s competition, is the exact amount with which we started Alltech, now almost a $1 billion company,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “So I am eager to see what can be accomplished through the hard work and innovation of not only our winners from the University of Kentucky but all three teams. Kentucky, indeed the world, is ready for their ideas.”

The University of Louisville took home a second place prize of $6,000 for their EcoVision Development plan to construct multi-family, modular housing. The plan repurposes the master tradesmen from Kentucky’s now fledgling houseboat industry to construct the homes, which would be used to meet a significant need for affordable, energy-efficient housing in Eastern Kentucky. Inspired by prototypes from the University of Kentucky College of Design and Kentucky Highlands Investments, the homes would cost under $100,000 and require less than $1 per day of energy. The energy savings would increase the occupants’ disposable income funds by 5-9 percent.

The $4,000 third place award went to the University of Pikeville for their Appalachian Artisan Foods plan to utilize aquaponics for the local production of fresh, organic foods. The team devised a three-tier design to maximize use of greenhouse space for aquaponics. Shade vegetables including alfalfa would be grown on the first layer, beneath a second tier of ginseng and, ultimately, a top layer of hops and vines. Tilapia would also be raised within the greenhouse. The fresh produce and tilapia would be sold to wholesale food corporations in Kentucky, regional groceries and local restaurants. The ginseng, valued at $800 - $1500 per pound, would be sold internationally.

“The Innovation Competition was created because it is past time to balance the scales and cultivate a Kentucky that leads the nation not only in college sports but also employment,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, president and founder of Alltech. “Did the Innovation Competition live up to our expectations? Absolutely not. It dramatically exceeded our expectations, and I firmly believe this is only the beginning of something very special in our state.”