The centre’s inaugural director, Prof Jonathan Birch, said the world-first facility would be a place for ‘ethical moonshots’, which will strive to put Britain back at the forefront of animal welfare. Birch said Britain had long prided itself in taking a strong stance on animal welfare, but pointed to the industrialisation of agriculture as an example of how we have lost our way. He said his research colleagues would be exploring ways to limit its potential to abuse the natural world. At the same time, it could help decode animal communication and help us better understand what creatures want. “We want to change the way humans relate to the rest of the natural world,” said Birch.