Mondelez Food Innovation Centre invites other food companies into ‘open resource’ facility
Food companies will have a chance to put the Mondelez Food Innovation Centre to the test with a free Asia Insights workshop to be run for all food companies.
The Food Innovation Centre is operated by global giant Mondelez International (owner of Cadbury, Oreo, Vegemite and other food brands) in conjunction with the support of the State Government of Victoria. Opened in Ringwood, Victoria in 2013, the centre says it aims to foster innovation within the Australian food industry as an open resource for all companies.
Asian Insights workshop
The Asian Insights workshop will be held across three days and covers case studies, 3D printing, shared knowledge, product design and other aspects relevant to doing business within Asia.
Mondelez International began construction on stage two of the Food Innovation Centre in June 2014. It is the company’s largest ever Australian investment in new technologies and innovation.The facility is the largest of its kind in Australia and one of the biggest in the Asia-Pacific region. The company has previously said the facility aims to provide “a significant boost for Victorian food manufacturing and innovation.”
Asian focus for food innovators
Mondelez International has always had Asia on the agenda for the centre, wanting to unlock consumer insights and product innovation for export into Asian markets. It has said that it will focus on aligning innovation and marketing assets to appeal to 1.6 billion Asian consumers.
Mondelez International has also previously stated that it has an “open door approach”, connecting small to medium sized enterprises, people, State and Federal governments, industry, higher education and technology through collaborative programs. It said the aim was to develop and share insights and build the platform to deliver “world-class innovations”.
Collaboration and “de-risk” of innovation
According to Mondelez International, the centre “de-risks” innovation for the Company and in the industry broadly. It said the centre was “a rare example of a multi-national company leading industry outcomes and focusing on the greater good of the food industry”.The centre has pilot manufacturing for new products, a design and packaging lab and sensory facilities to deliver quality testing.
The centre was recently discussed at the Australian Institute of Food Science Technology’s Innovate or Evaporate CPD Masterclass.
