Monash adds the cream to food innovation

Melbourne’s Monash University has launched Monash Food Innovation in a major new commitment to apply research to co-create innovations with industry.

Monash took over Mondelez International’s regional food innovation centre in 2016, and has been busy expanding the operation and integrating it with the university’s diverse research disciplines.

Mondelez had made its centre available to outside companies looking to innovate for Asian tastes, but the renamed Monash Food Innovation has wider ambitions.

Dr. Angeline Achariya, COO of Monash Food Innovation, said the centre aims to transition Australia to sustainable food and land use systems and to progress Australia’s food industry.

She said: “Food innovation is a pillar of sustainable development and critical to the Australian and global economy.

“Monash University is committed to innovation and education excellence to respond to the global challenges within this field.”

The centre already has runs on the board and during 2018:

# consulted with 4,514 businesses from start-ups to multinationals, including 353 engaged with the Chinese market

# undertook 72 accelerating innovation projects, and nurtured 161 food start-up entrepreneurs.

Achariya said: “The future focus is to continue to engage with food and agri-business network partners to deliver impact across a broader scope of projects and initiatives.”

One focus is the dairy industry through the Monash led Food and Dairy Graduate Research Interdisciplinary Programme and the Australia-China Joint Research Centre in Future Dairy Manufacturing.

Agtech work is focusing on data science, artificial intelligence and simulation and robotics and automation.

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