Teagasc and Food Innovation

1
Teagasc and Food Innovation

• Dr. Gerard Barry
• Ashtown, Food Research Centre
• ( Formerly known as
• The National Food Centre )

2
Content Overview

• Background
• Importance of Innovation
• Barriers to Effective Innovation
• Teagasc Role and Facilities
• Managing NPPD
• Teagasc Initiatives Challenges

3
Teagasc Food Research

• Ashtown, Food
• Research Centre
• Moorepark, Food
• Research Centre/
• MTH

4
Importance of Food Drink Sector Output

• 16.8 Billion Annual Output
• 6.7 Billion Exported, inclusive of
• 0.6 Billion of Prepared Consumer Foods
• Sector responsible for 55 of exports by
  indigenous companies
• Employs 47,000 people directly
• EU biggest foodstuff producing block in 2003

5
Sub-Sectoral Growth

• Traditional Foods 1-1.5 per annum
• Functional Foods 25
• Speciality Foods are expected to grow by 8
• Niche and luxury products increasing

6
Impetus for Sub-Sectoral Growth

• Innovation, Innovation, Innovation driven by..
• Increased emphasis on convenience and wider
  choice
• Healthy eating
• Functional foods
• Speciality and luxury foods

7
Definition of Innovation

• Encompasses a broad scope of activity
• Radical new invention
• Adaption of an existing product/product in new
  category
• A line extension, a new product added to existing
  range
• Innovative imitations, superior to existing
  products on the market
• Definition complicated by market or Company
  perspective

8
Driving Innovation

• A Key national objective
• RD spend Ireland 1.27 GDP Vs 1.93 EU average
• Target for EU 2010 3.0 GDP
• Irelands business expenditure on RD is low with
  EU spending an average of 1.37 times, and OECD
  1.75 times Irelands spend
• Embedding Innovation in the Manufacturing Sector

9
Barriers to Innovation

• Barriers to Successful Innovation
• Lack of Innovation Culture
• Lack of Marketing Expertise
• Poor consumer and market research
• Limited Access to Technology
• Low Technology SMEs
• Minimum Capability
• Technological Competents
• Research Performers

10
Barriers to Innovation

• Cost of Market Access
• Scale
• Tight margins
• Poor product performance
• Inadequate distribution
• Lack of a structured Innovation Management System

11
Embedding Innovation in Ireland

• Enterprise Ireland Model for Sustainable Business
  Development
• Export Sales/ Market
  
• Internationalisation Knowledge
• 
  
• Innovation

12
Approach Employed

• EI Supporting
• Market Led In-company RD
• Innovation Partnerships
• Technology Transfer
• Significant increase in the number of indigenous
  enterprises spending in excess of 110k and 2.0m
  on RD

13
Teagasc Role Food Innovation

• Goal 2. To support competitiveness and Innovation
  in the Food Sector
• Goal 5. To support the production of Irish Food
  that meets consumers expectations of
  quality,safety and wholesomeness
• Deliver a food research programme and food
  industry training supporting these goals

14
Teagasc Approach

• Using EU / National Research Funding to generate
  information and build expertise on
• New Technologies
• Developing competency in core scientific
  principles underlying food processing eg
  functionality,.
• Generation of patents available for industry
  uptake
• Engage in application trials to stimulate uptake
  by industry

15
Teagasc Approach

• Provide core expertise to industry in a range of
  areas supporting innovation
• Partner food companies in innovation projects,
  research, in-company RD etc
• Provide facilities for R D project work
  (Pre-Commercial)
• Provide conference, training and seminar events
  to up-skill food sector staff
• Training graduates who gain employment in the
  food sector

16
Teagasc Facilities

• Reference Residue Laboratory
• Mycotoxins
• Residues

17
Teagasc Facilities

• Class 3 Laboratory E. Coli 0157
• Risk
• Assessment

18
Teagasc Facilities

• Process Hall
• Incubation
• Pilot Trials
• Problem Solving
• Applied Research

19
Teagasc Facilities/ Pilot Plant
20
Teagasc Facilities/Meat Processing
21
Teagasc Facilities/Development Kitchen
22
Teagasc Facilities/Sensory Facility
23
Teagasc Facilities/ Moorepark
24
Teagasc Facilities/ MooreparkTechnology
25
Teagasc Facilities/MTL Process Hall
26
Teagasc Facilities/MTL Process Hall
27
Moorepark UHT Plant
28
Managing NPPD
29
(No Transcript)
30
Managing NPPD
Idea Generation
Feasibility
Concept Development
Business Case
Monitor Performance
Further Development
Launch
31
NPPD -A Complex Business

• Activities Involved Include-
• Market Consumer Research
• Generating, Screening and Prioritising Ideas
• Planning, Managing and Evaluating Trials
• Costings
• Developing methodology and procedures for
  production and packaging
• Ensuring process is safe, robust and Validated
• Ensuring product has the required shelf-life,
  sensory characteristics, and complies with all
  legislative requirements eg labelling use of
  preservatives
• Setting up a protocol to manage production from
  ingredient intake through to customer delivery
• To support launch with a marketing and sales plan

32
NPPD -A Complex Business

• A managed, co-ordinated approach to this activity
  is vital to minimise the risk of failure
• Structured Approach Best Practice

33
Teagasc Initiatives to Support Innovation

• Improve technology Transfer to Industry
• Patent application trials steps in all projects
  at Moorepark to render outputs more accessible
• Increasing food sector involvement in projects
  and incorporating application dissemination
  steps at Ashtown
• Formation of a new dedicated Innovation Unit at
  Ashtown

34
Teagasc Initiatives to Support Innovation

• Specialised expertise and facilities available to
  Food Sector
• Encourage and stimulate more in company RD via
  partnership with companies in RTI initiatives etc
• Improve training course scope and availability
  in the area of innovation

35
Challenges

• Effective Technology Transfer appears is a
  difficult task, this difficulty is shared by
  other countries
• Changing culture is a slow process, requiring
  inputs from many sources ranging form education
  to interventions with enterprises. A nationally
  co-ordinated initiative is required
• Call for increasing public funding for applied
  research

36
Thank You