Innovation, new ideas and emerging technologies in the world of food are constantly being explored and developed across a wide array of fields, disciplines, topics and specialities. However, engagement between the wide range of different subjects in which food features is often limited.
This conference will open up inter-disciplinary boundaries and blind-spots, focussing in particular on what innovation looks like and means across different areas of study involving food.
In inviting all those interested in and engaged with food to discuss what’s considered new, progressive and important from different perspectives, the conference seeks to inspire fresh thinking and improve our understanding of how food works not just in different sectors, but in the world as a whole.
“Being Innovative about Food Innovation” is a two-day event that aims to bring together a diverse community of individuals engaged with researching, studying and working with food. It’s not a standard academic conference, in that it seeks to both champion and challenge different ideas about innovation, inviting contributions in a variety of formats as a means to broadening and improving our thinking on one topic. Whether you are an academic, a researcher, nutritionist, dietitian, chef, cook, food provider, food organiser, food scientist, food educator, agronomist, grower, food producer, brewer, fermenter, marketer, communicator, government official or student, this conference offers a unique opportunity to connect, share knowledge and gain insights not just into the latest trends and breakthroughs in the food sector, but to consider different concepts of what innovation and progress mean.
Howell Davies, Interface’s Head of Strategic Programmes & Funding will be presenting on “How do you define Innovation for the Food & Drink Sector?”
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships create dynamic connections between businesses and the UK’s world class knowledge bases to deliver strategic innovation projects.
The KTP Roadshow is aimed at businesses, charities, academics and researchers interested in learning more about how Knowledge Transfer Partnerships can create relationships to transfer knowledge by bringing together companies seeking knowledge and academics and researchers with knowledge.
The Building Knowledge Transfer Partnerships roadshow is an opportunity for companies to come to Queen Margaret University to meet academic and research staff and learn more about Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
The roadshow will spotlight and share insights on collaborative research and development opportunities with QMU, as well as share useful guidance on the support available from the East of Scotland KTP Centre for developing bids for government funding.
Interface is presenting at this event.
Background
Headquartered in Glenbervie near Stonehaven, Scotland, Macphie is the UK’s leading, independent, added-value food ingredients manufacturer, and has been producing premium quality food ingredients and solutions for customers across 40 countries for over 85 years.
Challenge
The company approached Interface to seek help in finding relevant academic collaborators to provide solutions to a range of challenges facing their business. These ranged from reducing saturated fat content and creating “cleaner label” products to rethinking their packaging and storage.
Solution
Interface has facilitated a series of collaborative projects with numerous Scottish Universities to support the business challenges.
Project areas have included:
- Use of Ultrasound in thermal processing to control food structure
- Mechanical Engineering projects on packaging and energy efficiency
- Starch/ protein chemistry for surface modification
- Stabilisation of food emulsions
- Packaging and Manufacturing Process Optimisation
- Chemical Engineering – UHT process flow characterisation and improvement
- New packaging designs for sustainability and manufacturing efficiency improvement
- Sugar reduction in key products
To date, Macphie has been involved in more than 15 individual collaborative research projects with multiple universities which have yielded cost savings to the business of many hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Business benefits
“Innovation is a cornerstone for Macphie, developing new technologies, products, processes and packaging to add value to our business and better meet our customer needs.
Macphie utilises Interface as a Scottish brokering service that brings businesses and universities together. Interface has facilitated a series of collaborative projects across a range of business requirements with Scottish universities. Using the Interface network, we have managed to completely accelerate our innovation agenda.
At Macphie we now have a rich heritage of academic projects across many aspects of our business. These translate into shaping and driving our innovation agenda. Interface is a crucial partner in enabling us to pair up with the very best academic organisations to achieve success. Our ongoing outlook is to continue to invest resources in long-term, transformational projects to ultimately add even greater value to our customer offering.” Martin Ruck, Macphie’s Head of Research and Development.
Academic benefits
Following a successful masters project with Abertay University on computer and web Enabled Food Product Evaluation System:
“Abertay has a specific interest in pursuing links with industry as part of the University’s Strategic Plan. The work with Macphie is an excellent example of how Abertay can be recognised for developing graduates equipped with the attributes and attitudes to contribute significantly to future economies.
The work has also been conducive for developing pathways to impact, allowing Abertay to generate an excellent track record with respect to KE activities that generate further income and reputation for the University.” Dr Nia White, Head of the Graduate School, Abertay University.
Interface also supported Macphie and the University of Edinburgh to develop and test a series of emulsions to use in a commercial setting. This led on to further studies on the role of fat crystallisation in the process of stabilizing emulsions and foams which enabled the company to increase the unsaturated fats in their products.
“It was very interesting for us to apply our expertise in the physics of emulsion technology to support a company developing healthier products.”
Dr Tiffany Wood, Director of the Edinburgh Complex Fluids Partnership, The University of Edinburgh.
Additional notes
Macphie have worked with the following Universities and Research Institutes: University of Edinburgh, Glasgow Caledonian University, University of Strathclyde, Heriot-Watt University, Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health at the University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University, Abertay University, Queen Margaret University.