Mondelēz, Melbourne Uni launch research hub

Academe and industry have partnered to position Australia as a premium brand in the food industry.

The University of Melbourne and Mondelēz International Asia Pacific have launched a $10 million collaborative research hub.

The hub will gain insights to unlock Asian consumer behaviour and market levers, and inform innovation in ingredient use, consumer experience and product design and packaging.

It will also assist the creation of more productive supply chains across the food industry.

The research hub, called “Unlocking the Food Value Chain: Australian Food Industry Transformation for ASEAN Markets,” includes $2 million funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) under the Industrial Transformation Research Programme (ITRP).

It is set to assist businesses by conducting research in priority areas and providing market intelligence services.

Mondelēz International and the University of Melbourne have committed to share research outcomes with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the wider sector through an open innovation model in a transformational project with national benefits.

Professor Frank Dunshea, hub Director and University of Melbourne Chair of Agriculture, said the development of the Unlocking the Food Value Chainhubhad been guided by the needs of industry. “TheAustralian food industry is driven by innovation–in how we target consumers, in the products we create, in how we market and deliver them,” he said.

“Businesses exporting to Southeast Asia need to understand their market and how they can deliver the best possible product at competitive prices. This hub provides services which will enable Australian businesses to do so.“