The ARC training centre for the Australian food processing industry in the 21st Century (ARCFPTC) will be officially launched today, 4 November at the University of Sydney.
The centre is designed to help Australian food manufacturing companies stay globally competitive, and was awarded $3 million in funding over a three year period from the Australian Research Council via its Industrial Transformation Research Program.
Key objectives of the centre are to develop cost effective processes and produce high value products such as nutriceuticals with health benefits for the prevention and treatment of chronic and acute diseases.
Professor Fariba Dehghani, from the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and co-director of the new centre, says that ARCEPTC has been designed to boost the nation’s food technology and manufacturing capacity, and will boost the Australian industry’s capacity to successfully compete in the global market.
"The new centre aims to boost the Australian industry's capacity to compete in a global market, particularly in the production of nutraceuticals for pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, or food ingredients," says Dehghani.
"The centre will design cost-effective and sustainable processes for producing these types of products with a view to minimising waste while enhancing efficiency and reducing energy consumption."
The centre will provide a multidisciplinary research environment including fourteen researchers across the engineering, agriculture, science and medicine disciplines, together with international collaborators, and ten food and biotechnology industry partners.
ARC CEO, Professor Aidan Byrne said that the centre will work with Australian businesses to develop more advanced manufacturing techniques in order to reduce costs and increase energy efficiency.
“This particular ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre has an important focus and it covers a key research sector identified in the Australian Government’s recent Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda—food and agribusiness. This centre will educate a new generation of engineers and scientists and foster the capacity of Australian Food industries to further develop advanced technologies in manufacturing and product improvement,” says Byrne.
“Another key objective of this centre is to work with industry partners to develop improved processes for the production of nutraceuticals—such as nutrients and dietary supplements—for the promotion of health and well-being.
“These high-value products have the potential to significantly increase Australian exports in agribusiness.”
The funding of the Centre has been supplemented by its ten industry partners through cash and in-kind contributions.
Partners in the Centre include Agricure Pty Ltd, Lang Technologies Pty Ltd, AB Mauri Technology and Development Pty Ltd, Peanut Company of Australia, Ecopha, Marine Biotechnology Australia Pty Ltd, Batlow Premium Juices, PharmaCare Laboratories Pty Ltd, Perfection Fresh Australia Pty Ltd and Stahmann Farms Enterprises Pty Ltd.