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Mondelez prepares for opening of new Innovation Centre

Mondelez is three months off opening a Food Innovation Centre in Ringwood, Victoria, which will aim to facilitate training and collaboration between food manufacturing professionals in order to take advantage of growing export opportunities in Asia.

Representing the company’s largest ever investment in new technologies and innovations, the centre aims to connect small to medium sized enterprises, state and federal governments, industry and higher education institutions through collaborative programs, in order to develop and share insights and build a platform to deliver “world-class innovations.”

Mondelez International’s RD&Q director, premium chocolate and dairy, Asia Pacific, Nicholas Georges discussed the centre at the Australian Institute of Packaging’s national conference, claiming the centre will focus on identifying and nurturing talent in the industry, promoting the development of innovations by having SMEs, universities and research organisations working towards a common goal; using new technologies to fast track idea prototyping; and identifying best practices that unlock growth platforms into Asian markets.

Stage one of the centre, which opened in January 2013, has pilot manufacturing for new products, a design and packaging lab and sensory facilities to deliver quality testing.

The stage two developments will see the construction of a facility to house theatre-style seating for an expanded virtual store, collaboration spaces and planning rooms which will be used by Mondelēz International and the broader food industry.

Mondelez has also partnered with the University of Melbourne and the Victorian government to create a new Master of Food and Packaging Innovation, which aims to influence the development of the next generation of food innovators with, once again, a priority focus on Asian markets.

The Master of Food and Packaging Innovation is a two year full time (or part time equivalent) program with a combination of online, evening and intensive delivery. During the final year of the program, students will be given the opportunity to partake in a professional industry internship.

The first intake for the Master of Food and Packaging Innovation will be this July.

Mondelez has also announced it will be sponsoring 15 student per annum for the first three years of the program.

“We need to get the best talent we can in the industry. We need the best brains in the country to come into our industry,” Georges said. “We really think this is a critical step.”

 

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