Arla Foods Ingredients, part of dairy cooperative Arla Foods, has opened a new 9,000 square metre innovation centre in Nr Vium in Denmark.
The new centre, which will house 100 scientists and technicians, will seek to 'bridge the gap' for world class research, clinical trials and collaboration across the globe, Arla said in a statement.
On a global level, the specialised ingredients market is a €10 billion business, which is expected to grow at pace over the coming years, and with the new innovation centre, Arla Foods Ingredients is confident of being able to tap into this growth.
Research And Development Capabilities
The innovation centre "will deliver a huge boost to our research and development capabilities, and we’re incredibly excited about the possibilities it offers," commented Niels Østergaard, VP Research & Development at Arla Foods Ingredients.
"Working with our scientific and industry partners, we’ll be able to undertake more research, embark on ambitious new projects, and innovate to tackle some of the world’s most urgent food and nutrition challenges.”
The centre is located adjacent to Danmark Protein – AFI’s flagship production plant that produces whey protein concentrate and lactose products, including for infant nutrition.
It is also well positioned to create synergies between leading university researchers, PhD students and industry professionals, from institutions such as Copenhagen and Aarhus universities, and UC Davis in the United States.
'At The Heart Of Arla's Supply Chain'
“It was vital for us for the Innovation Centre to be at the heart of our supply chain," said Østergaard. "This is the closest to the highest quality raw materials that it could possibly be, enabling us to fine-tune ideas and scale them up in one quick and streamlined process. This is truly living up to our purpose of delivering the wonders of whey.”
Arla, which recently reported a strong first half, previously opened an innovation centre in Aarhus, Denmark, in 2017.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. For more A-Brands news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
