Tetra Pak and Lund University have launched Biotech Heights, a new research hub to explore food and materials production from living cells or cell components.
Biotech Heights aims to set up an open innovation environment, allowing all participating organisations access to leading laboratories and equipment for both commercial and academic purposes.
Participants will have the opportunity to work alongside several faculties at the University to address technical and non-technical challenges facing producers, brands, and manufacturers operating in this space, Tetra Pak noted.
The hub consolidates the partnership between Tetra Pak and Lund University by combining the former's food processing and packaging expertise with the research capabilities of Lund University.
Charles Brand, executive vice-president for processing solutions and equipment at Tetra Pak said, "Today’s food systems are not fit for purpose, and collaboration across business and academia is crucial to provide new solutions to food systems transformation.
"Tetra Pak and Lund University share a common goal of developing technology that contributes towards a more sustainable future, and we look forward to taking our decades-long partnership to the next level. With Biotech Heights, we can provide a safe space for customers and collaboration partners to trial solutions to the multi-faceted challenge of scalability."
Food Production And Sustainability
Currently, more than one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the way food is produced, processed and packaged, Tetra Pak added.
Developing new food sources is one way to feed the growing world population without increasing the pressure on agriculture.
The hub will offer a collaborative space to bring together unconventional players, build new knowledge and generate scalable solutions.
Annika Olsson, dean at Lund University, faculty of engineering said, "Lund University's research mission in this area revolves around the exploration and advancement of scalable biotechnology, which we see as a transformative tool to building a more sustainable society.
"However, none of this is possible without collaborating with key industry partners like Tetra Pak. By bringing together experts from academia and industry with infrastructure from diverse fields, we can foster state-of-the-art advancements and drive positive change on a much larger scale."
Technology And Health
Around half of consumers across the globe (48%) believe that technological innovation is crucial to providing healthy food and drink in the future, according to the latest insights from Tetra Pak Index 2023.
However, 46% view food innovation as ‘risky’ and fear the health implications of the same innovations.
This dichotomy highlights that the challenge of scaling new food innovations extends beyond technology into consumer acceptance and education, the packaging giant noted.
Therefore, the hub will include cross-disciplinary research on marketing strategies, consumer behaviour, and emerging trends.
Micael Simonsson, director of processing development and biotechnology at Tetra Pak added, "Tetra Pak is committed to creating healthy and sustainable food products with the help of cutting-edge technology, both by improving and optimising existing processes and investigating new options for food production."
