Food engineering centre vision agreed
2 Dec 2013
The vision that will drive a national Centre of Excellence for Food Engineering was agreed by industry and academia in Sheffield last week.
Over 100 food and drink manufacturers, academics and engineering professionals met in the city’s Cutler’s Hall on Thursday to agree the vision that will inform the new centre’s areas of research and teaching.
It was agreed that the centre will provide innovative engineering solutions through industry led collaborative projects including advances in solutions for energy and waste efficiencies, along with a whole range of pre-competitive priorities to support the food and drink manufacturing industry in realising its growth potential.
The Centre represents a bridge to an additional £1 billion in Gross Value Added by food and drink businesses
National Skills Academy’s Justine Fosh
The centre’s launch will follow the creation of the UK’s first food engineering degree at Sheffield Hallam University, and it is hoped the centre will become a leading education provider, offering students and the existing engineering workforce exposure to state of the art facilities and the latest technology.
“[The centre] is a shining example of what can be achieved when the industry collaborates in support of a shared goal,” said National Skills Academy for Food and Drink chief executive Justine Fosh.
“The Centre of Excellence, along with the new dedicated food engineering degree, represents a solid bridge to an additional £1 billion in Gross Value Added by food and drink businesses and a significant new conduit to attracting high level talent.”
