This has led to the formation of a new Knowledge and Innovation Community on Food, a large scale public-private innovation partnership of 50 leading companies, universities, and scientific partners, covering the entire food value chain. The institute will be a key participant in the FoodConnects consortium and will deal with major food issues affecting the world, including cutting back on food waste and coming up with healthier options for society.
Over the next seven years, the partners will invest close to €1.2 billion matched with up to €400 million, financed by EIT. The partnership, which is a major achievement for Queen’s and the institute, will contribute substantially towards economic growth across the agri-food sector. The news comes after Queen’s unveiled the foundation stone for a new £39 million School of Biological Sciences earlier this year, which will house the Institute for Global Food Security.
Queen’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Professor Chris Elliott, said: “Queen’s is already renowned for our food safety programme, our traceability programme and also our world leading education programme. This partnership will reaffirm our global reputation for excellence in food security, education and research.”
In India the first ever PDIT (Packaging, Design, Information & Technology) Conference will be held in Mumbai on 16 and 17 December 2016, alongside the PackTech India/FoodPex India Exhibition. Organized jointly by IPP Star, a printing and packaging advisory, research, training and consulting firm, and Messe Dusseldorf India, the inaugural PDIT Conference aims to set in motion, a vital narrative that will integrate the idea of Save Food in the fast-growing packaging industry in India. The packaging industry in India is poised to scale the $ 70 billion mark in the next 3-4 years (Business Standard), of which, the processed food producers will account for a huge chunk of this multi-billion dollar industry.
