- Agrifood and Beverage Centre for Excellence to accelerate business innovations and opportunities
- McGowan Government investing in R&D initiatives to grow WA's primary industries and regions
An Agrifood and Beverage Centre for Excellence to help transform innovations and opportunities into success stories, business growth, diversification and jobs has been officially launched today in the Peel region.
The state-of-the-art Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia - known as 'Mereny Bidi Boodja' in the local Noongar language - owned by the Shire of Murray, is backed by a $45 million State Government investment.
The Australian Government contributed $21.75 million from its Regional Growth Fund towards the precinct's construction.
The precinct will be an ecosystem for innovation, featuring a Food and Beverage Production Centre with a Food Technology Facility, alongside an Innovation Centre and a Research and Development Centre.
Today's opening realises a McGowan Government election commitment to establish the Food Technology Facility, featuring a manufacturing pilot plant to test food and beverage innovations at batch scale to assist commercialisation.
Murdoch University will use the facility in collaboration with the national research, industry and Government consortium, the Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre, for projects that help businesses to satisfy increasing demand for sustainably produced products.
This high-tech facility forms part of a Food and Beverage Production Centre, assisting primary producers as well as food and beverage enterprises to test, develop and produce new and enhanced value add products, using advanced manufacturing technologies and processes.
The university also manages the precinct's Research and Development Centre, a teaching and education facility working with businesses throughout the value chain, and training the future industry workforce.
An Innovation Centre is underway with co-working space for new business collaborations to nurture concepts and proposals, with food and agri-tech company GrowHub connecting small to medium sized entrepreneurs to vital services and information.
There has been widespread business interest in the Food Innovation Precinct WA, with a brewing company using a microbrewery in the Production Centre to produce beverages infused with Australian native botanicals.
The precinct is open to interested parties throughout WA, interstate and overseas from the commercial, public and academic domains to advance and accelerate agrifood food and beverage innovations aiming to capture new market demand.
For more information on the Food Innovation Precinct WA visit www.agric.wa.gov.au/FIPWA.
Comments attributed to Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis:
"This exciting new addition to Western Australia's agrifood and beverage sector will lift the collective potential of our primary industries, fostering ideas, networks, relationships and collaborations from production to consumption.
"The precinct provides world-class facilities, equipment and expertise to test, trial and explore options, providing businesses with the confidence to pursue commercialisation and launch their products to the world - creating benefits throughout the supply chain.
"This fantastic initiative will help transform agrifood and beverage ideas and business proposals into new products and customer relationships that support our export orientated economy."
Comments attributed to Regional Development Minister Don Punch:
"Today's launch is the culmination of extensive collaboration between several WA agencies, working alongside the Shire of Murray and the local Aboriginal community, as well as the Australian Government to realise this tremendous project in the Peel region.
"I look forward to seeing how the Food Innovation Precinct WA helps prospective businesses to pursue innovations and value-add opportunities that support and grow our regions.
"Together with the Australian Government's significant investment in this future-focused initiative, WA's agrifood and beverage industry will be well placed to pursue new market opportunities that generate growth and employment."
Minister's office - 6552 6200
