Food precinct eyes hub-and-spoke model

The boss of Western Australia’s new food research epicentre near Pinjarra wants to help establish outreach research centres in regional towns to drive agricultural innovation.

Food Innovation Precinct WA general manager Chris Vas said he was eager to develop a model under which the precinct could act as a hub, with regional spokes focused on products unique to their areas.

His comments came as the precinct marked one year of operation, with the launch of a new facility designed to guide food and beverage ideas from backyard operations to commercial businesses.

Mr Vas said WA was so large it was not feasible to expect everyone with ideas in the food, beverage, and agriculture space to come to Peel.

“Using the hub that is in the precinct here, can we create spokes of comparative advantage out in the regions,” he said.

“Whether it is more of an Indigenous product or more of a play around bananas, for instance, in Carnarvon, can we create a comparative advantage centre of excellence over there?

“With all the horticulture work happening down south with activity in the wine space and aquaculture space, can we create a centre of excellence … down there?”

Mr Vas said this approach would likely take up to five years to materialise, with the Peel hub still finding its feet.

The newly launched $12.2 million Sustainable Innovative Food Technologies Centre hopes to drive growth of ideas brewed in backyard sheds and creative minds into full-blown commercial operations.

The centre houses a wide variety of food and beverage manufacturing machinery available for use by those who are genuine about turning their idea into a business.

Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis said 150 jobs and $100 million in economic benefit would flow from the centre.

“The SIFT Centre will help remove some financial risk for small businesses owners, allowing them to test and refine products at a commercial scale without having to invest in their own equipment,” she said.

The state government and Shire of Murray are funding a $3.8 million package to provide grants of up to $600,000 to businesses to use the precinct.

Murdoch University vice-chancellor Andrew Deeks said SIFT gave small companies a derisked pathway to bring new products to market.

“This is important because real market potential and subsequent success can only be measured by placing products into the market and having customers buy them, repeatedly,” he said.

“The facility provides an opportunity for small to medium sized enterprises to scale batch test new food products for local markets and for export."