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HAS University of Applied Sciences and Food Tech Brainport work together to create an expertise centre for food and technology

For the next 4 years, the HAS University of Applied Sciences lectureship Sustainable Production will be working together with Food Tech Brainport in Helmond to set up an expertise centre for SMEs (+). The purpose of the expertise centre is to increase the value of food waste and waste flows by means of mild preservation and mild separation techniques.

Four-year partnership

“Since the start of Food Tech Brainport 6 years ago, we’ve wanted work together with the foundation,” says Rob van Diepenbeek, lecturer at the Food Technology study programme at HAS University of Applied Sciences, and member of the lectureship’s expertise network. “It’s great to see that this is now taking shape in the form of a 4-year partnership with the lectureship of professor Elies Lemkes-Straver. The lines of communication within the collaboration are also short, because our Chairman, Dick Pouwels, is also Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Food Tech Park Brainport Foundation.”

Different technology domains

Food Tech Brainport offers facilities and access to knowledge, capital and networks in the field of technology and food. The organisation actively contributes to creating healthier and circular diets in various technology domains: mild separation, mild preservation, utilisation of all the raw materials from a product, and SMART Food processing (the Cotemaco initiative). Companies located on the Food Tech Brainport campus, for example Pascal Processing and Bodec, work closely with Rijsingengreen and other food industry partners. Food Tech Brainport invites companies to join the technology programme lines, which include membranes, innovative freezing, innovative pasteurisation technologies such as high-pressure or electric pulses, fermentation and innovative drying.

Measurable sustainability efforts

Rob: “HAS University of Applied Sciences and Food Tech Brainport have a lot in common. The mission of the Sustainable Production lectureship is to help companies in the agrifood sector develop in such a way that the pressure on the environment is minimised and the use of natural resources is as efficient as possible. This requires further optimisation of processes related to the use of additives, energy and water, as well as improving the quality of products to increase shelf life and reduce waste. In addition, it’s also important that we’re able to measure the results of these sustainability efforts.”

Together in a field lab

An important line of research within the lectureship research group is to make food production processes more sustainable and so contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible consumption and Production), in particular. The lectureship and Food Tech Brainport will be working together on this. The form this collaboration will take is that of a field lab, where the focus lies on applied research. Rob: “The technologies we use are already proven. We will be setting up pilots with companies and further test and scale up applications, focussing on long-term programme lines. This work forms the basis of the expertise centre. Students will play an important role in the research: our ambition is to have 4 internships, 2 educational projects and 4 final-year projects each year in the field lab. We’re also hoping to work together with Fontys Universities of Applied Sciences.”

Inaugural lecture of Elies Lemkes-Straver

Elies Lemkes-Straver, professor of the lectureship Sustainable Production, will deliver her inaugural lecture on 26 November at HAS University of Applied Sciences in 's-Hertogenbosch. Prominent players from the agrifood chain will also have their say on the theme of sustainability. The cooperation agreement with Food Tech Brainport will be officially signed during this event.

More informatie about Food Tech Brainport

More information about the lectureship Sustainable Production