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New research centre aims to transform food industry
A NEW Australian Research Council (ARC) training centre at the University of Queensland’s St Lucia Campus is being dedicated to creating healthier foods and preparing Australia for a surge in Asian market demand.
ARC chief executive officer Aidan Byrne said the research training centre would focus on “training a cohort of innovative scientists” who will facilitate transformation of the Australian food industry.
Led by the University of Queensland, the centre will combine the expertise of principal partner, the Australian Food and Grocery Council, as well as collaborating partners the International Rice Research Institute, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Wuhan University and Huazhong University of Science.
The ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre, which Professor Byrne said had a mission statement of being ‘Agents of change: transforming the food industry for Australia, Asia and beyond’, has been awarded $2.7 million over three years from the ARC through the Industrial Transformation Research Program.
Prof. Byrne said its broad aim was to ensure Australia was prepared for the challenge to create and market healthier foods and to respond to a surging demand from Asia’s expanding markets — both within a resource-constrained world.
“This new training centre will graduate at least 13 innovation scientists in areas such as health and nutrition, consumer and sensory science, agrifood value chains and business leadership,” Prof. Byrne said.
“These scientists will provide transformative input into the food industry to create and promote healthier foods for Australian and, in particular, Asian markets.
“Food and agribusiness is a key sector identified by the Australian Government in its new Industry Innovation and Competitiveness Agenda. This training centre will play an important role in undertaking research to secure a healthier global food supply.”
The training centre’s director is professor Melissa Fitzgerald, an expert in rice quality and breeding who has extensive connections with rice improvement programs in Asia.
Prof. Fitzgerald has pioneered the development of international research networks in her field.
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