Collaboration HAS and Food Tech Brainport

The professorship Sustainable Production in the agrifood sector of HAS University of Applied Sciences will work together with Food Tech Brainport in Helmond for the next 4 years to set up an expertise centre for SMEs(+). The aim of this centre of expertise is to reduce 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 at HAS University of Applied Sciences have been keen to collaborate with the foundation," says Rob van Diepenbeek, lecturer at the Food Technology programme and member of the research group's knowledge circle. "It is good to see that this is now taking shape in a four-year partnership through the professorship of Elies Lemkes-Straver. Moreover, the lines of communication are short, because our chairman Dick Pouwels is also chairman of the Board of Directors 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 organization actively contributes to healthier and circular nutrition in various technology areas: mild separation, mild preservation, utilization of all raw materials from the product, and SMART Food processing (Cotemaco initiative). Companies based on the campus of Food Tech Brainport, such as Pascal Processing and Bodec, work closely with, among others, Rijsingengreen and other food industry partners. Food tech Brainport cordially invites companies to join the technology program lines such as membranes, innovative freezing, innovative pasteurization technologies such as high pressure or electric pulses, fermentation and innovative drying.

Working together

"We at HAS University of Applied Sciences have a lot in common with Food Tech Brainport," says Rob. "The mission of the professorship Sustainable Production in the agrifood sector is to help companies in the agrifood sector to 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 so that shelf life is longer and less waste is avoided. And it is important that this sustainability is also made measurable."