The aim is clear and perfectly in tune with the SFA’s targets. “Through the Protein Innovation Centre, we aim to create an ecosystem that supports start-ups and food businesses in an environment of co-creation. The Centre will provide them with access to the expertise, networks, and technology needed to create authentic plant-based protein alternatives that meet consumer needs and expectations,” said Monila Kothari, APAC (Asia Pacific) President, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing, in the wake of the opening ceremony.
The fact that Alvin Tan, Singapore’s Minister of State for Trade & Industry (MTI) and Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) attended the event highlights the importance of the PIC in Singapore. To Ian Roberts, Chief Technology Officer at Bühler, the PIC is a symbol of the importance of collaborative innovation to tackle some of the most urgent issues we’re facing. “Sustainably feeding a projected population of 10 billion people by 2050 is a challenge that cannot be solved alone. We are highly aware of the need to collaborate if we are to limit climate change to 1.5°C by 2030, while providing nutrition to our growing population. In the Protein Innovation Centre we combine with a like-minded partner to develop regionally relevant, great-tasting products on scalable industrial technology, providing a boost to the sustainable protein industry in Asia, home to half of the world’s population.”