Arla Foods Ingredients (AFI) has opened a new Innovation Centre in Nr Vium (Denmark) to expand research on specialised ingredients. 

AFI is dairy cooperative Arla Foods' subsidiary that specialises in high quality milk and whey ingredients for children, athletes, patients, and other consumers with special needs.

Globally, food for special segments of the population constitutes a very profitable market valued at 10b Euros and still growing. AFI's plan is to take advantage of this opportunity in the European, Chinese, North and Latin American markets.

But specialisation needs innovation, and innovation needs research. With a size of 9,000m2, the new Innovation Centre will provide AFI's scientists and technicians access to state-of-the-art facilities, including laboratories for clinical trials and a pilot plant and office spaces.

It won't be a closed or self-referential space, though. AFI's plan is to intensify collaborations with university researchers, PhD students and industry professionals. Partners will include the Copenhagen and Aarhus universities and UC Davis.

Niels Østergaard, VP Research & Development at Arla Foods Ingredients, says: “I am very proud and have been looking forward to this day when we open our new Arla Foods Ingredients Innovation Centre. It will deliver a huge boost to our research and development capabilities, and we’re incredibly excited about the possibilities it offers."

To learn more about AFI, visit their website arlafoodsingredients.com or get in touch with them clicking on the button below.