Page 82 - Ameft Journal 2021-III

T TE E C CH HN N O O L LO OG G Y Y& &S S U US ST TA AI IN N A A B BI IL L I I T T Y Y SIT’s FoodPlant to bolster food technology in Singapore’s burgeoning agri-food sector The Singapore Institute of Technol- ogy (SIT) by the end of June, an- nounced new measures that will bolster its offerings for food industry profes- sionals and companies looking to level up and create a bigger impact in the food technology sector in Singapore. SIT launches a new small-batch food production facility that will enable local- food players to trial new products on a smaller and more cost-effective scale. At the same time, it introduces a new Con- tinuing Education Training (CET) course in High Moisture Extrusion Technology (HMET). These initiatives will help equip the local workforce and companies with added capabilities to leverage the global momentum in sustainable food produc- tion, and develop new innovative food products to meet evolving consumer demand. 82 AMEFT 3 2021 Open for pioneers Designed to help food companies reduce capital and operating costs through shared facilities and services, the new FoodPlant will be filling the gap in the market for small batch pro- ductions. Run by SIT in partnership with En- terprise Singapore (ESG) and JTC, the facility is targeted to be launched in early 2022 at JTC Food Hub @ Senoko, providing a space for a range of food companies, from startups, SMEs to MNCs to test the viability of their new products via small batch production. Given how food manufacturers often face challenges such as a lack of quality facilities, expensive equipment, large opportunity costs and high minimum order requirements from outsourced- manufacturers, the new facility will provide a much-needed boost to food manufacturers looking to develop and scale the rollout of new products, post R&D. Ahead of its opening next year, play- ers in the Food Technology space can now start taking advantage of Food- Plant’s facilities and consultancy ser- vices, through pioneer memberships that offer significantly reduced annual membership fees. As founding Food- Plant members, companies will also enjoy priority bookings of the facility and additional discounts on top of ear- ly registrations. Bernice Tay, Director of Food Manufacturing, Enterprise Sin- gapore, said, “We are pleased to work with SIT and JTC to jointly set up Food- Plant as part of the Food Innovate’s network of shared infrastructure. The (Source: Singapore Institute of Technology) www.ameft.com