Western Australian Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis officially opened the state-of-the-art food manufacturing centre, at the Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia (FIPWA) in Nambeelup, on Friday.
The new $12.2 million Sustainable Innovative Food Technologies Centre (SIFT) is set to boost local food and beverage manufacturing in WA, as well as drive growth for value-adding food production.
Ms Jarvis said in 2021 the State government made an election commitment to build the SIFT Centre.
Funded through the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), and operated by the Future Food Systems Co-operative Research Centre (FFSCRC) and Murdoch University, the facility is fitted out with the latest in food and beverage manufacturing equipment including a high-pressure processing unit, one of only two in WA, used to cold pasteurise foods.
The unit will help extend the shelf life of products while preserving natural nutrition and flavour.
SIFT is open to all WA food and beverage businesses seeking a low-risk environment to scale up production by offering common use of manufacturing equipment at a subsidised rate.
Businesses are invited to test, develop, and produce new and improved value-added food products on a commercial scale to determine market demand and source buyers before investing in their own long-term large-scale production and equipment.
To help businesses take advantage of the facility and other services at FIPWA, the government has partnered with the Shire of Murray to provide a $3.8m Enterprise Support Program.
The program is offering grants of up to $600,000, provided on a dollar-for-dollar basis, to food and beverage businesses to commercialise a product, undertake collaborative research and development, or utilise manufacturing equipment, or to access FIPWA space, facilities and services.
"Some iconic food brands have come out of Australia, and the new Sustainable, Innovative Food Technologies (SIFT) Centre offers WA's food and beverage industry an incredible opportunity to develop the next big thing," Ms Jarvis said.
"The SIFT Centre will help remove some financial risk for small businesses owners - allowing them to test and refine products at a commercial scale, without having to invest in their own equipment."
The SIFT Centre is projected to grow the State's local value-added industry, create more than 150 direct jobs, and inject around $100m into the economy.
