Synlait Establishing Research Centre in Palmerston North

25 SEPTEMBER 2017

Synlait Establishing Research And Development Centre in Palmerston North

Synlait (NZX: SML; ASX: SM1) is establishing a research and development centre in Palmerston North to continue building expertise and capability in food technology.

“Our goal is to become more profitable and diversified. Investing in our own research and development centre is an opportunity to explore new and unique ways to make the most from milk,” says John Penno, Managing Director and CEO.

“We will be developing intellectual property across our value chain, which aims to maximize value at every step, beginning behind the farm gate all the way through to providing market access for our customers.”

Partnering with Massey University and FoodPILOT, one of the New Zealand Food Innovation Network’s four hubs, the new Palmerston North centre will be co-located at the forefront of innovative food technology research and commercialisation in New Zealand.

Synlait’s research and development centre will concentrate on new product development, process technology and packaging.

“We are serious about growing our research and category development capability and plan to double our investment over the next two years,” says Mr Penno.

“Our commitment this financial year will be around $7 million, and our investment in Palmerston North is a major milestone on this journey,” he says.

“This is the first step for us as we progress towards new products, categories and markets in the future. We will need our capability in this area to continue evolving so we stay ahead of the game.”

Roger Schwarzenbach, General Manager of Innovation and Technical Services, says “We will have access to some of the best scientific, technical and commercial minds and equipment in this field.”

“It’s the perfect environment for our new team to explore options for diversifying our business, both at a product and process level.”

Initially the centre will employ food technologists and engineers.

Working closely with other teams at Synlait Dunsandel, they will also have access to some of the most sophisticated equipment and processing technology in the world.

“As one of New Zealand’s fastest growing companies, our people have the opportunity to directly impact decisions we make. We will recruit a team in Palmerston North who aren’t afraid of a challenge and really want to make their mark,” says Mr Schwarzenbach.

“This centre will have a real impact on Synlait’s future. The team will help us launch new high-returning dairy categories, bring new product options to market and contribute to ever-improving product quality,” adds Mr Penno.

Anyone interested in applying for a new role can find more information at http://careers.synlait.com.

FoodPILOT offers the largest collection of pilot-scale food processing equipment in the southern hemisphere. Massey University’s Palmerston North campus is home to their School of Food and Nutrition, School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences and Institute of Fundamental Sciences.

FoodPILOT is also a part of FoodHQ, the food and beverage industry’s gateway to more than 2,200 scientists from eight internationally recognised research and innovation organisations in New Zealand.

ENDS

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