Grant: Technology Access Centre

Food and beverage (F&B) processing is the second largest manufacturing industry in Canada in terms of production value, accounting for 2% of Canada’s GDP (~$118 billion). This industry is Canada’s biggest manufacturing employer, supporting over 290,000 Canadian jobs, 37% of which are located in Ontario. Ontario is home to over 4,500 F&B processors, 43% of which are located in Central Ontario. It is vital to support these businesses with services that help them to thrive and grow in a competitive and changing market, as they contribute significantly to the Canadian economy. These businesses must innovate constantly to keep consumer interest and stay profitable – from 2016 to 2018, 39% of Canadian F&B processors brought a new or improved product to market, with the likelihood of innovation increasing with the size of their workforce. However, 71% of these businesses have 9 or fewer employees, and due to their small size, these companies rarely have all the necessary technical skills needed to troubleshoot technical issues, create new products, and ensure they are validated and in compliance with relevant regulations. This highlights a strong a need for innovation support for F&B SMEs. The Food Innovation and Research Studio (FIRSt) at George Brown College is a key player in propelling F&B innovations from concept to manufacturing and market-readiness. FIRSt is a longstanding TAC in operation for over a decade, with an expert team with a 3,000 square foot lab located in downtown Toronto. FIRSt supports product development in Ontario’s F&B industry by integrating expert innovation support and services with state-of-the-art facilities to ensure products are developed and optimized in a timely, cost-effective, and consumer-focused manner. Over the past 6 years, FIRSt has helped more than 400 private sector F&B businesses – including 250+ SMEs and 100+ micro-sized companies – develop over 350 new products and optimize close to 400 existing products through a suite of services focused on Product and Recipe Development, Validation and Support, and Testing and Compliance. George Brown College and FIRSt are seeking renewed NSERC TAC investment to strategically expand capacity into new product categories and engage in targeted outreach for firms in Ontario and Quebec in order to position for growth and continue to provide the food and beverage industry with valuable expertise and support well into the future.