COLLABORATION FROM FARM TO FORK The new rules of engagement
Through a unified approach, food and drink manufacturing can build a robust, forward-thinking workforce equipped and excited to tackle future opportunities and challenges. The sector can work together to activate talent, drawing the right people in by focusing on purpose, the opportunity to work on complex manufacturing problems, the real world impact the sector offers, and creating a culture where diverse talent can thrive.
Revitalising skills Food and drink manufacturers have long been calling for more cohesion across the UK skills system to meet employers’ needs and the reform of the current Apprenticeship Levy. Sue Whalley, Group People and Performance Officer at Associated British Foods thinks that it could be the key: “The Apprenticeship Levy is often not fully utilised; it would be valuable to have a broader set of options to use this for in the innovation space including training and upskilling our people for digital.” The newly created Skills England could provide an opportunity to build a better skills system that works for employers of all sizes with both a national and regional presence. In a recent report 21 , the body identified future mega-trends – demographics, technology and green – that reflect similar trends seen in food and drink manufacturing suggesting that its work will support transformation in the sector.
In a fiercely competitive environment, organisations aren’t collaborating extensively. But the cost of this is high – from deterring talent, to providing confusing demand signals to technology organisations, to scuppering long-term business planning. But, what if the rules of engagement were ripped up and rewritten? There are an endless number of pre-competitive areas with broader industry benefits where expertise can be pooled such as decarbonation efforts, improving energy efficiency and reducing waste, creating more sustainable packaging, boosting health, improving infrastructure and attracting talent . “We need to find where companies can relate to one another but aren’t competing,” says Simon Baty, Knowledge Transfer Manager (AgriFood), Innovate UK Business Connect. 85% of food and drink manufacturers develop innovation ‘in-house’ using their own company expertise while some collaborate with third parties: retailers (35%), research/innovation organisations (31%), universities (25%) and catapult centres (10%) 22 . Increasing collaboration within the industry by working with research partners from across the innovation ecosystem could deliver real benefits.
The Pudding Compartment in North Wales, with help from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), has been on an iterative journey of transformation from surviving to thriving, with growth of 20% year-on-year. The journey started small, with low-cost digital investments, such as monitoring fridge temperatures. This freed up people’s time and led to the discovery that the temperature was too low and there were energy savings to be made. To become a data-driven business, AMRC provided digital skills, allowing the biscuit and cake supplier to make the right decisions on equipment, increase control, reduce waste and provide an early warning system. The next step is for a bigger automation journey, from bake to pack, a significant investment which aims to fuel ambitious 50% growth. The wheels are truly in motion.
21. Driving growth and widening opportunities, Skills England, September (2024)
22. FDF Q1 2024 State of Industry report
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