Food ingredients giant Kerry Group is to develop a new food technology and innovation centre in Queensland, Australia.
The Dublin-listed company said the plant would act as the new headquarters in Australia and New Zealand, while its existing facility in Sydney will retain a specialist research and development applications hub.
It said its new Australia and New Zealand Development and Application Centre in Brisbane would bring its food innovation cycle under one roof and increase Kerry's capacity to drive food innovation in the region.
The move represents a serious ramping-up of the company’s presence in the region.
Product commercialisation
Kerry’s general manager for Australia and New Zealand, Christine Giuliano, said the investment and expansion would support regional industry development.
“This investment [supported by the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund] will pave an economical and efficient path for commercialisation of new products, and focus on Kerry’s global innovation initiatives in health and wellness, sustainability, convenience, affordability and premiumisation, allowing regional businesses to connect and access the global market by leveraging the Kerry brand,” she said.
“It will bring the benefits of our global technologies to local food and beverage producers,” she said.
Kerry Group recently suspended talks with its main shareholder, Kerry Co-op, about the possible sale of its dairy and consumer foods business in Ireland.
