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NUTRITION AND FOOD TECHNOLOGIES A cutting-edge industry of the canton of Vaud 2 VAUD ECONOMIC PROMOTION / NUTRITION AND FOOD TECHNOLOGIES CHAMPIONS OF FOOD Personalized nutrition, functional foods, robotic farming: tomorrow’s meals are being cooked up in Vaud. On the back of its long farming tradition, the canton of From local to global Vaud saw the agri-food sector develop over a century ago The products that these companies produce are exported with the creation of Nestlé in Vevey in 1905. Other influen- all over the world. They convey a strong brand image, com- tial companies followed: Eckes-Granini fruit juices, Reitzel bining quality, authenticity and expertise, illustrated by the vegetables in jars, Hilcona’s ready-meals. The region also many “appellation d’origine contrôlée” products of the ag- enjoys a strong industrial tradition, complemented by a ricultural sector. bold spirit of innovation, allowing the companies it hosts to design and produce new solutions that meet current In addition to large-scale food trade, the canton of Vaud has needs and even anticipate the challenges of the future. a number of important stakeholders in the research and de- velopment of new products, such as the Agroscope While technological and innovative startups are springing (Changins), the Agropôle (Molondin) and the Nestlé Re- up in Vaud, the canton is also home to the expertise and search Center. Sector world leader Nestlé also opened Nes- reputation of leading international companies in their field, tle Health Science, a branch dedicated to nutritional care. such as General Mills, Chiquita and ADM. Academic institutions, in particular the École Polytech- nique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), are working on a real challenge for the future: agritech. Investing in this emerg- ing sector are startups Gamaya, ecoRobotix (Y-PARC), CombaGroup (Molondin) and US company Geosys, which has been based in the region for a number of years. These companies are developing drones to monitor crops, weed- ing robots, “smart” greenhouses, aeroponic systems and remote sensing systems. The EPFL has also opened the “Integrative Food and Nutrition center” to focus entirely on 8.4 issues related to nutrition and food production. To benefit from the dynamic environment provided by the EPFL, billion Nestlé Institute of Health Science has settled its laborato- ries in the EPFL Innovation Park to do fundamental re- search for developing science-based targeted nutritional represents the total amount of Swiss exports solutions for the maintenance of health. of foodstuffs and beverages in 2016 (CHF). “In all fields, including in the agri-food sector which I know particularly well, new companies are emerging in the canton of Vaud and are successfully developing there, supported by a very close-knit network of higher education institutions, innovation incubators, financial support organizations and project promoters. In addition, the PHILIPPE MICHIELS expert in the agri-food sector, cultural diversity of the canton’s population contributes startup consultant significantly to this dynamic.” Sources: OFS, MICHIELS Consulting Sources: ecoRobotix Photo: VAUD ECONOMIC PROMOTION / NUTRITION AND FOOD TECHNOLOGIES 3 AN IDEAL ENVIRONMENT FOR INVESTING Located in the heart of Europe, Vaud, the largest of the French-speak- There are some 50,000 companies in Switzerland never ceases to amaze ing cantons, is also the most popu- the canton, mainly operating in the with its diversity and prosperity. Its lated, with more than 800,000 service sector, but they also lead the political system is based on direct inhabitants. An illustration of its open- way in technology sectors with high demo cracy and consensus, giving ness is that nearly a third of its popu- added value such as precision instru- rise to productive stability that lation hails from abroad. A significant ments, medical equipment and infor- greatly bene fits the economy. The proportion of these people are highly mation technology. country regularly ranks among the qualified and were attracted by the most competitive in the world. working conditions and excellence of the region’s institutions. Sources: OFS, MICHIELS Consulting Sources: ecoRobotix Photo: 4 VAUD ECONOMIC PROMOTION / NUTRITION AND FOOD TECHNOLOGIES AREAS OF EXPERTISE The agri-food sector comprises both the activity of companies in the primary sector (farms themselves, which produce food) and the secondary sector (the agri-food industry, which turns them into processed foods). All research activity, with the aim of optimizing processes Agritech in one of these two sectors, also plays an important role. Agricultural technologies is a relatively new field which en- The canton of Vaud has a leading role in the following par- compasses an array of innovations used in agriculture, hor- ticular sectors: ticulture and aquaculture that improve the yields, efficiency and profitability of crops from an environmental perspec- Nutrition tive. Two Vaud startups with strong potential reflect this The field of nutrition is vast, covering questions of taste, new field of research: CombaGroup, which develops aero- texture, aesthetics, health. The challenges are many: com- ponic solutions for growing lettuce, and ecoRobotix, active bating junk food, tackling rising obesity and diabetes in in the design of a weeder robot to limit the use of chemical Western societies, finding solutions to food allergies and herbicides in crops. Agritech also includes startups active intolerances etc. Several academic institutes are focusing in the design and manufacture of drones, such as Gamaya their efforts here, in particular the EPFL Integrative Food and senseFly. The technologies they develop enable better and Nutrition Center, whose strength comes from its knowledge of the soil to be obtained, thus helping farmers cross-disciplinary nature. in their work. The R&D centers of both Nestlé and Cereals Partners World- Expertise in the coffee sector wide focus primarily on issues surrounding the health impact With the presence on its territory of Nescafé and of foods. The Nestlé R&D center brings together over 250 Nespresso – subsidiaries of food giant Nestlé – as well as scientists working in diverse fields: nutritionists, biochemists, US company Starbucks based in Lausanne, the Vaud region physicists, immunologists, pharmacists, computer scientists, is home to the world’s key stakeholders in the manufacture mathematicians, sensory analysts, foodstuff technologists, and distribution of caffeinated beverages. This concentra- packaging and design experts and many more. tion has allowed Vaud to develop a position of global ex- pertise in coffee R&D, quality testing and trading. Packaging This designation refers to both the packaging of a product as such (aesthetics, attractiveness, marketing etc.) and how it is packed (hygiene, conservation etc.). Eco-design pack- aging is when minimal environmental impact is involved. At the EPFL, the Materials Science and Engineering Section as well as the COMATEC institute of the HEIG-VD are fo- cused on this issue. The world leader Tetra Pak has its in- ternational headquarters in Pully. 10% represents the share of the Swiss population affected by obesity in 2019. The proportion has doubled in a single generation. Source: Innovaud, agritech Innovaud, Source: sheet fact agribusiness Léman du Conseil Source: VAUD ECONOMIC PROMOTION / NUTRITION AND FOOD TECHNOLOGIES 5 CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH INSTITUTES The canton of Vaud is home to a large number of scientists specializing in nutrition and agri-food. Nestlé Research Center Agroscope (Changins) In 1987, agribusiness giant Nestlé established a center de- The Agroscope is the Swiss center of expertise for agricul- voted entirely to research and development (R&D) near tural research. Its research activity extends to the entire Lausanne. Its work ranges from basic research on nutrition value chain of the agri-food sector. It seeks to achieve com- and health to applied research for product development. petitive and multifunctional agriculture, and quality food The center is at the forefront of technology and knowledge for a healthy diet while leaving the environment untouched. related to nutrition, bioanalytics, functional foods and food security. It also hosts the Nestlé R&D Accelerator, which brings together scientists, students and startups to accel- 1,200 12 employees sites spread throughout the erate the transformation of innovative ideas and concepts country, including three in the into prototypes and tangible products. canton of Vaud: Changins (one of the largest in Nestlé regularly works with universities and university hos- Switzerland), Avenches and Pully pitals in Switzerland, in particular with the University of Lausanne (UNIL), the EPFL and the ETH Zurich. It still has a research center in Orbe and a center of excel- lence for coffee products and technologies, powdered Agroscope has also established a connected Smart drinks and cereals, including the Nestlé Professional Beve- farming department. The institution studies how rage Center, as well as the CPW Innovation Center – a site new technologies can be used in Swiss agriculture to for R&D for its joint venture with General Mills. The multi- achieve maximum benefit (profitability, time savings, national has established its companies Nestlé Health Sci- improved quality and animal welfare). The Agroscope ence and Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences in the Biopôle site in Tänikon, in the canton of Thurgau, is being and EPFL Innovation Park respectively.

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