Alfa Laval announce new food innovation centre in Denmark to address global food challenges

Credit: Alfa Laval

Global technology leader Alfa Laval has announced the creation of a new Food Innovation Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark, designed to revolutionise food production and tackle the environmental challenges of feeding a growing global population. Scheduled for completion in 2027, the new facility aims to develop innovative solutions that reduce the environmental impact of food production while improving efficiency and nutrition.

Addressing urgent global challenges

The global food system is at a critical juncture, contributing to a third of greenhouse gas emissions, consuming 70 percent of all withdrawn freshwater, and accounting for a third of global energy use. However, Alfa Laval believe they can play a pivotal role in transforming this system.

“With our range of technologies, solutions and competences, Alfa Laval is in a strong position to enable food and beverage producers to take a much bigger responsibility in their supply chain,” says Lars Dithmer, President of Alfa Laval Business Unit Food Systems. “We believe this is needed in our effort to enable the global food system to feed and nourish a growing global population within the planetary boundaries.”

A hub for innovation and collaboration

The new 1,200 m² facility will sit at the heart of Denmark’s thriving bio-solutions hub, leveraging the academic and industrial strengths of the Copenhagen and Southern Sweden region. The site will feature full food processing lines, a visitor centre, and cutting-edge testing and development capabilities.

“This will be a world-class test and development facility that will tackle the challenges of supplying food today and in the future,” explains Johan Agrell, Vice-President of Next-generation Food, Food & Water Division. “It will represent an opportunity to partner across the entire ecosystem of food innovation, from start-ups to global food corporations and academia.”

The facility is designed to foster collaboration and accelerate regulatory approval processes, offering a flexible platform for developing technologies that optimise food processing, improve yields and reduce environmental footprints.

Transforming food systems

The Food Innovation Centre will focus on two core areas:

• Conventional foods, ingredients and beverages: developing processes and technologies to produce more nutritious food with higher yields and less energy, water and raw materials, while recovering and upcycling resources from waste streams. 
• Next-generation food: developing new processes and technologies for new plant-based and fermentation-based foods, from proof of concept through scale-up to industrial production to achieve a radically reduced environmental impact. 

“We will be able to take concepts and ideas and work with them to establish how to upscale these through the latest technologies,” says Agrell. Additionally, the facility will harness the power of artificial intelligence to continuously optimise food production processes.

Tackling the protein challenge

A key priority for the centre will be addressing the urgent global need for sustainable protein production. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has identified protein as one of the biggest challenge in achieving sustainable food security by 2050.

“When operations begin, work will initially focus on protein processing,” says Agrell. “We will have a primary focus to develop new and more efficient ways to extract proteins from plant-based sources and through fermentation-based processing, to produce new healthy foods with less water and energy and from less raw materials.” 

Recognising the ongoing role of animal-based proteins, the centre will also focus on optimising meat and fish processing to reduce resource use and environmental strain. “Animal proteins will for many years ahead be required to feed the population of the world,” notes Agrell. “Our mission is to continue efforts in optimising production of animal-based proteins and minimising the environmental impact of this needed food source.”

Building the future of food

The centre will not only develop technological innovations but also serve as a hub for training and upskilling industry professionals. “A crucial aspect of the big food transformation is to empower bright minds with new insight to act,” Agrell emphasises. “The facility will be a key place to learn and train, helping to develop the innovators and experts of the future.”

Alfa Laval’s investment in the Food Innovation Centre signals a bold commitment to reshaping the global food system. By combining cutting-edge technology, collaboration, and sustainability, the company aims to lead the way in addressing the world’s most pressing food challenges.