To gain a deeper understanding of the issues and specific challenges facing TFPs the TRADEIT project consulted with enterprises (Bakery, Dairy and Meat sectors) to identify current technology, innovation and business needs, including barriers to implementing solutions at a local level. A bottom up approach was taken with 340 surveys were completed and 322 enterprises participating in workshops, seminars or receiving onsite visits. The results highlight some of the major concerns facing the traditional food industry today.
The biggest business challenges regardless of sector, country or turnover are managing growth, increasing costs, economic uncertainty, lack of marketing expertise and identifying skilled labour. Poor access to facilities was cited as a major issue in Ireland, Poland and Italy. The traditional food sector is vibrant, food producers are focused and progressive with growth strategies including new product development a high priority for the European TFPs consulted. However despite this ambition, internationalisation is a real issue with significant challenges encountered in securing export markets, notably the German food producers were the exception. There was no consensus or clear trend on capital and access to finance as a business issue. Of note sustainability did not rank as a priority, this is a key issue to be addressed by the TRADEIT project, suggesting that the first wave of activity should be an awareness and educational campaign.
The topic of technology upgrading was particularly interesting; the willingness to adopt new technology is highly variable. The majority of enterprises identified the lack of technology adoption as a major challenge to business growth, with cohort of food producers indicating that new technologies are not a major barrier to business growth or competiveness. This was linked to the opinion on the “hand-made” aspect of traditional food production as a barrier to technology upgrading. Interestingly securing information on new technologies is a real issue for many companies, with an emphasis on the need for sector specific information on technological developments and technology transfer support infrastructures.
Interestingly approximately 40% were of the opinion that there is little demand for innovation in the traditional food marketplace. Availability or lack there of in-house innovation expertise is not perceived as a major determinant, key factors are the lack of funds (both in house and externally available), lack of access to external knowledge (Universities, R&D Centres, Technology providers) and difficulties finding partners for co-operation. Key topics of interest for innovation and technology acquisition was in the areas of food safety and quality, packaging, shelf life and food chain management.
The detailed understanding of these issues enables the TRADEIT team to target the specific needs of the Bakery, Dairy and Meat TFPs in their local regions. On the technology identification, selection and transfer supports needed a broad programme of Technology Brokerage events and SME missions will be hosted at each of the TRADEIT Hubs supported by the TRADEIT eMarketplace (where TFPs can ask for and receive support on technology, innovation and business related issues)a. All events are promoted via the TRADEIT website and updates, join the TRADEIT mailing list if you wish to receive event notifications.
