Report Card on Ontario Food and Beverage Processing Industry Innovation Tells the Story
From Newswire.ca
Food and Beverage Ontario has released two reports on innovation in the Ontario food and beverage processing industry. Reports have indicated that there are several value-creating physical and on-line innovation resources available in Ontario to processor businesses across the province but coordination and communication continue to be key to uptake.
Complementary on-line innovation resources are also available and are largely concerned with information on government programs and funding and advisory services for businesses. Report highlights:
- Processors cite product innovation as their top innovation priority, however they rank innovation technology and methods as the overall industry priority.
- The greatest challenge limiting a company’s ability to innovate was identified by over 50 per cent of the respondents as financial resources and time.
- Companies that seek out external support equally prefer both in-person contact and websites.
- Processors are asking for innovation resources to be better coordinated, easy to navigate and to access.
“We have been working hard for the last year mapping resources and building a provincial innovation network with key stakeholders,” said Norm Beal, CEO, Food and Beverage Ontario. “Now it’s time for FBO to implement a coordinated plan that will make it easy for Ontario’s 3,000 plus processor businesses to locate exactly the innovation support they need to be more competitive.”