Product development
South Australia’s primary industries have a strong tradition of being innovative and adaptive to new challenges. They have proven to be highly efficient, competitive in international markets and creating differentiated products.
Fresh ideas and innovative thinking help build strong new brands and differentiated products. Continual improvements to packaging and products to all distribution channels; retail, food service and food ingredients also helps the industry quickly match consumer trends, such as health and wellbeing, as well as convenience and value for money.
Businesses can also look to work with other businesses - either in their industry or along the value chain - to spread the costs and risks of innovation.
Innovate to stay on top
Continual product and service innovation can be the vital link in meeting consumer demand and expanding into new markets.
There are many examples of innovation in response to market trends:
- changing to a completely new crop or a new variety in response to market trends
- introducing a new machine or processing procedures
- developing new products or new versions of existing products
- introducing environmentally friendly packaging
- reworking portion size or presentation
- identifying new distribution channels
- finding a way to establish a direct relationship with your end consumer
Government support
Investment in research, development and innovation is vital for ongoing growth and improvement in the productivity, profitability, competitiveness and sustainability.
National spending on primary industries R&D is estimated to be over $1.3 billion per annum.
In addition the State Government encourages innovation along the value chain, offering funding, workshop and programs to support a large number of small producers. These programs particularly assist those who may not gain an economic return from individual investment in R&D, and where farm products are largely uniform and non-rival in nature. Do you mean commodities?
Other programs also address important national development and sustainability objectives, such as biosecurity and natural resource management.
Need advice?
In SA, Innovate SA provides specialist resources, referrals and technical services to help unlock the innovative and creative potential of SA businesses seeking to grow through innovation.
At the federal level, Rural Research and Development Corporations and Companies (RDCs) are the Australian Government's primary vehicle for funding rural innovation. RDCs are a partnership between the Government and industry created to share the funding and strategic direction setting for primary industry R&D, investment in R&D and the subsequent adoption of R&D outputs.
Several members of SARDI’s Food Innovation and Value Chain team work within the SA Food Centre, collaborating with staff of the other partners of the centre to assist food businesses in the development of new products.
Competitive strategies
Once you have worked on understanding your consumers, you must understand your competitors, and where your business sits relative to them. It is time to develop competitive strategies. These are the actions you will take to enable you to meet the needs of your market in a new, different or superior way relative to your competitors.
Intellectual property
As your business grows, so too will the importance of managing your intellectual property (IP). There are a range of laws that give individuals and businesses exclusive rights over their creative and inventive projects.
How has the SA Food Centre helped others?
There are many examples of assistance offered to South Australian food businesses.
Innovate SA conducts regular seminars demonstrating principles for successful new product development through informative case studies.
Each seminar, conducted an hour, features case studies presented by local businesses with a relevant story to tell from their endeavours in developing and commercialising new products. These sessions also provide a valuable opportunity to meet with other people involved in new product development.
Articles
SA Food Centre – Your first stop for product development
Getting the technology into food
Case Study
Maggie Beer Products
Who can I contact?
The SA Food Centre is on hand to assist with food technologist available. Contact us for product development advice.
- Page last modified: November 15, 2011, 5:51 pm
- Welcome URL is http://www.safoodcentre.com.au/
- This page: http://www.safoodcentre.com.au/innovation/product_development
