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3 minute read

Project HELIX delivers £110m boost for Welsh food & drink sector

A report published by the Welsh Government shows that Project HELIX, an initiative developed to boost innovation and efficiency in the Welsh food and drink industry, has had an impact of over £110 million, since its launch three years ago.

Using state of the art manufacturing facilities, the Helix project has provided technical support and bespoke training that’s helped develop hundreds of new products, helped businesses innovate and be more productive through improving skills and reducing waste streams throughout the supply chain.

The Welsh Government and EU-funded Project HELIX is a pan-Wales strategic initiative, delivered through Food Innovation Wales. This is a partnership of three food centres based in Cardiff, Ceredigion and Anglesey.

Project HELIX, an initiative developed to boost innovation and efficiency in the Welsh food and drink industry, has had an impact of over £110m, since its launch three years ago / Picture: Getty/iStock

 

To date, Project HELIX has delivered clear benefits to the Welsh food industry and include:

298 jobs created and 1302 jobs safeguarded
156 new businesses supported
276 enterprises assisted
241 new markets accessed, and
366 new products developed

Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, said: “The success of Project HELIX shows how collaboration between academia, industry experts and producers on the ground can make such a big difference.

“A £110 million boost, new jobs created and others safeguarded, new products developed, new businesses launched, a more skilled workforce – all this is helping to further enhance Wales’s great and growing reputation in the international food and drink industry.

“As we prepare for the challenges Brexit will bring, innovation is making the food and drink industry more resilient and it plays a key role in our Welsh success story. I would urge producers and manufacturers to explore what support is available through Project HELIX and how its expertise and advanced technical facilities can be of benefit to them.”

Businesses who’ve already received support from Project HELIX include Boss Brewery, and Sarah John from the brewery said, “The assistance we’ve received has been instrumental in helping us achieve SALSA accreditation, a key stepping stone in our journey as a beverage manufacturer. They mentored, guided, and trained us through the entire process, all of which was invaluable to us as a company.”

Project HELIX has helped to create 298 jobs and safeguard a further 1,302 roles at Welsh food manufacturing businesses / Picture: Getty/iStock

 

Peter Rice from Prima Foods added, “Without the support we’ve received, the business would have taken so much longer to fulfil the demands of becoming a second-tier supplier to multiple retailers and blue-chip businesses. The advice, collaborative staff development and the depth of support available has allowed Prima to do what it does best with confidence and security.”

The latest figures come hot on the heels of the announcement that Food Innovation Wales has become a network partner of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Food, Europe’s leading food innovation initiative. Supported by Welsh Government funding, this will establish a dedicated EIT Food presence in Wales, linking the Welsh industry to a wider consortium of key industry players, start-ups, research centres and universities from across Europe.

Professor David Lloyd, on behalf of Food Innovation Wales, concluded: “By championing innovation, efficiency and a strategic approach to business, Project HELIX has been able to make a significant impact within Wales’s food and drink sector, creating and safeguarding jobs across the country.

“The food and drink sector is vital to Wales’s economy and the continued collaboration between Welsh Government, academia and manufacturers will help the sector to innovate and prosper in the years ahead.”