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Food & Drink Sector
In the Food & Drink sector NWUA is developing links with regional partners
to identify potential opportunities for collaborative added-value activities.
Key partners include the Regional Cluster Organisation
Food NW
and the Sector Skills Council
Improve Ltd
and NWUA provides HE representation on the Sector Skills and Productivity
Alliance (SSPA) for the Food & Drink sector. NWUA also represents the HE
sector on the Food & Drink Sector Investment Group. The newly formed group
beings together partners working in the sector, particularly in inward
investment, to compile and share sector knowledge and market
intelligence.
Academic Advisor Network
We have four Academic Advisors providing good sub-sector and geographic
coverage. Dr Allan Hackett at Liverpool John Moores University provides
expertise in nutrition, Professor Paul Ainsworth at Manchester Metropolitan
University provides expertise in food safety, quality and new product &
process development, Patrick Trodden at the University of Salford is a food and
wine expert and David Woodcock at the University of Cumbria specialises in
primary food production and farm management.
Supplementing this expertise is an electronic network of academics working in
the sector. This enables us to both disseminate sector specific information
directly to the relevant HEI staff, but also to canvass opinion and consult
HEIs on key sector issues.
Sector Research Capability Mapping
Work is underway to map research capabilities across the Food & Drink
sector. Once completed, this will enable partners and intermediaries to better
identify collaborative opportunities. The mapping will also be used to assist
Food NW
and
Business Link IDB
brokers in understanding and signposting the HE offer to Food & Drink
businesses.
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