the skåne food innovation network 2011 · cooperation & strategies, jan brattström, ......
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The Skåne Food Innovation Network 2011
Management GroupFrom the left. Helene Reintjes, Taste Skåne, Martina Svensson,
Project manager, Jannie S Vestergaard, Taste Skåne, Håkan Jönsson,
Taste Skåne, Hans Knutsson, Joyful Meals, Mikael Byström,
Communications, Lotta Törner, CEO, Rolf Bjerndell, Innovation &
Entrepreneurship, Ann Persson, Administration, Magnus Lagnevik,
Cooperation & Strategies, Jan Brattström, Recruitment,
Henrik Andersson, County Administration in Skåne
Not present: Annika Olsson, food packages,
Lennart R Svenssion, Region Skåne
The Skåne Food Innovation Network 2011
The Board of DirectorsFrom the left: Jonny Olsson, Tetra Pak, Eva Thuresson, Allé, Mikael Aru, deputy chairman, Procordia, Spiros Mylonopoulos, Bergendahls Food, Göran Tunhammar, Governor of Skåne, Chairman, Tiina Sarap, SLU Alnarp, Gudmundur Kristjansson, Region Skåne, Lotta Törner, CEO SFIN.Not present: Anders Axelsson, Lund Institute of Technology, Tomas Jensen, Kiviks Musteri AB,Bengt Jeppsson, Lund University
Partners and membersThe SkåNe Food Innovation Network (in the southern Swedish County of Skåne) is the hub of one of the most interesting food clusters in Europe. Our activities are business driven. We have close ties with the region’s universities, secondary schools and the food industry’s business development organisations.
We are organised in the following fiels of activity: Samverkan & Framtidsfrågor (Cooperation & Strategies), Innovation & Entreprenörskap (Innovation & Entrepreneurship), Jobb & Karriär (Recruitment), Måltidsglädje (Joyful Meals) and Smaka på Skåne (Tasting Skåne). Since the turn of 2011/2012, we have added one further field of activities: Livsmedelsförpackningar (Food Packages).
The NeTWorkk’S focus on the food industry and the meal services industry is also reflected in the more than 80 partners and mem-bers* who have opted to become affiliated with us. More than two out of three of our partners, and nine out of ten of our members, are private companies.
IN 2011, some 15 partners and members have been added, including all of ICA Malmborg s retail outlets in Skåne.
*a partnership in the Food Innovation Network costs Sek 35,000 per year and provides full access to the offers made available by SFIN, including our Ceo network. Members pay Sek 2,000 for a reduced offer on participation in seminars, courses and networks.
Our partners(jan 2012): A&R Carton AB | Atria Scandinavia AB |
Bel Nordic AB | Bergendahls Food |
Bertegruppen AB/SIA Glass AB | Bring Frigo |
Dr Persfoodproduction AB | Farina AB | Findus |
Flextrus Group AB | Fundacion Chile |
Hushållningssällskapet Kristianstad |
Högskolan Kristianstad | IDEON Agro Food |
IKEA Food Service | Innovation Center Hedmark |
Kiviks Musteri | Lantmännen Food R&D |
Leaf Sverige AB | LRF Skåne | Lunds Universitet |
Lunds Tekniska Högskola | Culinar |
LU Innovation | Länsstyrelsen i Skåne |
Malmö Högskola | Nordic Sugar | Oatly AB |
Packbridge | PwC | Probi | Procordia | Pågen |
Region Skåne | Pärsons | Setterwalls | SIK |
Skånemejerier | Kristianstad kommun |
SLU, Alnarp | SydGrönt | Tetra Pak |
DUrING The past year, we have got it in black and white that our strategies really work. In the large cluster evaluation of Region Skåne, the various players that make up SFIN emphasise the value of cooperating in questions which promote all of commerce and industry. At the same time, they express great confidence in one another. Some say that SFIN has made the industry raise the bar and that there is now a fully operative forum which creates completely new devel-opment opportunities.
IN 2003, when SFIN was given the opportunity to expand as a result of a ten-year VINNOVA drive, our expectations were different.
Principally, the intention was that SFIN would deliver new products, concepts and businesses by working in the interface between commerce and industry / the aca-demic world / public administration. And of course quite a lot of those goods have been delivered down the years – from new reci-pes for falafel and cold pasteurisers to cheap robots and a honey as a cure for a hangover (!) – but our incomparably greatest innova-tion lies on the system level.
Our role is to lubricate, break down bar-riers, bring together different levels of skills and interests. We create the qualified net-works where sparks can fly and where eve-ryone who is so inclined is welcome to make a contribution. It was when we realised that
things began to move in earnest – and we would dearly like to take this opportunity to give praise to VINNOVA who dared to jump on the wagon even though the ride was bumpy at the outset.
Today, when the ten-year drive is reaching its conclusion, we are able to stand on our own, with a field of activities and a scope which few could have dreamt of.
aS SYSTeM plaYerS we are in a position to work on a broad front and to engage those skills and voices which are needed to be able to drive questions with real force.
One good example is our focus program entitled Joyful Meals, where we are engaged in a whole series of subprojects with the clear common goal of improving public mealtimes.
We operate throughout the entire spec-trum – from the application of the legislation on public procurement right out to the kitch-ens and care wards at Trelleborg Hospital (read more on pp 8-9).
Through a whole series of minor changes, together we can create something huge. Mealtimes are improved without cost-ing more. At the same time, we open up a new, exiting volume market for food compa-nies capable of delivering the quality which is demanded, and which in turn requires both sensitivity and an innovative ability. This becomes a healthy circle.
aMoNG oTher key events during the year, mention might be made that we completed a successful first round of our trainee program and that the continuation will follow in 2013; that, together with the Ministry of Rural Affairs, we worked on the EU level to facili-tate the use of health claims for good prod-ucts; that we decided to focus on the area of packages; that we have joined the European Food Alliance, where Europe’s leading food clusters learn from one another and finally that we have launched domestically pro-duced and carefully selected products under the brand name Smaka på Skåne (“Tasting Skåne”) in the regional shops. Read more about this and much much more in the fol-lowing pages.
aND WhaT was it about the World knocking on our door? During 2011, we were the cen-tre of much attention from organisations in other countries who wanted to learn more about how we work. Among other things, this resulted in meetings on government level in South Korea, Chile, China and Spain and naturally to the creation of completely new networks and opportunities.
That’s how we work.
Göran Tunhammar, Board Chairman
Lotta Törner, Chief Executive Officer
It all begins with a chatOur working model is to create networks addressing to sharp problems and issues. By such means, we arouse interest in the principal players in the business. When they input resources and begin talking with one another, the seedbed is created for true innova-tion. Every single one of our growing networks is clear proof that this works.
was to establish a sales company on a new market. When the job was completed, a few week’s work at the office was waiting for me in Brussels and this was followed by a new wad of start capital and a new flight ticket to an unknown destination.
The orIFlaMe Career WaS TerMINaTeD with a time as CEO for the company’s operations in Slovakia, from where the journey moved on further to a trainee job at Tetra Pak, with the emphasis on international manage-ment. After a “straight as a die” career as marketing director for Europe and Africa at the head office in Lausanne, followed by the post as CEO for Tetra Pak in the Baltic countries, Jonny Olsson was called home in 2006 to Lund to create the company of which he is CEO today – Tetra Pak Nordics, with almost 1,000 employees in the Nordic region and the Baltic states. It was then that he heard for the first time about the Skåne Food Innovation Network SFIN.
“Through my regular contacts with our customers in the food industry, I rapidly realised that the Food Innovation Network, and in particular its CEO network, was a vital context for those who wanted to keep at the forefront of what was happening in
the sector. When I was asked whether I was interested in joining in the Board of Directors of the network, it was an easy deci-sion to accept.
Jonny Olsson emphasises the CEO net-work as a key to the successes of the Food Innovation Network.
“As CEO, you are generally fully occupied with daily work in your own company. The network is a forum where, in an open atmos-phere, we can air questions and problems which can move the entire sector forwards. The atmosphere is informal. At the same time there is a short route between word and action when so many people possessing con-siderable formal influence in our respective companies identify different areas where we want to see traction. One of the very clear-est – and most important – examples is the work in the recruitment area. We are com-pletely dependent on being able, in knife edge global competition, to attract the most gifted and best educated brains to our sec-tor. A lot more is required than just neat formulations in the vacancies adverts. The trainee program which was created in close
JoNNY olSSoN began as a salesman in the food sector well before his studies in eco-nomics were completed. His sights were set on becoming product manager of the export success Dajm – then Sweden’s largest food export after Absolut Vodka. He didn’t get the job, but after internee work at Marabou and graduation in a Master’s Degree in econom-ics from the Centre of Economics at Lund University, his professional career began in 1990 with a stint of four years at Ericsson Corporate Financial Control. This was fol-lowed by a rewarding period of employment at the cosmetics company Oriflame.
“I left Ericsson because I missed sales work. The new job in an entrepreneurial company gave many new experiences. My task was clear and the results were easy to measure. I was given an air ticket and a start capital of USD 30,000 and my objective
”Short route between idea and action in the CEO network””SFIN gives us the opportunity to raise the bar and create favourable development within areas which are of interest to the entire sector. The work model involving the creation of professional networks addressing sharp individual problems is a decisive success factor. These are the words of Jonny Olsson, CEO of Tetra Pak Nordics and a member of the board of the SFIN”
Tetra pak Nordic’s Ceo, Jonny olsson, is a member of the Board of SFIN. he sees major value in the various
networks which have been created for jointly addressing questions of interest
for the entire sector.
a new field of activities was formed at the turn of the year 2011/2012
– Food packages. Value added is to be created by training and integrated package development in cooperation with the packaging cluster pack Bridge.
read more at www.livsmedelsakademin.se
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cooperation between HR officers in many different companies shows how we can work to create concrete, visible and attrac-tive entries to the sector. Naturally, what is then required is adjustment work to cre-ate the really attractive career routes in the companies.
The Work MoDel INVolVING forming pro-fessional networks addressing sharp indi-vidual problems – apart from the HR net-work, SFIN today runs almost a dozen other networks relating to various issues – has created stir of attention in both Sweden and abroad. Jonny Olsson sees considerable value in these international contacts.
“When other food clusters approach us to learn from what we have achieved, relation-ships are created which are to the benefit of all parties concerned. It is good to see your own field of activities through others’ eyes and by studying one another critically, we can learn both “best practice” and how to avoid expensive mistakes.”
oNe area which interests Jonny Olsson in particular is entrepreneurship. He feels that SFIN has a vital role to play in supporting and helping individual entrepreneurs, but he sees a larger perspective as well.
“Innovation starts in the meeting between different ideas and knowledge, and the network is a good meeting place. We have a clear overview which means that we can link together good ideas and spinoffs which together can be greater than the sum of their parts. There are already several examples of new products and processes which have evolved in this manner, and more are on the way.
Jonny Olsson also wants to open up the innovation process of his own company.
“The world is spinning fast and we can-not expect to hatch all of the good ideas
ourselves, regardless of how much we devote to R & D. In a more open innovation process, it becomes possible for skilled entrepreneurs outside our own company to contribute with knowledge and ideas which increase both our and their competitiveness. Everybody stands to gain.
IN aNSWer to the question as to the true state of innovative food companies Jonny Olsson answers that it could certainly be better, but that there are also natural explanations for the cautiousness which characterises the industry.
“One is the economies of scale and the enormous values that have been invested in the brand names and trademarks of the sector. The tiniest little slipup is enough to spoil years of effort. Then it is easy to become cautious in releasing totally new products. Quite simply it must work from day one. As a result, we can also see today a trend where the food companies would rather purchase other companies with products that have succeeded on the market – and that also accelerates the rate of innovation. Another obstacle is the price cutting that has become a characteristic of the retail trade. If the industry assesses that it is impossi-ble to charge for its value added, interest in investing in new and innovative products will naturally decline.
JoNNY olSSoN has a very positive picture of his own company’s future, despite growing global competition.
“The sector could well be considered as quite mature, but even though our packag-ing systems are spread all over the world today, there are still plenty of challenges and new niches to conquer. One example is that many foods are still filled into pack-ages that demand unnecessary amounts of resources and this is something that we both can and want to change. Our product portfo-lio is based on renewable resources and eco-nomic uses of energy throughout the entire value chain. Naturally, we also feel the bite of increasing competition, not least from cut price suppliers, but as far as we are con-cerned it’s simply a matter of further honing what we are good at – products, skills, sys-tems and service which give our customers true value added and the consumers foods which are both safer and fresher.
Cooperation & StrategiesThe players in the southern Swedish food cluster – commerce and industry, universities, institutes of technology, organisations and public sector authorities – share a common interest in the sector continuing to develop in a positive direction and strengthen their com-petitiveness. Within the area of Cooperation & the Future, we create a foundation and joint view of questions of strategic importance. We identify sharp individual problems and create the preconditions for solving them by running qualified networks with the correct skills and decision making power for each respective task. Our role in those processes where we cooperate is to facilitate, to take risks and to create and lead by example. As representatives of the Scanian food commerce and industry, we participate for example in national and international cooperation schemes, in opinion forming and in processes relating to legislation and regulations which affect the industry.
“We want to participate in building up an inno-vative Swedish food industry for the benefit of both consumers and the society. In Skåne there are unique preconditions and by cooperation in the Food Innovation Network we can create a leading European food cluster.”
Jari litvanen, Ceo Findus Sverige aB
” Through the Food Innovation Network, we are involved where things happen. The cooperation in the different networks is an efficient way of moving the entire food industry forwards.” Sofia Gotmar-Blomstedt, regional manager pwc, southern Sweden
“The Innovation Network is a vital arena for contacts and an exchange of knowledge between the university and industry – and it is an energy injection to work with an organisation which is so active and forward thinking.”
Tiina Sarap, Dekanus vid SlU alnarp
Responsible for activities:
lotta Törner
Magnus lagnevik
The networks and arenas of the field of activities: CEO-network, Foresight/Innovation Guilds, Food researchers network.
The environmental profile is a crucial part of Tetra pak´s identity and
characterizes the company´s entire product portfolio.
The development projects of the Food Innovation Network are housed
within the Cooperation & Future unit. ZIrro is a new cooperation arena for initiating new solutions relating to diabetes. Foodbest is an european initiative for establishing a knowledge innovation community in food.
During the year, the Food Innovation Network presented a view of the future via the social media, which has
never been done before. In the report, interesting and provocative international and national trends were presented which may act as inspiration to foods of the future.
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change this, the consumer, the grower and the regional economy as a whole all stand to gain. The common trademark Tasting Skåne is an important step in this direction.
STeFaN WIeloCh’S own shop is proof of this. Anyone who takes the time to mooch around among the shelves will find food and raw materials from a score of local producers, all presented under the common trademark Tasting Skåne. There’s honey and meat prod-ucts from Förslöv, rapeseed oil from Grevie, crisps from Torekov’s crisp factory, bread from Knut-Jöns in Båstad, apple juice from Kattvik, cheese from Skottorp, herrings from Våxtorp, eggs from Höganäs and much much else.
The locally produced product range is constantly growing and is becoming more and more appreciated by the customers. Slightly different rules apply to these prod-ucts than to the “normal” food. Supply of Tasting Skåne food is allowed to run out.
“It is of the very nature of things that, for example, the hens in Höganäs cannot lay an infinite number of eggs every day, or that Bjäreolja cannot press more oil than the rapeseeds harvested will produce,” explains Stefan Wieloch. It is no disadvantage at all that the Taste of Skåne products are available
only in a limited quantity. This creates exclusivity and credibility
concerning the concept and encourages turnover in the shop. On the other hand, I would really like to enlarge the product range. There is both demand and room for many more products here.
WheN IT CoMeS To enlarging the product range and exposing more locally produced
goods, Stefan Wieloch himself plays a very active part, which among other things is based on placing orders for goods which have not yet come out onto the market.
The message is: if you deliver products of the right quality, I’m buying!
“After all, I know what we can sell and
oNe oF the firebrands behind the project which is run in the retail network of SFIN is ICA retailer in Båstad, Stefan Wieloch. In his opinion, it is high time to turn the spotlight on the skilful growers and food producers and ensure that they are given high priority for the quality of their raw materials and the food they produce.
“Here on the Bjäre peninsula and at many
other places around Skåne, there is enormous potential to produce the very best raw mate-rials and the tastiest food. Unfortunately, for many years we have lived with the coop-erative system which gives high priority to quantity rather than quality. There are many skilled growers, but the difficulties in mak-ing a breakthrough into the market entail that they are not really prepared to take a chance on their own cultivation. If we can
Common trademark means access to greater market“Tasting Skåne – locally produced and carefully selected” – is the name of the new trademark introduced by SFIN during 2011 and which is now turning up in more and more Scanian food retail outlets. The intention is to encourage more growers to take a chance on their own cultivation by exposing their products to a larger market and by such means offer a simple and reliable way of recouping invested money.
Stefan Wieloch is an ICa retailer in Båstad. In his opinion, it is high time to
turn the spotlight on the skilled growers and food producers and views the
common trademark “Tasting Skåne” as an important step on the way.
read more at www.livsmedelsakademin.se
and www.smakapaskane.se
By the initiative The New Scanian kitchen Tasting Skåne wants to
draw attention to old and occasionally forgotten recipes by refining them. The goal is then to pass these recipes on so that both professionals and home cooks will be able to benefit and enjoy them.
Together with Smakplats Skåne (“Taste point Skåne”) Tasting Skåne
offers upskilling for small scale food producers and professional cooks. This relates to everything from training courses on raw materials handling to assistance with exports.
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I can take in the goods without using mid-dlemen. In addition, I am part of a network which means that goods of high quality can in many cases be brought onto the shelves in shops throughout the whole of Skåne.
With the joint brand name, the grower can reach a much larger market than, for example, through his own farm shop. As a result, more are prepared to try their luck. In Båstad, with all of our summer tourists, the ICA shop also works as a display window out towards the whole of Sweden. This increases the general interest in locally produced food of high standard and assists in the market-ing of Skåne as a leading culinary region.
Among the orders which Stefan Wieloch has placed so far on the Bjäre peninsula is for five hundred turkeys, ten thousand jars of apple sauce and as many jars of pickled cucumbers.
“I guarantee the sales and have every hope that there are growers who will take up the challenge and there are more I’m plan-ning for in the future.
aT a strategically central position in Stefan Wieloch’s shop you will find what he calls the shop “wine corner”. Here there’s a crowd of a hundred odd varieties of more or less exclusive cooking oils from all over Europe, all with different flavours, properties and fields of use.
On one of the uppermost shelves, clearly designated with the Taste of Skåne brand name, there are bottles of locally produced rapeseed (colza) oil from the newly started cultivator factory Bjäreolja which is run by the couple Lottie Olsson and Göran Sandberg. When they met Stefan Wieloch in connection with the potato market “Pärans Dag” in June 2011, they had just launched
a small-scale extraction on rapeseed oil.“We had expected a modest level of sales
in a farm shop owned by good friends, but when Stefan saw our bottles, he ordered 200 on the spot, says Lottie Olsson. “And since then everything has gone like clockwork. The oil has sold very well and so far Stefan has ordered two thousand bottles. Through him, we have also made a breakthrough in the other ICA shops on the Bjäre peninsula and we will soon be meeting to discuss how we can reach even more sales outlets.
loTTIe SeeS great potential in Tasting Skåne, both the trademark and the possibilities pro-vided by this form of cooperation.
“We have no marketing budget and we would never have been able to get such good exposure in the shop on our own, as under the joint trademark. Thanks to Tasting Skåne’s project manager Jannie Vestergaard, we have also been invited, for example, to take part in trade fairs and other activities in order to strengthen our marketing. I really want to recommend others who are just about to begin their own refining to seize the opportunity which is on offer – it is an excellent way of avoiding pitfalls on the way thanks to competent assistance. And at the same time you get in touch with other people who are in the same situation, or who have already been there”.
Tasting SkåneThe Scanian culinary landscape is characterised by enormous wealth in nature, culture and history. By Smaka på Skåne, we want to take advantage of the unique potential here and make Skåne a culinary front edge region in an international comparison as well. We work within two major areas – develop-ment on small-scale food production and culinary tourism.
We want to increase accessibility to good food with a regional profile. It must be simpler to purchase and eat local raw materials and take part in local mealtimes. We want to increase visibility for good food by working with events and efficient media. We want to increase quality by concentrating on upskilling of new and established companies who want to develop their activities, improve produc-tion or find new markets. We want to increase cooperation between companies of different sizes in all parts of the food chain and between food companies and companies in adjacent sectors, such as tourism, logistics and packaging.
lottie olsson at Bjäreolja started small-scale pressing of rapeseed oil in 2011. Today, the oil is in all of the ICa shops on the Bjäre peninsula and more are on the way.
exposure on the shop shelf is vital – the locally produced rapeseed oil has become a big seller.
Responsible for activities: håkan Jönsson
Project manager, micro companies, shop
concept, platform work/development, project
administration: Jannie S Vestergaard
Project manager, food tourism, culinary
tourism, events, upskilling. helene reintjes
Networks and arenas of the field of activities: The Retailer network and Producer groups.
“As a result of Tasting Skåne, we in the restaurant network Scanian Food experiences have gained qualified assistance and new resources for making Skåne visible on the international culinary map. The year’s event in Copenhagen and London were great successes! “
Bo Madsen, restaurateur häckeberga Slott and karlaby krog, chairman of Scanian Food experiences
“We were long doubtful about allowing the neighbouring ICA shop to sell our products, since we feared that this would mean fewer visi-tors to our farm shop. It was just the opposite.”
Gloria Nordlund, Glorias Äppelgård
“The work which Tasting Skåne has done for emphasising Scanian food culture has given wonderful results. For us, among other things it has meant that it has become easier to find excel-lent products from small-scale producers.”
Franz Xavier Zigerer, restaurateur the årstiden restaurant
Tasting Skåne wants to draw atten-tion to Skåne as a culinary region.
Some of the many events in which we took part in 2011 were SWe-DISh in london, the Food road show in Österlen and the loving Food fair in Malmö.
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patients pleasing mealtime experiences.Inga-Lill Hall herself has worked with
public sector mealtimes for 40 years. The project group includes economists, chefs, dietists and gastronomic experts and as a result has every potential to succeed with this project.
Inga-Lill Hall feels strong support from the hospital management and is of the opin-ion that this is a vitally important ingredient for being able to carry through a project of this type.
“Changes require courage and here it’s a matter of changing the attitude and work-ing methods of an entire professional group relating to food and mealtimes – from senior physicians to junior nurses. Then what is needed is management which can lead from the front and concentrate fully on the new approach. This is what the hospital manage-ment is doing in Trelleborg.
aSSISTaNT hoSpITal MaNaGer Anders Strömquist has great expectations of this project. When asked what it will cost to offer the patients better mealtimes, he believes on the contrary that in the long term this will save money.
“In the short term, we will be giving patients and their relatives a more positive image of a stay in hospital. Maybe we can even inspire them to take with them some of these good eating habits home.
In a longer perspective, I would like to see mealtimes as a stage in the path to recov-ery. I feel that we can all recognise that a good mealtime can make us feel better and patients in hospital are no exception. Better mealtimes may result in shorter care times, and in addition I expect that less food will
IT WaS a long time since hospital food was prepared at Trelleborg, but now plans are afoot to change this. Instead of the centrally prepared meals which are then transported long distances and heated up at the wards, the food is to be cooked on site and mostly with locally produced and ecological raw
materials of high standard. The plan is to establish a new hospital kitchen which in due course will also house its own bakery.
“The restaurant kitchen is the foundation for being able to offer the tasty mealtimes which are our objective, says SFIN senior adviser Inga-Lill Hall. Here in Trelleborg, we have been given the opportunity to show what a difference it can make to be able to offer the
The patient should feel like a guest hereA pilot project is underway at Trelleborg hospital which may have reverberations throug-hout the entire Swedish hospital world. With restaurant thinking and care all the way from soil to sustenance, the patients’ mealtimes are intended to become an active part in recovery.
a cosy chat can brighten up the simplest mealtime. When work permits, assistant nurse lena rosvall enjoys taking time to chat with her patients.
Joyful Meals has a full training package for the staff in care for the
elderly. Six Scanian local authorities are launching this training scheme in the spring of 2012. The objective is that ten local authorities will be fully trained by the end of the year.
read more at www.livsmedelsakademin.se
Joyful Meals is carrying out a study relating to the status of domestic and
consumer science subjects in Swedish comprehensive school. We need to begin early with the children’s knowledge about food and mealtimes in order to establish healthy food and mealtime habits.
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need to be thrown away – today, enormous amounts of money are wasted on uneaten food.
Anders Strömquist also thinks that the care services have a particular responsibility to prevent diet-related diseases and points out the new recommendations issued by the National Board of Health and Welfare which entail among other things that the care ser-vices must be more proactive.
“The diseases which are attributable to diet and lifestyle are increasing alarmingly and if we cannot help in preventing condi-tions such as obesity, type 2-diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, we will be forced to devote an increasing proportion of our resources there, which will mean that other areas will suffer. By both serving and spread-ing knowledge of well-prepared, tasty and healthy food throughout the care services, we can also make a vital preventive effort.”
Inga-Lill Hall agrees and feels that food and mealtimes must become a natural part in care training programs.
“Today’s newly graduated doctors come from medical school full of medical knowl-edge but they know too little about the pre-ventive effects of food – and this is some-thing we must change!
GreaTer Care relating to food and mealtimes and a changed focus, where the patients are considered as guests and are given the opportunity to choose the food they want, these are the foundations in the Trelleborg project. In order to succeed, both training and changes in routines will be necessary. This work will be launched on a small scale at one medical ward. The experiences from this pilot project will then be implemented throughout the entire hospital.
“It will be an obligatory kickoff with the entire staff, says Inga-Lill Hall. In addition to training and new routines, we will be work-ing with changed behaviour in connection
with mealtimes. The mealtime analyses we have carried out show that it is often suffi-cient to implement small changes to achieve major improvements. Simply asking the patient what he or she wants to drink, mak-ing sure that they are sitting comfortably, pleasant light in the room... Our goal is that not only the patients and their relatives, but also the members of staff will perceive this as a positive move.
aT MeDICal WarD II, assistant nurse Lena Rosvall is in full swing preparing the patients’ lunch. A little extra cream on the raspberry custard increases both appetite and the patients’ calorie intake for those who find it difficult to get food down. Lena is also a good example of what attitude to mealtimes can mean.
When she whirls into the room flourish-ing the tray, she flashes a smile which makes the patients brighten up, and when there’s time she can linger for a little chat. Small things can mean such a lot in a daily envi-ronment which might otherwise feel grim and grey.
The pilot project at Trelleborg hospi-tal is part of SFIN’s field of activities enti-tled Joyful Meals and is managed by SFIN under the auspices of the Skåne Regional Authority.
The intention is that the experiences from this project will be spread to other hospitals and care institutions throughout the region.
Joyful MealsA mealtime is so much more than just food. We inspire and raise the status of those who work with mealtimes in the public sector. We want to lay down the standard for future mealtimes in public sector management.
Joyful Meals is aimed at being a concertive force for improving the mealtimes which are served in the public sector. We create an arena where different professional groups can learn more and be inspired to create pleasure surrounding mealtimes which are served in schools, at hospitals and to the elderly. The field of activity is divided up into Joyful Meals at Hospitals, Joyful Meals for the Elderly and Joyful Meals at School.
Joyful Meals is based on a fundamental and thoroughly tested model where we can see the overall approach in Meeting, Food, Environme-nt, Atmosphere and Control, in order to create the preconditions for a pleasurable mealtime. The field of activities is broad in concept but result-geared and, for instance, encompasses development of new foods, public sector procurement, purchasing, distribution and mealtime production.
The experiences which we have gathered relating to mealtimes in a public environment in recent years are now being further developed in two different innovation pilot schemes within the sectors of care for the elderly and in hospital environments.
“With Joyful Meals, we can be at the forefront in Sweden when it comes to public sector mealtimes in schools, care and nursing.”
katarina erlingson, regional adviser, responsible for public mealtimes, Skåne region. one of the initiative forces for Joyful Meals at hospitals.
“With care from raw materials to mealtime, it will not be more expensive – just better. Small changes can make a great difference.”
Thomas Drejing, chef and cookery profile.
“A mealtime is so much more than just food. I view mealtime and the mealtime environment as a vital part of our care and nursing living.”
Catharina Byström, unit director for care and nursing, Municipality of Vellinge
Responsible for activities: hans knutsson
Network and arenas of the field of activities:
The Chefs network and the Politicians network
Inga-lill hall (senior adviser) and assistant hospital manager anders
Strömquist feel that better mealtimes may result in quicker health improvement and
recovery and shorter care times.
During 2011, Joyful Meals and SFIN published two studies relating to
organisation and innovation in care for the elderly.
9
haVING WoN first prize at the Lund econo-mists’ labour market days 2009 – one day accompanying Mikael Aru CEO of Procordia – Cecilia became committed as student ambassador in SFIN. The roughly ten stu-dent ambassadors come from different edu-cation backgrounds and together make up an advisory board with considerable influ-ence on the career sector of SFIN.
“The level of ambition is high and we really feel that SFIN listens to what we have to say. In addition to the advisory function, we represent SFIN at different labour market days and event. Moreover, we work with cre-ating contacts in the industry, among other things by inviting CEOs and other officers of industry to give lectures to students.
Cecilia feels she has noted an enormous interest among students for the food industry. At the same time, she thinks that many compa-nies are weak at seizing the opportunities that are available to visit high schools and colleges and create interest in their companies.
aS STUDeNT aMBaSSaDor I know that there is a large and exiting labour market out there, but I meet many students who have not even considered working in the food industry. If the companies are going to be able to recruit the best students, they will have to shape up, says Cecilia and among other things indicates the possibility of improving the companies’ visibility using the help of the student ambassadors.
“It’s a case of out of sight, out of mind, but being seen is actually quite simple. Fundamentally, it’s all about having some-thing to offer – it could be a thesis work, a summer replacement job, a study visit or something else attractive. The word is spread effectively through us student ambassadors and via the SFIN website.
The work as student ambassador can be demanding, but it also gives a lot in return.
CeCIlIa aBrahaMSSoN is attending the last term of her education to graduate as an MSC in industrial economics at Lund Institute of Technology. She became interested in foods at an early stage as a conceivable future career opportunity.
“Food is easy to understand, and in addi-tion it is something that affects everyone. One area of particular interest is how to be able to combine large-scale production with the market’s increased demands on ecolog-ically and locally produced foods. This is something I feel I could work with.
“Time to shape up!”The career program of SFIN has been launched under the motto “Cutting edge food requires the keenest minds”. It’s all about creating attractive entry opportunities and recruiting the best staff members in razor sharp competition with other industries. Student ambassador Cecilia Abrahamsson thinks that many food companies could do a lot more to get in touch with the prime talents while they are still studying. Findus is one company which has realised the importance of being seen right at the education stage.
Findus hr-director Ulrika Dahlin (right) and student ambassador Cecilia abrahamsson
agree that the food companies must generate interest in the industry and attract the best talents while they are still studying.
Get inspiration to your master´s thesis. By gathering examples of
essays and master´s theses which are relevant to the food industry, we want to inspire you as a student before future projects.
read more at www.livsmedelsakademin.se
10
“Reaching out to the young generation is not just a matter of recruitment. We are interested in communication in many dif-ferent aspects of food and food production and the input we can gain from young, well-educated people is of enormous value.
Ulrika sees major advantages with the HR-network of SFIN, which among other things has made possible a trainee program which is shared by the industry and whose first graduates were passed in the autumn of 2011 and where a new set is planned to start during 2013.
“The network gives us fantastic possibili-ties to take up questions of interest for the entire industry. One important area deals with how we will be able to get our message across, both internally and externally, in a factual and attractive manner.
aMoNG oTher strategic questions, Ulrika particularly mentions the newly started management program which evolved on the initiative of the companies engaged in the HR-network.
“It is a joint program for developing tomorrow’s leaders with those special quali-ties which are necessary in our sector. The program is still in the embryo stage, but
there is a need, the companies are commit-ted and it looks very promising. I believe that it is unique for competing companies to cooperate in this way for the best interests of the whole industry.
“There are probably not that many stu-dents who can say “hi” to a large number of HR-managers already before graduating, says Cecilia with a smile.
oNe Who IS on Cecilia’s “hi” list is Ulrika Dahlin, HR-manager at Findus and respon-sible for the company’s so-called employ-ment branding to students. For many years, Findus have actively worked towards netting the best talents at an early stage.
“We are not only looking after the best educated – it is at least as important that they have the right personality. Knowledge alone is not enough – we are looking for people who can understand and contribute to a holistic approach. People who read the newspapers and who can keep up in debates. People who understand and can benefit from trends. Who have a burning interest in good food of a sustainable origin.
“We work with food products and our staff members must be on the ball and show their skills in thought and action.
FINDUS are actively visible at the labour mar-ket days and similar arrangements at uni-versities and institutes of higher education. The company is also active in the network 4potentials which catch and match talents and the companies’ needs. But Ulrika Dahlin and her colleagues have also invented their own recruitment avenue. Bright students are employed as student staff members and sandwich their studies with a proper, paid job where they get to feel the sharp end of the work environment. At the moment, there are four student staff members at Findus.
“The student staff member program is more attractive than a training job and is an excellent way for us to “get to know” the stu-dents so that we can select the very best. At the same time, it gives the students the possi-bility to form a thoroughly founded opinion about Findus as a company they would like to work for when they have graduated.
As new members of SFIN, Findus have not yet worked with the student ambassa-dors, but Ulrika Dahlin sees this as an attrac-tive possibility.
Recruitment The cutting edge food requires the keenest minds. The future supply of new skills is one area of vital strategic importance for the entire industry. If the food industry is to be able to develop positively, it must be able to attract the best educated young people. Within the area of Recruitment, we work on a broad front to increase the attractive force of the industry and offer exciting career routes. The sector has largely been formulated by our advisory board, consisting of students with a burning interest for the foods of the future. Among our concrete activities, mention might be made of a brand new trainee program, a website with lots of beneficial information aimed at students, participants in the labour market days and similar events, as well as study visits to different food companies. Through our student ambassadors, we also actively work for creating contacts between companies and students already before graduation.
“When 40 per cent of the workforce is replaced during the coming decade, Jobs & Careers is a cornerstone area in recruitment and develop-ment of the future sharp edge skills of the food industry!”
Mikael aru, Ceo procordia aB
“Through SFIN program, I have studied the entire value chain, built up a fantastic network and acquired unique knowledge about the industry.”
Christina hsu, participant in the Trainee program organised by SFIN
“The scholarship gives me the possibility to find out what consumers think about our smart food idea.”
Mattias andersson, student scholarship holder 2011 SFIN
Responsible for activities:
Jan Brattström
jan.brattströ[email protected]
Networks and arenas of the field of activities:
HR-network, Advisory Board, Trainee program.
Cecilia abrahamsson feels that the companies must
shape up if they’re going to be able to recruit the best
students in competition with other sectors of industry.
hr-director Ulrika Dahlin is looking for people with
a holistic view.
In December 2011, the trainees of SFIN graduated. Some 800 students
had applied to eight study places. partner companies with the trainees were procordia, leaf, BringFrigo, Bergendahls and pågen. In the spring of 2013, we will be launching the next series, and selection process will be held in the autumn of 2012.
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catering kitchens and in the home. “After all, the onion is one of our com-
monest ingredients, but it also suffers from a number of drawbacks in transport and han-dling, says Klas Ralvert. Fresh onions take up large volumes of space and in large-scale kitchens, special cleaning areas are required for products which come from the soil. We wanted to produce an easy-to-use product which eliminated these drawbacks, but at the same time retained the pristine onion flavour all the way onto the plate.
The IDea is not new. Klas Ralvert is the son of an onion grower and at an early age had ambitions to start his own cultivation. As long ago as the 1980s, he experimented with different ways of retaining the aroma of the onion in dry concentrates. The attempts were promising, but production never made it to market. When, at the age of 60, he retired as CEO of the flavouring company Lyckeby Culinar, it was time to pick up the idea again, but now based on a totally new process.
“After two years’ experimenting, we launched Foteviks and have now produced a patent pending method entirely of our own which entails that we can deliver raw, grated onion with a flavour concentration which is
four times greater than the raw material. The product is completely natural, without addi-tives and has a shelf-life of six months.
The NeW product is still only in the begin-ning of the commercialisation stage, but nevertheless roughly 80 tonnes of the con-centrated grated onion were delivered last year. The customers are mostly to be found within the prepared meats industry where onion is a vital flavouring, but the onions are also sold to large-scale catering kitchens via Lyckeby Culinar. Now, a roll-out on the con-sumer market is being prepared. If Klas and his colleagues get their way, there will soon be fewer tears in Swedish kitchens.
“Many people are reluctant to chop onions. With our grated onion, one spoonful from the package is enough. The meatballs will be just as good and you avoid all the tears.”
There’S a LOT which has to fit in place in order to bring an idea to market. With skilful colleagues, an extensive network, a wealth of experience of the food sector, guaranteed supply of raw materials and a healthy portion
There’S NoT much to indicate that the mod-est buildings beside the narrow country road out in the southern plains house a company which for two years running was among the leaders in DI’s winners list of the most rap-idly growing companies in Skåne. Today, the farm company Almhaga vegetables is one of Sweden’s leading onion growers.
Here, some 15,000 tonnes of onions are packed every year for ICA and Axfood, most from their own cultivation. Between 2003 and 2011, turnover rose from SEK 2.7 to 87 million. Together with Klas Ralvert and his brother Bo, Almhaga’s owner Mattias Petersson launched the company Foteviks AB in 2009 to develop an idea relating to a completely novel method of processing onions. The objective was to evolve a product which would simplify both industrial-scale food production and cooking in large-scale
No more tears in the kitchen“To succeed as an entrepreneur you need good nerves and you must really believe in your idea. In addition, you can’t be put off by adversity.” Wise words from Klas Ralvert, who gave up his post as CEO at Lyckeby Culinar to concentrate on the development of a totally new food ingredient, a concentrated, ready-grated onion which makes life easier for both cooks at home and professionals.
SFIN helped klas ralvert (left) and Mattias petersson at Fotoviks aB
with good advice and entries into the research world.
read more at www.livsmedelsakademin.se
In landskrona, plans are going ahead for a new innovation centre for foods,
UNC, and representatives from SFIN were voted onto the board of the centre during the year.
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of determination, Klas Ralvert had greater possibility than most to succeed. But there were still a few pieces to the puzzle that were missing.
“Word has it that one of the most impor-tant qualities of an entrepreneur – or short-comings – is that he or she does not realise how many obstacles must be overcome on the way to success and in that way I am prob-ably a typical entrepreneur. We had an idea about a process, but lacked the knowledge as to how it could be developed and tested. From my time at Culinar, I was well aware of SFIN and via CEO Lotta Törner I renewed contact with two old sector colleagues – Rolf Bjerndell and Sven Bentinger, both engaged in the entrepreneurship council of SFIN. They not only gave me a whole lot of good advice, but also an entry into the research world. In concrete terms, this means that we got help from skilful food researchers in developing our process. We also got it in black and white that the process really functioned and that the end product met the requirements that you have to place on a food.
SFIN haS contributed with a minor part of the financing in different subprojects, but Klas Ralvert and his colleagues feel that the sounding board function has been the most important. After the preliminary contacts with the researchers, Foteviks AB have now moved on under their own steam, with a research project which is intended to fur-ther develop the process.
The advantages with the new product are clear, but it is still not totally obvious how it is to be marketed.
“We have a product which saves 75 per cent of the weight and up to 85 per cent of the volume. You cannot tell the difference in flavour from the raw material and you save
both time and resources that would other-wise be lost in handling, says CEO Mattias Petersson.
“With industrial customers and large-scale kitchens, we can see that these argu-ments are enough on their own, but habits are difficult to break and it will be a com-pletely different matter to convince consum-ers. People have quite simply got used to the idea that there is bag of onions in the bottom shelf in the refrigerator and that tears will run when they are chopped. We have a lot to think about here.
aND WheN it comes to the consumer market, the company is making haste slowly. The point is to find the right approach. One idea we are working on is to use different food bag producing companies who also provide recipes for the delivered goods. At present, a series of tests of the product is on the way and at the same time we are looking for the best package.
“We can reduce the impact on the environment with our product. This should also be reflected in the package. We are now considering several possibili-ties. The important point is to be thorough in our approach and we plan to be on the shop shelves by 2014.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship Within the sector of Innovation & Entrepre-neurship, we work on facilitating and hastening the process from idea to innovation. The objective is that more good ideas should reach the market in the form of new products, services and concepts with clear value added. One of our most important duties is, in an efficient way, to pilot skilled entrepreneurs through the innovation system and thereby help the project with sound preconditions to obtain the right support to be able to develop. As a result of our overview, it is also possible to match together ideas and skills to make a winning team with every potential to succeed. In our entrepreneur council, there is a wealth of experience of entrepreneur-driven projects, a genuine commitment and a huge breadth of skills and competence within areas which can facilitate the innovation process. The council acts mainly as a sounding board, but also has certain possibilities to provide project support for a limited time.
“We are specialists in accelerating business by combining skills and resources from many different areas. The sector network of SFIN is a vital piece of the puzzle for creating new com-mercial opportunities and solutions focused on, for example, the prevention of disease.”
anders Dellson, Ceo, Teknopol aB
“The support from SFIN made it possible for me to upscale my patented process from lab to pilot scale. If I had not received that help it is not certain I would have continued.”
eva Tornberg, professor of food engineering at lund Institute of Technology, Ceo phenoliv
“The access to entrepreneurs’ knowledge and ideas which we receive through SFIN is a vital piece of the puzzle in our product develop-ment.”
Thomas Jensen, Ceo kiviks Musteri
Responsible for activities: rolf Bjerndell
Networks and arenas of the field of activities:
Entrepreneur council, R&D network
The product – a grated onion with long shelf-life and concentrated flavour. During 2011, some 80 tonnes were sold and by 2014 it will be available on the consumer market.
Under the trademark Dctor honey, researchers Tobias olofsson and
alejandra Vasquez launched a series of new products. Including the sports drink hIGh13 for charging up and recovery and haNG13 which prevents a hangover.
During 2011, the entrepreneur council has been in touch with and given ad-
vice to a large number of entrepreneurs. More new cooperation schemes have been started during the year aimed at creating tomorrow’s foods and mealtime experiences.
13
Food academy was on site in almedalen politicians´week.
New innovation challenges were identified at the year’s innovation guilds.
SFIN Day attracted a record audience.
The Minister of agriculture spoke about Scanian food culture.
Started 1 new field of activities, Food packages.
3 patents pending.
SFIN 2011 in figures.During 2011, some 169 companies have been intensively engaged in our activities and we have interacted with 3,860 people. Some 15 new, Swedish and Danish part-ners and members have been added and the total number is now more than 80.
6-8 entrepreneur-based posts, producer lists to purchasers, Roys Pates – consistency adap-ted diet for people suffering from difficulties in swallowing.
13 prototypes for products and services are in progress.
The shop concept Tasting Skåne, innovation trainees, training concept Mealtime pleasure for the elderly.
10 new services.
Hard Work Café, the first clutch of trainees as well as premiere for our communication network.
23 contributions to improve-ments in infrastructure. Trainee programs, workshop The new Scanian
kitchen, presentation via the social media.
Upskilling.
The producer group, SFIN’s networks, innovation basement.
Created 6 different arenas.
Tasting Skåne, locally produced and carefully selected.
1 registered trade mark.
Innovativebrands, Foteviks, Berries by Astrid.
16 new companies.
Gloria’s Äppelgård – sales to shops, innova-tion procurement.
7 new or improved processes have been created.
CEO-network, purchasers network, Communica-tions network (2012) and Politicians network (2012).
Running 12 networks and supporting a further 11.
Sund Spis, SMARTFOOD, Food and wine at Stolpaberga.
18 new established companies.
Scanian cuisine in London and Copenhagen, Visits of small-scale food companies from Denmark and Finland.
Participated in 11 international events.
Process for onion fermentation, fresh probiotic honey and new baby food concept.
10 new products.
A few examples:
Achievements during the year.
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DIARY:
Something is not workingWe have lived with this a long time now, the Swedish paradox. Our country is a world leader as regards research inputs, but the results in the form of new products, services and companies is modest in an international comparison.
IT IS SaID that we live in a knowledge society and in a time when competition from among others the low salary countries is constantly increasing, so knowledge should be hard currency. After all, it is with knowledge as the key ingredient that we can create value added in really sharp-edged products which people are prepared to pay a little extra for. But something is not working.
eVeN ThoUGh a lot has happened in recent years, there are still large cultural differ-ences between research and business. In many ways this is only natural. Research and commerce have – and must be allowed to have – different driving forces and time horizons. But the fact that both research and businesses have much to gain from new knowledge being put to use should be able to engineer a change. Within SFIN, we have worked for many years in creating meeting places and networks in the sphere between research, businesses and the public sector. Through innovation basements and future processes, we have clarified problems and
challenges which businesses and research-ers have been able to work on with joint forces. Sometimes, the results have been surprising and have manifested themselves in both new products and in services, as well as new, need-motivated research. And even more gratifying is that the various actors have learnt the benefit of cooperating and that they have continued to cooperate with-out our participation.
INNoVaTIoNS CaNNoT be pulled out of a hat, but it is possible to lay improved groundwork for them to occur. As the system player which SFIN is, we principally want to work with innovations on a system level. This is a mat-ter of testing and evaluating models and ser-vices which have the potential to create large and important value added but where the individual player, regardless of size, cannot manage this task alone. No individual player has the total overview and few are prepared to make the whole-hearted effort. That is what we dare to do! With our innovation pilots, we take the risk. One such is the project entitled Joyful Meals at Trelleborg hospital, which you can read about on page 8-9. There, the latest discoveries in mealtime research are brought alive on the spot and for the direct benefit of the patients. When we succeed with an innovation pilot scheme, new pos-sibilities are created for everyone involved. And even if we don’t actually achieve the goal, we nevertheless learn a lot on the way and are always prepared to make new efforts. One of our absolutely most important tasks right now is to work on uniting needs and resources in the triple-helix perspective in a way that can really accelerate innovation work in the food industry. We want to do this by employing the public sector as a “driver”. This may be summed up roughly as follows: if the public sector of Sweden, which today serves roughly three million mealtimes a day, decides to give priority for example to mealtimes with a clear health profile or func-tional qualities in their public procurement,
on the spot a gigantic market is opened up for value added products.
The CoMpaNIeS GaIN new commercial possi-bilities, the patients get better food, the com-munity gets healthier people and research-ers find outlets for their knowledge. The carrot instead of the stick. With our innovation pilot schemes, we demonstrate that it works!
BUT WhaT it all boils down to is that all for-ward efforts relate to the people who pop-ulate the different systems. Companies, research and the public sector. I myself have the advantage that everyday I meet skilled, committed, active and inventive people from all of these sectors, but I am never-theless still surprised by how difficult they can find it to really understand one another. Sometimes, it appears as if they spoke dif-ferent languages. To solve this problem, I believe that a completely new generation of “free agents” is needed. Young, well-edu-cated people who can move freely between the different cultures and link up new con-stellations of knowledge, ideas, resources and ambitions and lay the foundation for limitless innovation. We will make our small contribution. When the next series of our trainee programs kicks off in the autumn of 2013, we plan to input a team of young, hungry “innovation trainees” who will gain a completely unique overview and be trained for bridging gaps and seeing possibilities instead of difficulties. I am most curious to see what they will be able to achieve.
Our role is to show that it can be done!
Lotta Törner
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Within SFIN the food, mealtime and packaging sectors, the retail trade, universities and colleges of higher education, local authorities and farming organisations all work side by side to develop the food industry. SFIN makes a contribution to creating meeting places, networks and projects which facilitate dialogue and renewal and increase the innovative and competitive levels throughout the entire food industry. Our activities are organised in the superordinate area Cooperation & Strategies and the five fields of activity Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Recruitment, Joyful Meals, Tasting Skåne and Food packages (since 1 Jan. 2012).
More information at www.livsmedelsakademin.se
Skånes Livsmedelsakademi (SFIN) Anckargripsgatan 3
Se-211 19 Malmö Tel. +46(0)727-415855 e-mail: [email protected]
Ekhems Gård and their cordials are one of many Scanian food produ-cers qualified for the shop concept entitled Smaka på Skåne (A taste of Skåne) – locally produced and carefully selected.
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