Opportunity for

• Industry partners, innovators and creative thinkers with ideas and approaches to tackle current and emerging challenges for the agrifood sector in the Hume region of Victoria

Opportunity description

Current opportunity:

The opportunity is for industry partners and innovators in the agri-food innovation community to collaborate through the NorVicFoods venture with the University of Melbourne to accelerate innovation in the Hume region of Victoria.

Following an initial round in late 2021, a second round will open on 9 March for agri-food entities in the Hume region to submit their "innovation challenge" problems and expression of interest in the program. NorVic expect subsequent rounds to occur through the year and are also open to appproaches at other times.

Once confirmed which Agrifood businesses will participate, the University of Melbourne working through NorVicFoods, will arrange for small teams of training interns to work with each entity under the guidance of an early to mid-career research scientist. The engagement will be about six weeks long and will result in a detailed report with innovation options highlighted, including different commercialisation pathway options.

Opportunity background:

The NorVicFoods® venture, launched on 8 September 2021 by the Victoria Premier’s department, is designed to strengthen the agri-food innovation system in the Hume region of Victoria. The project aims to listen and engage deeply with businesses in the region and draws on University of Melbourne expertise to solve issues faced by agri-food businesses in the value chain to build skills, create jobs and increase economic prosperity.

Capabilities the University can bring to bear on industry-identified challenges, include:

• Access to leading edge technology
• Access to research capability, facilities and equipment
• Managing innovation in-house
• Identifying, protecting and leveraging Intellectual Property
• Knowledge exchange technique
• Securing resources for knowledge-based innovation and many other capabilities.

The purpose-built venture aims to create high-value jobs in the region over four years empowering the community with the knowledge, skills and resources to develop tangible solutions to problems in the agri-food sector.

Based in Shepparton, NorVicFoods has been established to bring together research and innovation in science, technology, engineering and policy to enhance the Hume region’s agri-food businesses and deliver economic value to the area.