NEWS & EVENTS
EVENT
“Controlling bad bugs in food to optimize shelf life”
Practical Food Preservation Techniques for the SME food manufacturer
Wednesday 12th March 2008 at 5.45 pm
4th annual lecture by Professor Tim Brocklehurst,
Institute of Food Research Visiting Professor to LSBU
To be held at The Keyworth Centre, London South Bank University, SE1
Attendance is FREE - register by Friday 7 March to be guaranteed a place
Light refreshments and drinks will be provided after the lecture
Please contact The Enterprise Support Unit at info.esu@lsbu.ac.uk, Tel: 020 7815 6944/34 or fax the completed flyer (
) to us at: 020 7815 6966
NEWS
The London Food Centre Receives a European Award
In April, the London Food Centre (LFC) won a recognition award from RUISNET as a “Technology Transfer Interface offering flexible services and University Industry collaborations.
RUISNET (Regional University-Industry Strategies Network) is a pan-European project, part-financed by the EU, which is aiming to identify good practice in university and industry cooperation and the impact on regional development. Cases of regional strategies were assessed on the nature of university industry cooperation, their regional impact on GDP and employment, transferability to other regions, sustainability and innovation. RUISNET has a public portal found at www.ruisnet.net
At the award conference in Brussels, Sheila Grace of Research and Business Development, explained that the London Food Centre is a business unit within ESBE. Acting as a gateway, LFC generates business with the food industry, covering training courses, consultancy and knowledge transfer.
Food manufacturing companies require a wide range of expertise including food processing and quality accreditation, but also energy optimisation, waste and environmental impact reduction and food packaging design. The LFC acts as a gateway to the University’s experts in green energy, refrigeration, design, as well as all aspects of food manufacture.
LFC services are flexible and each project is designed to bring the range to knowledge required to meet the clients needs. Projects can range from 2 or 3 days to Knowledge Transfer Partnership collaborations over 2 years.
A grant from DEFRA “pump primed” the LFC in 1999 when the unit was formed with the Food Science department. Seven years later, LFC is a thriving self sustaining unit with 2 dedicated staff members, Head of Centre – Alan Bent and Food Technologist, Adri Bester, who engage with the food industry and attract work to the University. Alan and Adri carry out much of the work but frequently bring in additional expertise from the Faculty.
LFC has a measurable affect on the region through over 25 Knowledge Transfer Programmes, numerous consultancies and a range of training programmes. It is has proven transferability to other regions and other sectors of industry.
It is LFC’s successes of regional impact, sustainability, transferability and its innovative approach to University-industry cooperation that impressed the RUISNET judging panel and gained an award for the Centre and LSBU.