The East Gippsland Food Cluster, now Food and Fibre Gippsland, initiated a preliminary investigation into the viability of establishing a high-tech processing hub in Gippsland and the broader benefits this could deliver the region.

Gippsland’s $7 billion food and fibre industry is a key pillar of the Gippsland economy. It is ripe with opportunity to respond to global markets and consumer trends by leveraging existing production and processing capabilities and developing new ones.

The region’s already thriving horticulture sector is in a prime position to respond to a strong national and global demand for plant-based, healthier and more natural ingredients through specialised manufacturing.

A strong regional culture of innovation and collaboration across industry, researchers, government and the community enables the region to bring together stakeholders to realise such an opportunity.

CSIRO has carried out a pre-feasibility study for the development of a next-generation manufacturing hub supplying fruit and vegetable ingredients from regional fresh produce to local and export markets.

This website is a summary of a more detailed piece of work and is designed to present preliminary findings, together with recommendations and proposed next steps. You can view the full report here.

The collaborative effort that underpins the study is acknowledged – particularly the funding by Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited and the lead role of CSIRO’s food innovation centre.

Project opportunities at a glance

A regional food manufacturing hub could focus resources and investments to strategically grow Gippsland’s agribusiness sector by helping them:

• Respond to global demand for fruit and vegetable commodity and specialty ingredients – particularly for functional food and nutraceutical products (B2B – Business to Business).
• Provide new market channels for horticultural products including surplus, imperfect produce and previously unused biomass, for example broccoli stem.
• Develop new regional capabilities through ‘smart specialisation’, advanced manufacturing and connectivity.
• Support further innovation entrepreneurship – including new product development (B2C – Business to Consumer).
• Deliver flow-on benefits to the regional economy through direct and indirect jobs.

Australian manufacturers import specialty fruit and vegetable ingredients because there is currently little manufacturing capability in Australia.