278: Is collaboration the key to the future of food?
How can the food industry innovate to meet the demands and challenges it's facing, and do so in an efficient way? The answer, according to Tetra Pak: Partnerships, partnerships, and more partnerships. There are all kinds of issues that need to be tackled, not least the question of sustainability. In this episode of the Food Matters Live Podcast, we shine a light on a small company that says it's found a solution to a big problem, and how it's working with a big company to get that solution out into the world. EnginZyme takes waste materials from food processing and uses enzymes to transform that material into useful, sustainable, and natural added-value products. The company says its method requires less energy and leads to far less waste than conventional methods. Join our complimentary webinar: Climate optimism – shifting the narrative on climate change Featuring Anne Therese Gennari in partnership with Tetra Pak But it is expensive work and EnginZyme isn't primarily a food company. That's where Tetra Pak comes in. It too is concerned with increasing sustainability and reducing waste in food processing. By working together and combining EnginZyme's biomanufacturing innovation together with Tetra Pak's food expertise, could we be on the cusp of a transformation in the way food is processed? Listen to the full episode to find out more about the science behind EnginZyme's work, the challenges smaller companies face when trying to up-scale their big ideas, and how working with external partners is helping. We also delve into Tetra Pak's partnership programme, how it chooses which projects to support, and the innovations it thinks are going to take off in the years to come. Dr Karim Engelmark Cassimjee, CEO, EnginZyme Dr Karim Engelmark Cassimjee co-founded EnginZyme in 2014 to make the chemical industry green by unlocking the potential in enzymes. Dr Engelmark Cassimjee has a PhD in biotechnology from KTH and conducted postdoctoral studies at Stockholm University. In 2021, Karim was selected as the KTH Alumnus of the Year, and EnginZyme as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. Lidia GarciaPou, Head of Project Management and External Innovation, Tetra Pak Lidia has worked at Tetra Pak for 12 years and she believes that innovation is a powerful tool to drive the transformative changes needed by today’s society in the food system. Responsible for the external partnerships at Tetra Pak Processing, she is committed to deliver and contribute to the field of sustainable food processing by creating and fostering innovative thinking, engaging internal resources in open innovation, and advocating for new disruptive technologies. She has 20 years of international business experience within business development, product management, project management, sales and R&D in different large organisations around Europe. Lidia likes getting people excited about the things she is passionate about which is creating strategic partnerships with startups and small companies whose technologies and skills will help Tetra Pak in expanding its own capabilities.