The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will enable the South Australia Food Innovation Centre and the Singapore Food Innovation Cluster to work closely together to identify opportunities to build the capability of the food manufacturing industries in both countries.

The agreement between SPRING and Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA) was signed during a South Australian Government food innovation business mission to Singapore this week.

SPRING is an agency under Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry that helps small and medium enterprises (SMEs) grow by assisting in financing, capability development, technology and innovation, and access to markets.

SPRING Singapore Deputy Chief Executive Dr Ted Tan said the collaboration would be across several areas including product development, commercialization, packaging and technology.

“Singapore SMEs can access new food technologies and processing methods to accelerate the development of innovative products,” Dr Tan said.

“It will also offer a launch pad for Australian companies entering the Asia market, creating win-win partnership opportunities with our SMEs.”

“We are looking forward to a fruitful partnership with PIRSA to build complementary capabilities in emerging food innovation areas, including functional foods and food waste reduction.”

PIRSA Deputy Chief Executive Prof Mehdi Doroudi said the MOU would enable South Australia and Singapore to learn from each other’s efforts in food innovation.

“Partnerships such as this MOU support the South Australian Government’s Premium Food and Wine Produced in our Clean Environment and Exported to the World economic priority,” Prof Doroudi said.