Tasmanian food businesses collaborate through new cluster program

Food Innovation Australia Limited spoke with Tasmanian food businesses about its vision to grow the share of Australian food in the global marketplace through clustering on Friday.

Collaborative partnerships develop as a result of cluster development, and Food Innovation managing director Dr Mirjana Prica said this would help Tasmanian businesses improve productivity and market competitiveness.

The organisation launched its Cluster Programme at Stillwater Gallery in Launceston and explained how clusters could apply for business support and up to $300,000 in matched funding.

Dr Prica said Tasmanian producers were passionate, which was something the organisation was looking for.

“Their willingness to collaborate and work together helps get things off the ground,” Dr Prica.

“This small state is having a global impact. You’re building a footprint internationally,” she said.

FermenTasmania executive director Dr Tom Lewis said clustering could benefit Tasmania’s food producers, particularly the approximately 100 businesses where fermentation was a factor, such as breweries, cideries and kombucha and yoghurt producers.

“As well as being of direct relevance to the broader Tasmanian food production sector, this program is of great interest to FermenTasmania, as our preferred operating model is that of an industry cluster,” Dr Lewis said.

“What we are doing [at FermenTasmania] is along the lines of clusters. If we had a successful application it means we would get up and running quicker,” he said.

Food Innovation board member and TasFoods chief executive Jane Bennett said Tasmania’s island status, and the way agricultural producers already collaborated, made the program a good fit.

“Tasmania has food champions. We’ve got passionate people who get enthusiastic about what we produce,” Ms Bennett said.

“The food experience is part of what makes coming to Tasmania an attractive proposition,” she said.