Food sector focus for £1.4m project

SMALL food and drink companies in Yorkshire will share more than £1.4m to help introduce automation to their businesses.

The money will be offered through a project known as InnovateBatter which will see businesses offered advice on how to use automation to increase their competitiveness and target new opportunities.

InnovateBetter director Steve Cann said: “We are really excited about what this means for food and drink manufacturers in this region.  It comes at just the right time, as manufacturers are facing increasing production and commodity costs, along with ongoing pressure from the market to keep prices down, which in turn is squeezing margins. 

“InnovateBetter is about empowering organisations to improve their business performance and competitiveness by embracing technological advances. We expect that this project will have a major impact in safeguarding and creating jobs, as well as adding to the efficiency and competitiveness of this region’s food and drink companies.”

InnovateBetter is backed by money from the European Regional Development Fund which will be offered to companies on a matched funding bases.

The project will run a series of events across the region in the coming months to tell companies more about how they can benefit.