AGRANA’s strategic objective in a highly competitive market environment is to set itself apart from the competition through product innovation. Working closely with its customers, AGRANA continually develops new recipes, specialty products and innovative applications for existing products. For example, in starch technology a thickening system for emulsion paints was taken to market readiness. An innovation in fruit preparations was related to fruit fillings for chocolate and dairy products. Such initiatives help ensure lasting commercial success for AGRANA and its customers and will remain integral to the corporate strategy of sustainable performance.
Continual expansion of innovation activities: AGRANA put 0.67% of Group revenue into research and development.
To put this strategy into practice and continuously expand the extensive development know-how, AGRANA maintains several research and development facilities. For Sugar and Starch, these R&D activities are concentrated primarily at Zuckerforschung Tulln Gesellschaft m.b.H. (ZFT) in Austria. The spectrum of work undertaken by ZFT ranges from agricultural R&D, to food, sugar and starch technology, all the way to microbiology and biotechnology projects.
Research and development for the fruit preparations business is concentrated at the Centre of Innovation and Excellence in Gleisdorf, Austria, and its US sister R&D facility in Brecksville, Ohio. The two research centres are responsible for the development of new products and production methods, in addition to conducting long-term R&D projects. The goal is to provide AGRANA’s international customers with innovative solutions that are attuned to the market. The innovation centre in Brecksville concentrates mainly on the particular requirements of the North American market. Both innovation hubs are supported by the centralised market development unit in Mitry-Mory, France.
In the 2009|10 financial year, AGRANA invested approximately € 13.3 million (prior year: € 12.5 million) in research and development. This represented 0.67% of Group revenue (prior year: 0.62%). In the AGRANA Group, an average total of 287 employees (prior year: 195) were working in research and development.
