Agropur Cooperative, in partnership with the Quartier de l'innovation de Montréal, AgBioCentre and NineSigma, has announced the launch of Inno Challenge, an initiative to create new dairy products through open innovation.
This is a Canadian first in agrifood innovation.
Under the theme "Together, Let's Reinvent Dairy!" a first call is going out across Canada and internationally to creative thinkers who will have until December 7, 2016, to submit their proposals for innovative dairy products.
Agropur CEO Robert Coallier said: "In launching this call, Agropur is reaffirming its leadership as an innovator in its sector and opening the doors to co-development.
“We want to tap into the collective intelligence out there to help us stay at the cutting edge of dairy production and processing. This challenge will give creative types around the world an opportunity to make a meaningful, concrete contribution to the development of new products and innovative solutions.”
In addition to up to $25,000 cash grant, the selected participants will get access to Agropur's R&D capabilities to help them bring their innovative concept to the market-ready stage.
Coallier said: "This project also draws on Montreal's creative ecosystem: the Quartier de l'innovation is a partner in the Challenge and will host the participants."
Quartier de l'innovation executive director Damien Silès said: "Innovation does not only occur in the realm of technology, as evidenced by this initiative, which will shed light on the many evolving paradigm shifts in a sector such as agrifood. The development of new dairy products together with Agropur, here in the heart of the Quartier de l'innovation, will undoubtedly establish Montreal as a key player in this constantly changing industry."