Niagara College’s Lyndon Ashton, centre manager, Canadian Food & Wine Institute Innovation Centre, will be a panelist on an upcoming Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) webinar discussing recovery in the Ontario food processing industry. The webinar discussion, part of an OCC series, takes place June 11, from 12 – 1 p.m.
The webinar will dive into the impact of COVID-19 on the food processing industry and will include industry leaders offering a timely overview of the current state of the food processing supply chain and the steps for recovery and strengthening of the industry.
At NC’s Research & Innovation division, Ashton is responsible for the overall operations and strategic leadership of the CFWI Innovation Centre including the successful development and implementation of food and beverage innovation services. In 2018, Ashton was selected to present to the Parliamentary Senate Committee on Agriculture & Forestry in Ottawa about the food sector. The federal committee sought input on the work that colleges do to assist businesses while providing applied research opportunities to students.
Ashton plans on speaking about how the CFWI Innovation Centre, and the broader innovation ecosystem as a whole, is working to support COVID-19 recovery measures in the food and beverage sector.
“It is important to assist SMEs with balancing innovation considerations with bread and butter issues like staffing, meeting demand, safety etc.., “ says Ashton. “It’s not just about product development and commercializing products, but finding ways to innovate around packaging and other means of supporting increased food safety measures along the value chain.”
Other panelists for the OCC Webinar include Dwight Konings, vice president, Global Client Development, North America, The Advantage Group International, Inc.; Rory McAlpine, senior vice president, Government and Industry Relations, Maple Leaf Food; and with moderator David Linton, partner, BDO Canada LLP.
Organizations from all sectors and businesses of all sizes are encouraged to attend the zoom seminar.
To register click HERE:
The Canadian Food & Wine Institute Innovation Centre team offers a full suite of services to support industry innovation and commercialization of new products and processes. From new recipe development to shelf-life testing and nutritional labelling, the CFWI Innovation Centre pairs industry partners with faculty, recent graduates and students with the right expertise and equipment to meet industry needs. In all cases, the intellectual property developed during the project belongs to the industry partner.
