Kalsec’s Savoury Product Innovation Centre of Excellence officially opened in the Netherlands last November.
We checked in with some of the team to see what's new in Wageningen since they officially launched.
Q: How does the SPICE Lab help to advance customer projects in savoury foods?
A: [David Johnson:] "Since opening, we have seen high customer enthusiasm to engage with us at Wageningen and we’re excited as this momentum continues throughout 2024. The SPICE Lab is at the heart of the world’s leading food research and innovation ecosystem, at Wageningen University, and has been an ideal base for facilitating strategic meetings with Kalsec’s savoury application customers.
"We have been hosting hands-on tastings and collaborative discussions that enable us to dive deeper into customer projects and to solve customer challenges more quickly."
"Not only do we partner with customers to solve existing problems, but we are also innovating with customers in the focus application of sauces and dressings. This targeted approach deepens our relationships with our customers’ R&D teams and strengthens our joint understanding of innovation in the sauce and dressing category."
The SPICE Lab’s location also gives us opportunities to form private-public partnerships; Raffaella shares more about this below.
 | David Johnson is Director of R&D Innovation in Europe and leads the team of scientists at the SPICE Lab. David has been with Kalsec for 7 years, with previous expertise in food protection and studying oxidation. He is passionate about exploring the interface of science and business, and innovation that cleans up food labels. |
Q: In what ways are we building networks and relationships?
A: [Raffaella Inchingolo:] "The cross-functional Discovery & Open Innovation (D&OI) team partners with academia, non-profits and other companies to work collaboratively to find new solutions. Our location in Wageningen allows us to embrace the food research and innovation ecosystem in and around Wageningen University & Research and take part in important networking events."
"Our location in Wageningen allows us to embrace the food research and innovation ecosystem in and around Wageningen University & Research and take part in important networking events."
"One of the benefits we leverage is participating in student partnership projects. One such example is a research project with master’s university students exploring fermented flavours in savoury ingredients.
These kinds of partnerships provide various advantages to us.
Firstly, by working with students and leveraging their skills, we can scope out and validate relevant opportunities at a faster pace to solve Kalsec’s toughest challenges and while also giving the students real world experience. Networking creates important opportunities as the students of today can become the customers of tomorrow. Secondly, it reminds us to have an open mind toward innovation and to be positive and curious about the future."
 | Raffaella Inchingolo, Lead Scientist within Discovery & Open Innovation, has been with Kalsec for 5 years and works within a global team to explore solutions to solve tomorrow’s challenges. |
Q: What is open innovation? What is an example of the work from the DOI team?
A: [Maria Tzoumaki:] "Open Innovation means that the innovation activities are not only driven from an organization’s internal knowledge, sources, and resources (such as their own staff or R&D), but also by using multiple external sources such as academia, research institutes, customer feedback, published patents, competitors, external agencies, or the public. In that sense, the chances of more impactful discoveries and of project success are increased."
"Open Innovation means that the innovation activities are not only driven from an organization’s internal knowledge, sources, and resources (such as their own staff or R&D), but also by using multiple external sources such as academia, research institutes, customer feedback, published patents, competitors, external agencies, or the public."
"An example of open innovation is our public-private partnership established between Wageningen University & Research and three other industrial participants on the topic “Flavour expression in plant protein-based foods.” This has been part-funded by the Dutch government to support these partnerships in the Netherlands and encourage organisations to invest in research for innovation and research."
 | Maria Tzoumaki, Director of Discovery & Open Innovation, leads a global team from our Dutch location. She has almost 20 years of experience in the food and research industries, across Europe. |
Q: How do you pronounce Wageningen?
A: Mike van der Heijden, Senior Analytical Scientist, has 9 years of experience in research and scientific roles in the food industry. He will help us out with a short video:
Click here to connect with the team