A new era in food innovation has officially begun in the Shire of Murray.
On Wednesday, the founding partners of the Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia (FIPWA) signed leases committing them to at least five years at the centre.
The $21.7 million precinct, located at the Peel Business Park in Nambeelup, is intended to enable commercial research and development, prototype and market testing of food and beverage products, and networking for WA food producers.
Shire of Murray president David Bolt said there was nothing quite like this in Australia.
"There are development and research grants available, business mentoring and development opportunities, and it's all come from a local government shire that's punching well above its weight and delivering value for its ratepayers."
It's thought the Precinct could bring a billion-dollar boost to WA by enabling up to $330 million in the food and beverage sector, and another $737 million into the wider economy over the next five years.
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Innovators in brewing and food are among the initial partners of FIPWA.
Murdoch University's Food Futures Institute works to provide solutions on sustainable use of limited land and water resources to economically and ethically improve food, forestry and fibre production.
The Institute has led the way on a number of initiatives including Meat Standards Australia certification of beef and lamb quality, creating better Wagyu marbled beef, and improving malting barley for beer.
Spinifex Brewery also signed a lease to produce unique beers developed and infused with Indigenous botanical ingredients.
The GrowHub, a food and agri-tech business from Singapore, will offer access to premium products through the development of new agri-food and blockchain technologies.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is also contributing $10 million to the Future Food Systems CRC at FIPWA.
This project will help deliver commercial research services to businesses within the precinct.
These founding partners will make up the bedrock of the Precinct as it becomes Western Australia's first food innovation centre.
Construction of FIPWA is expected to be complete by July 2022.
