Project

Call for Partners | SPARK: Pioneering the Future of Food Processing with Advanced Sensors, Process Control, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twins

In the face of growing market challenges such as worker independence, and an ever-heightening demand for uncompromising food safety, the time for action is now. We need larger advancement in food processing technology. Our mission is clear: to improve efficiency and sustainability with advanced sensors, process control systems, and digital twins, ensuring efficiency, consistency and safety in food production.

Vision

  • Real-Time Process Control: Utilizing cutting-edge sensors, advanced process control, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital twins for real-time monitoring, guiding immediate adjustments and optimal resource use.
  • Automated Expertise: Addressing labor shortages and knowledge gaps with intelligent systems for decision support and decision making.
  • Food Safety and Quality Assurance: The integrated approach enables early detection of anomalies and deviations in food processing lines, ensuring proactive intervention while maintaining food safety and quality standards.

Potential benefits for Companies:

  • Resource Efficiency: Maximizing the use of energy, water, and raw materials to reduce costs and environmental impact.
  • Quality Consistency: Dealing with raw material variance and ensuring consistent product quality.
  • Fouling Detection: Monitoring liquid systems to prevent fouling and maintain operational efficiency.
  • Waste Reduction: Improving operations, maintenance prediction, and anticipating processing and supply chain issues through real-time monitoring prevents spoilage and resource inefficiencies.
  • Early Problem Detection: Quick identification of issues in food processing lines to avoid unnecessary disruptions and costly downtime.
  • Advanced Operator Support: Empowering operators with advanced control systems to minimize unnecessary adjustments and enhance efficiency.

Project approach:

Based on the challenges in your production line and what you would like to achieve, WUR researchers will select suitable sensors. The sensors’ performance will be tested on relevant materials and conditions. Data from the sensors, along with algorithms that understand how products and processes interact, provide valuable insights for decision making. We use data analysis, including AI, and our understanding of how processes and products interact to create the necessary models and algorithms. These insights can be applied for direct integration into process control or for developing digital twins to support decision-making processes.

Invitation to join

We welcome industrial partners to join our public-private partnership at WFBR, where we aim to revolutionize food processing. We are looking for companies in the food production space, ingredient producers and technology providers to work together with us to optimize food processing.