Tetra Pak and other majors join manufacturing alliance

Manufacturing technology suppliers, used to process food products from farm to fork, are getting their own organisation.

Food Manufacturing Technologies Europe (FMTE) is made up of packaging manufacturer Tetra Pak, fluid handling equipment company Alfa Laval, bottling machine producer Krones and key processing player SPX Flow.

The alliance was launched to address the “lack of a unified voice” in the sector. It hopes to play several key roles in the food industry: boosting R&D, influencing policy, and strengthening “resilience and competitiveness” in the sector.

“Until now, the companies that provide the core technologies enabling food production, from processing equipment to digital solutions, were not collectively represented at the European level. As EU policy increasingly focuses on food systems sustainability, green industrial transformation, and digital innovation, this sector needs a platform to voice its perspective, showcase its solutions, and support shared challenges,” explains Charles Brand, president of FMTE.

Previously to this, the sector had been fragmented, Brand explains, only represented by larger industry associations like FoodDrinkEurope.

“While this has served operational interests, it left a strategic blind spot at the EU level, particularly when it comes to speaking as one collective voice on system-wide challenges like resource efficiency, innovation investment, or food system resilience.”

Boosting R&DFood manufacturing often faces issues scaling its innovations. This is especially difficult to do whilst keeping sustainability in mind. The FMTE aims to rectify this issue by working to create a collaborative environment that will boost R&D.

For example, it will work to scale sustainable solutions within manufacturing, looking to using digital technology to minimise waste, and aiming at improving energy and water efficiency. All of this will be with the goal of supporting the EU’s climate objectives.

“While FMTE does not itself conduct R&D, it creates a collaborative environment where members can identify shared challenges, co-invest in EU project opportunities, and highlight technological solutions for policy and funding agendas,” explains Brand.

Influencing policy One of the key challenges that the manufacturing sector faces is difficulty navigating new regulatory frameworks.

The FMTE aims to represent it within the EU and give it a voice in policymaking. The organisation will present insights and evidence from an industry perspective to EU policymakers, aiming to “act as a resource . . . providing industry expertise on the technical and operational implications of legislation, and collaborate with EU institutions, agencies, and relevant alliances to align public and private innovation efforts.”

Strengthening competitiveness The five largest food manufacturers hold 15% of the global market, according to LP Information. Enhancing competitiveness is thus one of the key challenges that the sector faces.

The organisation will facilitate “pre-competitive collaboration between members on strategic themes like digitalisation, resource efficiency, and regulatory compliance,” explains Brand.

“This is enhanced by supporting SMEs in particular, through knowledge exchange and shared guidance.”