FoodTechShow: investing is a must

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2024/6-7

Both small-scale and complex developments

For the period 2021-2027, HUF 750bn is available to finance development projects in the sector.

“To succeed you will need more than financial resources and credit, you also have to have a good business plan”,

told Tamás Éder, food industry vice president of NAK. In order to ensure the successful implementation of investments, NAK organised the FoodTechShow, a machinery and technology exhibition for its members and companies from other sectors that are investors in the food supply chain, with the participation of national and international machinery manufacturers and distributors, plus cooperating professional organisations.

Az első FoodTechShow-n több mint 60 kiállító közel 150 innovatív technológiát mutatott be

The trade show gave firms the opportunity to see state-of-the-art technologies, machinery and equipment. There were also presentations, roundtable discussions and workshops. Special attention was given to Industry 4.0 solutions, digitalisation, automation, and robotics as the drivers of competitiveness.

In the roundtable discussion following the introduction, Dr Anikó Juhász, deputy state secretary for agriculture spoke about the Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plans, which will include two new calls for proposals. Dr Beáta Olga Felkai, deputy state secretary for food industry and trade policy stressed: from the small-scale development budget, applicants can get a maximum funding of HUF 200m up to a HUF 50bn framework, while for complex developments minimum HUF 200m and maximum HUF 5bn is available up to a HUF 150bn framework.

The two days of the first-ever FoodTechShow featured a series of roundtable discussions with experts on a variety of topical issues of importance to the industry (photo taken at the first such discussion after the opening)

Artificial meat on the dinner table?

The topic of the next roundtable discussion was the latest trends in the domestic food industry.

Dr Marietta Kiss, head of department at the University of Debrecen highlighted the importance of sustainability and health-consciousness, and analysed the growing popularity of plant-based products. A focus group survey of Hungarian consumers revealed that 80% consider lab-grown dairy and meat products unnatural, and only a few percent would definitely try these products.

Dr Gedeon Totth, member of the presidency of the Hungarian Marketing Association (MMSZ) discussed changes in consumer behaviour, speaking about the phenomenon of tribalism: marketing experts will have to say goodbye to traditional segmentation techniques, as people with different diets come from different backgrounds, knowledge and preferences.

Katalin Neubauer, secretary general of the Hungarian National Trade Association (MNKSZ) mentioned that that a rapid change in consumer habits poses significant challenges for retailers, and forecasting is extremely difficult today.

For NAK, it is particularly important to support the development prospects of the food industry, such as investments in innovative technologies, automation and robotisation.

Packaging: so many new rules

There is a lot of new regulation in packaging, such as the pending Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) of the European Union, the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme or the Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive. The next roundtable discussion explored these issues, with the participation of Beáta Gönci, secretary general of the National Association of Packaging and Materials Handling (CSAOSZ), Miklós Nagy, technical secretary of CSAOSZ, Attila Vörös, managing director of the Federation of Responsible Food Manufacturers (FÉSZ) and Tibor Baranyai, managing director of GEA Hungary Kft. and Dr Eszter Fogarassy, food production group leader of the Hungarian Chamber of Agriculture (NAK) as the discussion’s moderator.

The exhibition focused on Industry4.0 solutions, digitalisation and automation

The experts agreed that stricter rules and the introduction of new technologies can lead to significant cost increases. Regulations are becoming stricter, with targets to reduce packaging waste by 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035 and 15% by 2040. According to the new rules, it will be forbidden to market packaging with a recycling rate below 70% from 2030. //