The Kerry Australia and New Zealand Development and Application Centre in Brisbane will also serve as the new headquarters for the company in Australia and New Zealand.
The site’s capabilities will include pilot plants, laboratories and tasting facilities in order to bring the end-to-end food innovation cycle under one roof.
As a result, Kerry hopes to reduce time to market for new products and boost its capacity to drive food innovation in the region.
Meanwhile, the Kerry Australia and New Zealand Commercial Connect Centre in Sydney will retain a specialist research and development applications hub.
Commenting on the news, Christine Giuliano, general manager, Kerry Australia and New Zealand, said: “[The facility] will bring the benefits of our global technologies to local food and beverage producers – supporting regional industry development.
“Our team at the new centre will be able to leverage Kerry’s R&D network around the world, as well as global insights, market knowledge, and culinary and applications expertise to customise solutions that ultimately deliver exciting products that resonate with the local market.”
Giuliano continued: “This investment, which is supported by the Queensland Government’s Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund, will pave an economical and efficient path for commercialisation of new products, and focus on Kerry’s global innovation initiatives in health and wellness, sustainability, convenience, affordability and premiumisation, allowing regional businesses to connect and access the global market by leveraging the Kerry brand.”
The centre will also create employment opportunities for graduates through the company’s graduate programme and provide placements via partnerships with local universities.
Kerry recently announced that it is investing €30 million to build a second production facility in Indonesia, as it looks to expand its offering for customers in Southeast Asia.
