Multivac has officially opened its new "FoodHub Nordic" at the company's new headquarters in Vejle, Denmark. Covering 1,300 square metres, the new Center of Excellence enables food manufacturers from across the Nordic region to develop, test and refine new food products under realistic production conditions before bringing them to market. The facility was officially inaugurated at the end of June during a customer event attended by Jens Ejner Christensen, Mayor of Vejle, Dr. Tobias Richter, Group President (CSO) of the Multivac Group, Martin Petersen, Managing Director of Multivac Denmark, and Peder Reijmers, Executive Vice President Subsidiary Operations.
Multivac supports faster food innovation
"The new 'FoodHub Nordic' is a unique Center of Excellence, providing specialists in food trends and the production of bakery and protein products, as well as experts in packaging development, everything under one roof," said Martin Petersen, Managing Director of Multivac Denmark. According to Petersen, customers can significantly shorten development and market launch times by testing new products without interrupting their existing production lines. Dr. Tobias Richter emphasized the strategic importance of the new facility for the Multivac Group. He highlighted the Nordic region's pioneering role in sustainability and innovative food concepts, describing the FoodHub as a central innovation platform for supporting customers throughout product development.
Multivac creates realistic development environments
Consumer expectations and food market trends continue to evolve rapidly, increasing the pressure on manufacturers to develop and launch new products more efficiently. The "FoodHub Nordic" allows companies to create prototypes and conduct pilot-scale production under real processing conditions without disrupting commercial manufacturing. This integrated approach enables sales, marketing, product development and production teams to collaborate throughout the innovation process.
Six specialized laboratories cover the complete development process
The new Center of Excellence features six dedicated laboratories that support every stage of food innovation. The "TrendLAB" identifies emerging food trends and consumer preferences, while the "ConceptLAB" transforms these insights into market-ready product concepts. The "BakeryLAB" develops and tests bread, pastries and bakery products under realistic production conditions. The "ProteinLAB" focuses on meat, poultry, seafood and plant-based alternatives.
Packaging development takes place in the "PackagingLAB", where experts optimize packaging concepts, reduce material consumption and conduct pilot-scale packaging trials. Finally, the "TrainingLAB" provides practical training on machinery, production processes and packaging technologies.
Multivac expands collaboration with customers
Beyond product development, the "FoodHub Nordic" is designed as a collaborative environment for meetings, workshops, conferences, customer events and product development sessions. With its new Center of Excellence, Multivac strengthens its support for food manufacturers across the Nordic region by bringing food innovation, packaging expertise and pilot production together in one integrated facility.
