Industry pathways on the menu at FaBA Executives Dinner

This year, FaBA partnered with the TropAg International Conference to host its annual Executives Dinner, bringing together leaders from research and industry to explore opportunities for collaboration.

Professor Matthew Morell, Director of the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation at The University of Queensland, which hosts the TropAg Conference, highlighted a persistent challenge for the sector: “We have relied too much on exporting commodities rather than exporting knowledge through value-added foods.

“We have the opportunity to be entrepreneurial and to make a profound difference for the world.”

Sean Leighton, Global Vice President of Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Affairs at Cargill, emphasised the importance of human connections.

“Every single challenge and solution comes down to people. As scientists we sometimes find that hard to believe,” Mr Leighton said.

“The science and data are really important, but it really is about our relationships and our ability to collaborate as people.”

FaBA is embracing that collaborative spirit. In 2025, FaBA engaged with 446 companies across Australia, attracting $18 million in research investment with an average cash co-investment of $320,000.

FaBA Director Dr Chris Downs said FaBA was blazing a trail for Australian food and beverage businesses to innovate, grow and compete globally.

“We are delivering more than 50 R&D projects with companies, many of whom have not worked with the university sector before. In that sense, we blaze the trail to bring industry and universities together.”