Research and development represents a vast spread of topics and can be an arena for controversy. In academia, such controversy may stem from conflicting interpretations of data and subsequent conclusions, the question of who was first to discover a particular finding and whether or not the said finding is of any value to the scientific community. R&D in corporate environments is mostly defined and driven by costs and clearly identified, consumer-focused targets. There is, however, common ground between these two approaches as both strive to maximize knowledge, though for different reasons and in differnt ways. The equipment and scientific rigor may be similar or identical, however their usage, approach and interpretation are different. This book discusses the history and background of today's food industry R&D as seen by consumers, academia and the industry itself, with several chapters dedicated to new and disruptive approaches. A must-read for all professionals in the packaged goods industry as well as students who aspire to contribute to this new industry, forcefully driven by R&D.

Helmut Traitler has a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Vienna, Austria. In 2010, after decades' of experience with Nestlé in various roles around the world, Helmut co-founded Life2Years, Inc, a start-up company producing healthy beverages for the over-fifties.

Birgit Coleman holds a Master of Arts in Business, MA from the University of Applied Sciences, Vienna. She is a strategic thinker and Connections Explorer in her current role at Swissnex San Francisco.

About the Authors xvii

Foreword xix

Preface xxi

Acknowledgment xxiii

Part 1 WHAT WE HAVE TODAY AND HOW WE GOT HERE 1

1 A typical food R&D organization: Personal observations 3

1.1 Introduction 3

1.1.1 Business people always know better 4

1.2 A look back in wonderment 5

1.2.1 Innovation is everyone's business 5

1.2.2 Let's go and have a drink 6

1.2.3 Never give up and continue to hope 6

1.3 A look back to the beginnings of a typical food industry R&D 7

1.3.1 It all starts with a great idea 8

1.3.2 People were frightened 8

1.3.3 Are we depleting our resources? 9

1.3.4 Focus, focus, focus 10

1.3.5 A historic perspective 11

1.3.6 Let's cut costs 11

1.3.7 Food industry has simple and tangible goals 12

1.4 From single and large to multiple and complex 13

1.4.1 Nutrition has growing pains 13

1.4.2 The new risk management approach: Many projects 14

1.4.3 Too many projects? No problem, reorganize 15

1.5 Why does the food industry need R&D after all? 16

1.5.1 Million dollar answers to the million dollar question 16

1.5.2 Here we go: Justifications 17

1.5.3 Because we can is a great reason! 17

1.5.4 New product development is everything, or is it not? 18

1.5.5 Consumer is king 19

1.5.6 It's all about long?]term thinking, stupid 20

1.6 Summary and major learning 21

References 22

2 A typical food R&D organization: The world consists of projects 23

2.1 All R&D work is project based 23

2.1.1 Project has many meanings 23

2.1.2 Third?]generation R&D 24

2.1.3 Strategic business units became popular 25

2.1.4 Organization is everything 26

2.1.5 Freeze the project design 26

2.1.6 How free can you be? 27

2.1.7 Small is beautiful 27

2.1.8 Pipelines 28

2.1.9 Try it out first 29

2.2 Project management 30

2.2.1 Manage or lead? Manage and lead 30

2.2.2 Select the right project and deliver 31

2.2.3 Teamwork is not everything, it's the only thing! 32

2.3 All projects are sponsored 32

2.3.1 SBUs: The new, old kid on the block, happy anniversary! 33

2.3.2 Accountability and responsibility: A repartition of roles 34

2.3.3 SBU demands, R&D delivers 35

2.3.4 A brief comes from above 36

2.4 The predictable organization 36

2.4.1 First ritual: Research the consumer 36

2.4.2 From business scenario to business plan 37

2.4.3 More rituals 38

2.4.4 Projects never seem to die 39

2.4.5 It's all about results 39

2.5 Valuation of projects 41

2.5.1 Your project could have delivered more! 41

2.5.2 That's what others invest 41

2.5.3 Sell your project better: Start by explaining it so that everyone can understand it 41

2.5.4 Communication is king! 43

2.5.5 Speed is everything 43

2.6 Summary and major learning 44

References 46

3 A critical view of today's R&D organization in the food industry: Structures and people 47

3.1 A typical setup of a food R&D organization 47

3.1.1 New idea? Let's wait 48

3.1.2 Food is a conservative beast 48

3.1.3 Small is beautiful, or is it not? 49

3.1.4 Ingredient is king 49

3.1.5 Quality and safety are not everything, they're the only thing! 50

3.1.6 Technologies are always product related 51

3.1.7 What's my project worth? 51

3.1.8 Cui bono? 52

3.2 The people in the food R&D 52

3.2.1 Do I stay, or shall I move on? 53

3.2.2 Twenty percent! Are you out of your mind? 53

3.2.3 More hoppers 55

3.2.4 More stayers 55

3.2.5 Change can be frightening 56

3.3 T...