Dairy Research Institute to Milk Ideas Through Open Innovation
The Dairy Research Institute in the US is embarking on an ambitious open innovation program. It is now actively seeking ideas, concepts and solutions from within and outside the industry to accelerate research and answer specific industry needs.
And to expedite its OI efforts the institute has launched a submission site.
The initiative seeks to discover solutions that may already exist in other industries, and in so doing reduce research time and the amount of dollars spent trying to solve diary-related issues.
“While the dairy industry has always been receptive to outside innovation, this effort formalizes the process to encourage the exchange of new ideas and partnerships with other industries,” said Beth Rice, Ph.D., manager, Scientific Affairs, Dairy Research Institute.
“Someone from a different field could have an existing solution to a dairy-specific challenge that we might not find without looking beyond our own industry.”
Submissions
The site, which is now active, is accepting submissions in the following three areas:
• Identification of a biomarker for dairy food intake
• Novel methods to further improve quality of fresh or low-sodium cheeses
• Methods to prevent biofilm formation in dairy processing equipment
Once submitted, ideas undergo a technical review and will be evaluated for their potential scalability, pilot testing and application to the dairy industry.
For the proposers the benefits include access to an industry that they previously didn’t have a connection with, and if their idea is successful, funding to see how it is applicable. The long-term benefits and rewards could be even greater if the proposals are eventually adopted within the industry.
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