£110 Million Boost for Welsh Food and Drink Industry

Mark Powney , 24th July 2019

A new report published this week shows that Project HELIX, an initiative developed to boost innovation and efficiency in the Welsh food and drink industry, has already had an impact of over £110 million, since its launch three years ago.

Using state of the art manufacturing facilities, the scheme has provided technical support and bespoke training that’s helped develop hundreds of new products, helped businesses innovate and be more productive, improve skills and reduce waste in the supply chain.

The Welsh Government and EU-funded Project HELIX is a pan-Wales strategic initiative, delivered by Food Innovation Wales, which is a partnership of three food centres based in North, Mid/West and South Wales.

To date Project HELIX has delivered clear benefits to the sector including:

298 jobs created and a further 1302 safeguarded
156 new businesses supported
276 enterprises assisted
241 new markets accessed, and
366 new products developed

Commenting on this success, Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, said:

“The success of Project HELIX shows how collaboration between academia, industry experts, government and producers on the ground can make such a big difference.

“A £110 million boost, new jobs created and others safeguarded, new products developed, new businesses launched, a more skilled workforce – all this is helping to further enhance Wales’s great and growing reputation in the international food and drink industry.

“As we prepare for the challenges Brexit will bring, innovation is making the food and drink industry more resilient and it plays a key role in our Welsh success story. I would urge producers and manufacturers to explore what support is available through Project HELIX and how its expertise and advanced technical facilities can be of benefit to them.”

Businesses who’ve already received support from Project HELIX include Boss Brewery, and Sarah John from the brewery said,

“The assistance we’ve received has been instrumental in helping us achieve SALSA accreditation, a key stepping stone in our journey as a beverage manufacturer. They mentored, guided, and trained us through the entire process, all of which was invaluable to us as a company.”

Peter Rice of Prima Foods added,

“Without the support we’ve received, the business would have taken so much longer to fulfil the demands of becoming a second-tier supplier to multiple retailers and blue-chip businesses. The advice, collaborative staff development and the depth of support available has allowed Prima to do what it does best with confidence and security.”

The latest figures come hot on the heels of the announcement that Food Innovation Wales has become a network partner of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Food, Europe’s leading food innovation initiative. Supported by Welsh Government funding, this will establish a dedicated EIT Food presence in Wales, linking the Welsh industry to a wider consortium of key industry players, start-ups, research centres and universities from across Europe.

Professor David Lloyd, on behalf of Food Innovation Wales, expressed his delight at the latest figures,

“By championing innovation, efficiency and a strategic approach to business, Project HELIX has been able to make a significant impact within Wales's food and drink sector, creating and safeguarding jobs across the country.

“The food and drink sector is vital to Wales's economy and the continued collaboration between Welsh Government, academia and manufacturers will help the sector to innovate and prosper in the years ahead.”

Over the course of the next 12 months and beyond, Food Innovation Wales will continue to support Welsh food and drink business to grow profitably through innovation by developing new products and markets; provide the Welsh food and drink industry with access to world leading innovation; deliver the Project HELIX outputs and support the Welsh Government with world-class facilities and expertise to provide a landscape in which food and drink companies can prosper.

Mae adroddiad newydd a gyhoeddwyd yr wythnos hon yn dangos bod Prosiect HELIX, menter a ddatblygwyd i hybu arloesedd ac effeithlonrwydd yn niwydiant bwyd a diod Cymru, eisoes wedi cael effaith o dros £110 miliwn, ers ei lansio dair blynedd yn ôl.

Mae’r cynllun yn defnyddio cyfleusterau gweithgynhyrchu sydd ar flaen y gad, ac mae wedi darparu cymorth technegol a hyfforddiant wedi ei deilwra sydd wedi helpu datblygu cannoedd o gynnyrch newydd, helpu busnesau i arloesi a bod yn fwy cynhyrchiol, gwella sgiliau a lleihau gwastraff yn y gadwyn gyflenwi.

Mae Prosiect HELIX, a ariennir gan Lywodraeth Cymru a’r UE, yn fenter strategol ar gyfer Cymru gyfan, a ddarperir gan Arloesi Bwyd Cymru, sy’n bartneriaeth rhwng tair canolfan fwyd yng ngogledd, canolbarth/gorllewin a de Cymru.

Hyd yma mae Prosiect HELIX wedi darparu buddiannau clir i’r sector gan gynnwys:

Creu 298 swydd a diogelu 1302 swydd arall
Cefnogi 156 busnes newydd
Cynorthwyo 276 menter
Cyrchu 241 marchnad newydd, a
Datblygu 366 cynnyrch newydd

Wrth wneud sylwadau ar y llwyddiant hwn, dywedodd Lesley Griffiths, Gweinidog yr Amgylchedd, Ynni a Materion Gwledig:

“Mae llwyddiant Prosiect HELIX yn dangos sut y gall cydweithio rhwng academia, arbenigwyr y diwydiant, y llywodraeth a chynhyrchwyr ar lawr gwlad wneud gwahaniaeth mawr.

“Gyda hwb o £110 miliwn, creu swyddi newydd a diogelu rhai eraill, datblygu cynnyrch newydd, lansio busnesau newydd, gweithlu mwy medrus – mae hyn oll yn helpu cyfoethogi enw da cynyddol Cymru yn y diwydiant bwyd a diod rhyngwladol ymhellach.

“Wrth inni baratoi am yr heriau a ddaw gyda Brexit, mae arloesedd yn gwneud y diwydiant bwyd a diod yn fwy gwydn ac mae’n chwarae rhan allweddol yn ein llwyddiant ni yma yng Nghymru. Rydw i’n annog cynhyrchwyr a gwneuthurwyr i ddarganfod pa gefnogaeth sydd ar gael drwy Prosiect HELIX a sut y gall ei arbenigedd a’i gyfleusterau technegol blaengar fod o fudd iddyn nhw.”

Ymysg y busnesau sydd eisoes wedi derbyn cymorth gan Prosiect HELIX mae Boss Brewery, a dywedodd Sarah John o’r bragdy,

“Mae’r cymorth rydyn ni wedi ei dderbyn wedi bod yn allweddol i’n helpu ni gael achrediad SALSA, cam pwysig iawn yn ein siwrne fel gwneuthurwr diodydd. Gwnaethon nhw ein mentora, ein harwain a’n hyfforddi ni drwy’r holl broses, ac roedd y cyfan yn amhrisiadwy inni fel cwmni.”

Ychwanegodd Peter Rice o Prima Foods,

“Heb y gefnogaeth rydyn ni wedi ei derbyn, byddai’r busnes wedi cymryd llawer hirach i gwrdd â’r gofynion o ddod yn gyflenwr ail-haen i nifer o fanwerthwyr a busnesau o’r radd flaenaf. Mae’r cyngor, y datblygu staff cydweithrediadol a’r cyfoeth o gefnogaeth sydd ar gael wedi galluogi Prima i wneud yr hyn mae’n ei wneud orau gyda hyder a sicrwydd.”

Daw’r ffigyrau diweddaraf yn fuan ar ôl y cyhoeddiad bod Arloesi Bwyd Cymru wedi dod yn bartner rhwydwaith o Sefydliad Ewropeaidd Arloesedd a Thechnoleg (EIT) Bwyd, prif fenter arloesi bwyd Ewrop. Gyda chymorth cyllid gan Lywodraeth Cymru, bydd hyn yn sefydlu presenoldeb EIT Bwyd pwrpasol yng Nghymru, gan gysylltu diwydiant Cymru â chonsortiwm ehangach o bobl allweddol y diwydiant, busnesau sy’n cychwyn, canolfannau ymchwil a phrifysgolion ledled Ewrop.

Mae’r Athro David Lloyd, ar ran Arloesi Bwyd Cymru, wrth ei fodd â’r ffigyrau diweddaraf:

“Drwy hybu arloesedd, effeithlonrwydd a dull strategol o wneud busnes, mae Prosiect HELIX wedi gallu cael effaith sylweddol yn sector bwyd a diod Cymru, gan greu a diogelu swyddi ledled y wlad.

“Mae’r sector bwyd a diod yn hanfodol i economi Cymru a bydd y cydweithio parhaol rhwng Llywodraeth Cymru, academia a gwneuthurwyr yn helpu’r sector i arloesi a ffynnu yn y dyfodol.”

Yn ystod y flwyddyn nesaf ac ar ôl hynny, bydd Arloesi Bwyd Cymru yn parhau i gefnogi busnesau bwyd a diod Cymru i dyfu’n broffidiol drwy arloesedd drwy ddatblygu cynnyrch a marchnadoedd newydd; rhoi mynediad at arloesedd sydd ar flaen y gad i ddiwydiant bwyd a diod Cymru; darparu allgynhyrchion Prosiect HELIX a chefnogi Llywodraeth Cymru gyda chyfleusterau o safon ac arbenigedd byd-eang i ddarparu hinsawdd ble gall cwmnïau bwyd a diod ffynnu.