Celebrating Emerging Talent: The Key to a thriving food tech scene in New Zealand
FoodHQ is a proud partner of the New Zealand Food Awards, sponsoring the Emerging Talent: Food Science and Technology award. FoodHQ is the New Zealand hub of leading food and food production researchers that advocates for collaboration, food innovation and investment among researchers, industry and policymakers in order to advance the food industry.
Emerging Talent: Food Science and Technology award is about showcasing potential and excellence in the industry.
New Zealand has a well-earned reputation for producing top-quality food and beverages. But behind every great product is a vibrant world of food innovation: where ideas turn fresh produce into exciting, value-added foods that resonate with consumers and keep up with market trends.
Here’s the thing though, despite all this potential, we’re seeing a troubling trend. Our talent pipeline in food technology is shrinking. That’s a real concern, because if we don’t nurture our future innovators, it could stall progress, limit growth, and impact our place on the world stage.
That’s why the New Zealand Food Awards is introducing a brand-new category, Emerging Talent: Food Science and Technology Award. It’s a simple idea with big opportunities, giving a platform to showcase our next wave of food leaders and encouraging young talent to be recognised.
Why emerging talent matters
Emerging food technologists, product developers and innovators are the fresh eyes and new thinking that keep the industry moving forward. They bring bold ideas to the table around safety, sustainability and consumer preferences. They’re the ones transforming traditional ingredients into trendy, health-conscious, or eco-friendly options.
Celebrating these talented young leaders helps raise their profile, inspires others to follow suit and creates a community where innovation is the norm. It’s about giving our young people role models they can look up to, people they can see themselves becoming.
Food HQ Innovation’s CEO, Dr Victoria Hatton.
CEO of Food HQ Innovation, Dr. Victoria Hatton states, “supporting and shining a spotlight on emerging talent is essential if we want to build a resilient, future-proof food industry in New Zealand. It’s about inspiring the next generation and showing them that their ideas and passions matter.”
Turning raw ingredients into market hits
Most of the magic happens in labs and kitchens. It’s where raw ingredients become something new and exciting. Whether it’s developing healthier snacks, sustainable packaging, or trending food concepts, emerging technologists play a pivotal role in keeping our food scene fresh and relevant.
In a world where health, sustainability and convenience are king, supporting these innovators is vital if we want New Zealand to stay at the forefront of food innovation.
Supporting our future leaders
This new ‘Emerging Talent: Food Science and Technology Award’ category is a step in the right direction. It encourages us all, industry, universities, government, to invest in the talent pipeline, create future-relevant and exciting academic programmes and develop meaningful recognition programmes that grow these future leaders.
Award schemes like this will help give talent the exposure and confidence they need to thrive.
If you know of any emerging talent, please encourage them to apply. Details can be found here. Let’s support and celebrate the next generation of food technology leaders because the real magic happens when talent meets opportunity and that’s how we’ll shape a vibrant, innovative and sustainable food future for New Zealand.
