Industry Consultancy

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Industry Consultancy

Gain access to the University of Otago scientific research resources, student enthusiasm and creativity, innovative thinking and new ideas.

Since 2013, our researchers have provided the most authoritative voice on research relating to waste in New Zealand, providing consultancy services on waste-related issues to councils, businesses and industry organisations. We can help your organisation to tackle a wide range of food waste challenges.

  • Our consultancy types range from short-term to long-term research projects.

  • We welcome commercial research proposals and partnerships.

We can help with…

  • Product development: Capitalise on opportunities to utilise your currently wasted resources through the development of new products. Our Upcycled Food Lab has the expertise and facilities required to carry out your R&D needs from idea generation through to the development of prototypes and the assessment of their shelf-life and acceptance in the marketplace.
    Example: Upcycling persimmons

  • Audits and measurement: Our researchers can help your organisation to quantify your food waste and its social, economic, and environmental impact.
    Example: A mixed methods study of retail food waste in New Zealand

  • Advice: We can provide strategic advice on food waste issues including the adoption of reduction technologies, practices, and policies.
    Example: Category managers’ recommendations to manufacturers of upcycled food

  • Behaviour change: We have experience in creating evidence-based solutions to change behaviour.  We can identify barriers to reducing waste, design a behaviour change intervention or strategies to overcome the barriers and pilot interventions or strategies before broad implementation.
    Example: Consumers’ behaviours and attitudes toward doggy bags: Identifying barriers and benefits to promoting behaviour change

  • Presentations and workshops: Our researchers have a range of expertise in the food waste space and can speak to a range of specific problems and topics. We can also conduct food waste reduction workshops at your workplace or help facilitate your organisation’s own food waste reduction presentations or workshops.

Visit our Projects page to see our past and ongoing projects. 

Ways to engage

*Please note that the costs of each project may vary. Get in touch for specific quotes.

  • Summer Studentships: Intended for undergraduate students continuing study at an undergraduate or Honours level. Summer studentships run for a maximum of 10 weeks over the summer period (mid-November to mid-February).

    Food Product Development: This is a full-year (March to October) student project-based paper (FOSC311), in which 4 to 5 student work together under the supervision of a University mentor to deliver on your design brief. The groups work with you to develop concepts and follow the NPD (new product design) process through prototype development, shelf-life assessment, consumer testing, packaging design, and labelling. More about sponsoring a FOSC311 project.

  • The University of Otago is one of New Zealand’s leading postgraduate universities. We can connect students with industry research needs at three postgraduate levels:

    Honours degree: From March to October, fourth-year students carry out research that is written up in the form of a thesis. The research topic can be designed to address a fundamental question of interest to your organisation. Research-related costs (consumables, instrument running costs) are generally expected to be met by the company commissioning the research.

    Master’s degree: This involves 12 months of research. The research topic can be designed to address a fundamental question of interest to your organisation. Project costs include student fees (~$10,500), stipend ($17,200) and research-related costs (consumables, instrument running costs).

    Doctor of Philosophy (PhD): This involves 36 months of research. The research topic can be designed to address a fundamental question of interest to your organisation. Project costs include student fees (~$9,000 p.a.), stipend ($27,000 p.a.), research-related costs (consumables, instrument running costs) and potentially a charge to cover a portion of the academic supervisors time*

    *Note that a Callaghan Innovation Student Grant can partially offset the cost of engaging a Master’s or PhD student

  • The University of Otago offers a vast depth and breadth of specialist expertise in food waste research.

    The media expertise database can assist industry members in finding the appropriate specialist expert. Connect with a specialist expert.

    In addition, we have the following three specialist groups on campus that have been set up to meet specific research needs;

    • The Product Development Research Centre (PDRC): Since 1993, the PDRC has carried out commercially focused contract research and consulting services to food companies and associated industries. More about the PDRC

    • The Upcycled Food Lab:  Formed in 2021, the Upcycled Food Lab is focused on turning formerly wasted food into valuable products or ingredients. More about the Upcycled Food Lab

    • FoodSouth Otago: Established in 2015, this is a pilot-scale food-grade product development facility, offering the food industry the multidisciplinary research expertise and capabilities to trial and develop processes and products using conventional and novel processing technologies. FoodSouth Otago is part of the Food Innovation Network. More about FoodSouth Otago

If you’re interested to talk more about engaging with us on one of these projects, please get in touch. We’d love to discuss your organisation’s food waste research needs.