Project number: 2013-711.20
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $527,365.00
Principal Investigator: Janet Howieson
Organisation: Curtin University
Project start/end date: 14 Jul 2015 - 14 Dec 2016
Contact:
FRDC

Need

This project is aimed at increasing the capacity to provide Australian seafood businesses with
assistance in analysing and improving their post-harvest performance and thus improve their
profitability and ability to meet and respond to their customer's needs.

This need has been articulated in the WAFIC CRC strategic plan and the FRDC 5 year strategic plan, as well as in the Seafood CRC outcomes and objectives.

The need for the project has been demonstrated across the seafood industry by the >10 research projects previously funded by the CRC in the supply chain improvement area and the seafood industry partners committing to the new project (see attached letters of support).

Objectives

1. Through post graduate training and employment of scientists expand the research capacity with the CESSH to further support Australian seafood industry participants in analysing and improving their post harvest supply chain performance.
2. Foster, lead, enhance capacity and provide administrative support to expand the activities of the Australian seafood post harvest hub to better meet the needs of the Australian seafood industry.
3. Provide a means for the Australian seafood industry to access post harvest "commercial-in-confidence" technical expertise, either through CRSSH or in the other specific post harvest research areas available as part of the Australian post harvest research hub.
4. Develop best practice/innovation in effectively communicating the results of the CESSH post harvest research to the Australian seafood industry.
5. Demonstrate professionalism and transparency in all reporting on research sub program activities.

Final report

ISBN: 978-0-9925568-8-4
Author: Dr Janet Howieson
Final Report • 2019-04-01 • 1.01 MB
2013-711.20-DLD.pdf

Summary

This report summarises the activities of FRDC 2013-711.20 Centre of Excellence for Science, Seafood and Health (CESSH): Management, Communication and Network from 2015-2018, following the review and modification of the original CESSH application; FRDC 2013/711. This project, in association with the aligned projects 2013/711.30 and 2013/711.40 has resulted in >$1million allocated for five newly funded industry projects; eight early career scientists and 19 post graduate students trained in seafood post-harvest research; nine peer reviewed journal articles; 12 conference presentations; >20 presentations to industry and other stakeholder groups and at least eight new programs, products or processes commercialised.
Industry knowledge/interest in the post-harvest opportunities appeared to increase over the project with also a move by the Industry Advisory Group (IAG) towards prioritising collaborative, whole of industry priorities rather than company specific priorities. The project has also demonstrated that there is ongoing and various opportunities to leverage funding from other state and federal sources supporting food related research (for example Food Innovation Australia Limited (FIAL); Department of Health). Overall the results of this project, and the assessment by the IAG, did indicate that there is whole of industry support, appreciation and utilisation of an independent post-harvest seafood research capacity in Western Australia.

Related research

Industry
Industry
Industry