Barilla Opens New Innovation Hub in Parma with EUR 20 Million Investment

Global food giant Barilla has opened its Innovation and Technology Experience Centre (BITE) in Parma, Italy, which will shape the future of pasta, sauce and bakery products. Established with an investment of over 20 million euros, the centre will serve as the hub of Barilla's global R&D activities with approximately 14,000 square metres of space and a team of 200 specialists. Notably, the programme also includes interns from Turkey.

Barilla, which operates in 30 facilities worldwide and reaches millions of consumers in more than 100 countries daily, is bringing together R&D, innovation and technology under one roof with BITE. Emerging as one of the company's most strategic investments in recent years, the centre will be supported with an additional budget of 2 million euros annually.

200 Experts Working on Next-Generation Products
BITE, which has a total area of 13,800 square metres, comprises:

-4,800 square metres of innovation division

-9,000 square metres of pilot production facility
and operates accordingly.

A team of 200 specialists, consisting of food technologists, engineers, designers, chefs and professional sensory experts, is working here to develop Barilla's future pasta, sauce and bakery products.

"Seamless Quality from Farm to Table"
Speaking at the opening, Barilla Group Chairman Guido Barilla emphasised the centre's strategic importance:

"The products we develop are at the centre of everything we do. Our priority is to develop products that adapt to consumers' changing lifestyle expectations, inspire and create emotional connections. BITE will not only design tomorrow's products; it is a powerful entrepreneurial decision to anticipate trends and maintain leadership in global markets."

Interns from Turkey Join the Centre
BITE accepts approximately 30 students annually from Italy and abroad through special internship and postgraduate programmes to attract young talent. In the past two years, students from Belgium, Greece and Spain have joined the programme alongside those from Turkey.

Having become the centre of Barilla's open innovation approach, BITE maintains 84 active collaborations with universities and research institutions worldwide.
Among the network's prominent partners are:

-Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Germany),

-Purdue University (USA),

-Wageningen University (Netherlands).

A Product's Development Process Can Extend up to 10 Years
At the centre, products undergo an extensive process from the design phase to the retail shelf.

This process comprises:

-Design thinking workshops,

-Sensory testing laboratories,

-Experimental kitchen work,

-Pilot production lines.

Product development projects averaging 2 years can extend to 10 years in complex innovation areas.

Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology at the Centre's Core
Michele Amigoni, Head of Research, Development and Quality at Barilla Group, noted that advanced technology plays a critical role in innovation processes:

"We are working to understand consumers' future eating habits and develop sustainable new products. BITE will be a centre open to visitors from around the world where they can experience the future of food."

Advanced technologies used at the centre include:

-Electronic noses,

-Artificial intelligence-supported smart sensors,

-3D printing systems,

-Holographic design tools,

-Roughness measurement devices capable of micron-level analysis.

These systems are used across a wide range of applications, from analysing aroma profiles to optimising pasta drying processes.

Collaboration Launched with 28 Innovative Start-ups
Operating on renewable electricity, BITE is also part of an ecosystem surrounding sustainable agriculture research.

Under Barilla's Good Food Makers programme, which has been running since 2019, the company received more than 1,200 applications from 41 countries, and has launched collaborations with 28 start-ups in sustainable agriculture, artificial intelligence-focused logistics and food innovation.

Barilla's 2030 Target: 250,000 Tonnes of Sustainable Raw Materials
Currently working with more than 7,000 farmers worldwide, Barilla aims to source 250,000 tonnes of raw materials from certified sustainable and regenerative agriculture by 2030.

With this new innovation hub in Parma, Barilla aims both to renew its global product portfolio and to be among the pioneer companies in sustainable growth in the food sector.