Thai Union establishes Innovation Hub in Wageningen

Thai Union is one of the largest producers of shelf-stable tuna and fish products worldwide with annual sales exceeding USD 3.9 billion. At the prospect of being able to collaborate with Wageningen University & Research, Europe’s no. 1 university in nutrition and food science, the company chose Wageningen to benefit from the innovative spirit of this food ecosystem.

Patrick Tassignon, Senior Innovation Director Ambient Seafood at Thai Union, said: "We selected Wageningen because its research institutes for life sciences, food and health harbor immense knowledge and expertise. These are important elements for Thai Union’s innovation strategy, along with potential R&D partners that are present here." Finding a suitable location presented its challenges, Tassignon said: "Oost NL assisted us in location search and advice, organizing fact-finding sessions for various stakeholders within our Group and introducing us to relevant companies. Our proximity to world-class research here in Wageningen also helped us to attract the right talents for our Innovation Hub."

Addition to ecosystem

During the festive opening ceremony, Wageningen University & Research welcomed Thai Union to the Wageningen Campus community through the lectures of two professors and the director of Value Creation. "Collaborative projects with students and researchers have already been initiated", says Anne Mensink, Manager Wageningen Campus & Shared Facilities. "In addition, we look forward to Thai Union’s participation in the shared research facilities here on campus."

Angelique van Helvoort, advisor Food at Oost NL, stated: "If we want to produce durable and sustainable food for people and the planet, it is necessary to reshape our current food system. Oost NL supports entrepreneurs working on high-quality, healthy, and sustainable food with the latest technologies. We're glad a company such as Thai Union made a choice for Wageningen, adding seafood expertise to the existing ecosystem of innovative food companies."

Located next to the Wageningen University & Research, the Business & Science Park offers an active environment of innovative startups combined with R&D departments of larger companies. Milly van Noort, general manager Garden Offices: "We are very pleased that Thai Union has chosen to locate in Agro Business Park 2, part of Garden Offices at the Business & Science Park Wageningen. The opening of its beautiful Innovation Hub, with state-of-the art facilities, is the result of the pleasant cooperation with all involved. We are proud to welcome Thai Union as a tenant and look forward to further cooperation in the coming years."

Innovation as a strategic priority

Alongside Thai Union’s SeaChange® 2030 sustainability strategy, innovation is their key differentiator to revitalize their products in their markets. The Group already operates a Global Innovation Center in Thailand to focus on fundamental research, especially on utilizing and valorizing raw material. This work directly benefits their Innovation Hub in Wageningen, where the innovation team can quickly respond to the pulse of their markets through collaboration with Thai Union’s market-leading brands, their customers, and consumers.