Food Industry: a Strong Cluster with Regional Brands

Brandenburg’s food industry is as multifaceted as the region itself. The Food cluster boasts just as many SMEs as major companies of national and international renown. With around 3,500 businesses across the region and 57,600 employees throughout the entire value-added chain (agriculture, processing, logistics and trade), this cluster is one pillar of Brandenburg’s economy and thus a stabilising factor.

In 2015, the 165 businesses in the cluster core (food and beverage industry) generated a turnover of more than € 4.3 Billion. The number of employees amount 12,830. Exports (mainly butchering and meat processing) make up as much as 29 % of production.*

*) Key figures, 2015; businesses with over twenty employees; industries No. 10 (food and animal feed production) and No. 11 (beverage production) according to the 2008 industry classification.
Source: Statistisches Landesamt Berlin Brandenburg

Brandenburg brands (Spreewälder Gurke, Werderaner Ketchup, Eberswalder Würstchen, Neuzeller Schwarzbier, Prignitzer Cornflakes, Cottbuser Kekse) are famous way beyond the borders of the German Capital Region. Moreover, major brands such as Katjes and Coca Cola also run facilities in Brandenburg.

What they said about Brandenburg:
"The decision to join the milk-processing plant in Elsterwerda in 2011 was absolutely right. In Brandenburg, we have excellent prospects in terms of the company’s ongoing positive development."
Till Alvermann, Managing Director of ODW Frischprodukte GmbH, on 21/07/2016

With the trend towards regionality, the market opportunities for suppliers of specialities and fresh produce made in Brandenburg have improved considerably in recent years. Such businesses contribute to improve Brandenburg’s image as a producer of excellent food products and generate remarkable added value with their product ranges.
Moreover, the market for organic food is on an upward trend and offers corresponding businesses decent growth opportunities. Brandenburg occupies a leading position nationwide with a part of organically cultivated land of ​​10,6 % .

Most of the companies within the cluster are SMEs with fewer than fifty employees. In order to boost their competitive edge, the cluster endeavours to develop contacts between the food producers and research institutes.
The German Capital Region boasts a unique density of R&D facilities working together with the food industry. In December 2012, for instance, an international expert commission rated the scientific achievements of the DIfE institute (Deutsches Institut für Ernährungsforschung Bergholz-Rehbrücke) as “very good to excellent”.
Numerous SMEs make the most of these opportunities and invest in R&D activities.

Association for the Promotion of Organic Farming Berlin-Brandenburg
The Association for the Promotion of Organic Farming Berlin-Brandenburg is a non-profit association that promotes the demand for organic produce by providing consumer information and through PR activities.

Marktgenuss Brandenburg
Marktgenuss is a cooperation network that has the goal of establishing a one-stop portal for marketing products from rural Brandenburg, the region around capital city Berlin.

pro agro e.V. Association for the Development of Rural Spaces
pro agro e.V. represents the interests of enterprises in rural areas, which deal with the production and marketing of foodstuff and tourism services. The association has set itself the objective to ensure the competitiveness and market access of its members, to organise regional marketing by promoting regional cooperation between companies of the agricultural and food industry and to support direct marketers, providers of tourism services, the restaurant industry and other enterprises.

Trade Association of the Food Industry in Berlin and Brandenburg
The Trade Association of the Food Industry in Berlin and Brandenburg (WVEB) represents the interests of one of the largest industries in the region.
It represents its members' interests in the following fields:

• Economic and structural policy
• Job market and education policy
• Social policy

And it offers its members:

• Information on funding programmes
• Legal advice and help in personnel issues
• Support in PR activities

The technology transfer agencies at the region’s universities offer direct access to the latest R&D results. The WFBB registers the companies’ need for innovation and offers optimum support in the development of innovative ideas: from arranging contacts with relevant experts and applying for funding to the administrative management of your project, thus providing highly efficient and demand-oriented technology transfer services.

Please visit Innovative Brandenburg for more information.

Universities

University of Potsdam
Main areas of teaching and research: biochemistry of nutrition, nutritional toxicology, food chemistry, physiology and pathophysiology of Nutrition

Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development
Main areas of teaching and research: politics and markets in agriculture and agro-industrial sector, marketing management, business management, regional management, process management and organic farming Technology

European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
Main areas of teaching and research: Agricultural and food industry law, in particular from the perspective of integrated value chains - legal bases, legal problems and legal development (constitutional law, European law - implementation in Germany) with elements including agricultural production (conventional and organic), food processing/food trade (Food Labelling Law) - Food Information Regulation, health claims, food safety, beverage rights etc. as well as legal energy and environmental issues), preparation of studies, expert opinions and expert`s reports.

TU Berlin – Institute of Food Technology and Food Chemistry
Main areas of teaching and research: food biotechnology and process engineering, food chemistry and analysis, food chemistry and toxicology, food engineering and material sciences, food rheology, food process engineering, technology of protein-rich foodstuffs

Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin - Dept. of Food Science and Technology
Main areas of teaching and research: packaging technology, food Technology

Humboldt University (HU) Berlin - Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences
Main areas of teaching and research: agricultural economics, crop and animal sciences

Freie Universität (FU) Berlin – Department of Veterinary Medicine
Main areas of teaching and research: animal nutrition, food hygiene, meat hygiene and technology, microbiology and animal diseases, animal welfare and animal behaviour

Non-university R&D Institutes

German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE)
Main areas of research: biochemistry of micronutrients, molecular epidemiology, nutritional toxicology, gastrointestinal microbiology, clinical nutrition, molecular genetics, pharmacology, physiology of energy metabolism

Institut für Getreideverarbeitung GmbH (IGV)
Focus on: test laboratory and analysis, bakery technology, renewable raw materials, biotechnology, food technology

Institute for Food and Environmental Research (ILU)
Focus on: process research on methods of food/feed production, exploration of functional food ingredients, food safety, environmental research with phototropic microorganisms, development of biogenic materials for non-food applications, development of natural feeds

Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB)
Department of Postharvest Technology
Focus on: the analysis, development and optimisation of processes for the storage, conservation and processing of animal feeds, foods and raw materials for various industrial applications, especially energy production

Dairy Industry Training and Research Institute Oranienburg
Department of Analysis
Focus on: detection and identification of pathogens and spoilage agents, sanitary checks, analysis of drinking water, cleaning agent and disinfectant testing, detection of genetic modifications in foodstuff and feedstuffs, sensory checks, profile analyses of products

Institute for Agrarian and Urban Ecological Projects (IASP)
Department of Food Technology
Focus on: the development of new foodstuff and production methods, product and process quality assurance in the food chain, application of cellular materials in food and non-food applications, development of new fertilizers, improvement of animal health

Testing and Teaching Institute for Brewing in Berlin (VLB)
Main focus: application-orientated research and development across the entire value creation chain in the brewing industry, laboratory Services

Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops Großbeeren (IGZ)
Selection main areas of research: Horticultural practice and modern production, quality in the food supply chain, sustainability of farming systems