All successful businesses need to have a close understanding of potential and existing customers and the marketplace they work in.

This understanding allows you to target customers, sell effectively, compete with other suppliers and spot new opportunities. Performing market research on potential customers and your competitors will help you to gain this vital knowledge.

A number of the market reports are available in the right hand column of this page.

The IATC commissioned research to identify Countries and specific sectors where the UK could be competetive and based on this information the following Target Markets were chosen:

Brazil                             

China                             

India                             

South Africa                     

Thailand - and a ‘hub’ for the South East Asia region

Turkey

Brazil 

 

Rapidly developing food industry and strong science base

• Substantial growth in the food processing and production sector (especially in meat/poultry)
• Opportunities for partnerships in food production technologies – emphasis on food safety, hygiene, traceability and legislation
• Strong science, research and development base with opportunity for collaborative research, joint ventures and technology transfers and potential inward investment
• Opportunities for exchange and partnering in conservation and sustainable production technologies – including waste reduction and uses for food industry waste
• Significant potential for joint venture and licensing agreements for production of machinery and equipment using UK technology
• Science partnerships and research in bio prospecting
• Collaboration on development of second and third generation bio fuels through collaborative research and other non-food crop innovation
• Seafish and aquaculture technologies and sustainable development
• CSR issues – including labour, environment, animal welfare
• IATC is responsible for the technology transfer workshop programme with Brazil under JETCO

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China

 

A focus for global retailers; rapidly developing food supply chain and increasing wealth changing traditional diets

• Entry of a number of global major retailers into the Chinese market (including Tesco), provide major opportunities throughout the food supply chain – from plant and animal genetics for breed improvement through processing and production technologies
• Major opportunities for collaboration on food safety/hygiene/traceability issues and potential setting up of laboratories to carry out testing
• Opportunities for collaboration and identification of solutions to land erosion and contamination problems
• General post harvest technologies including storage and distribution
• Significant opportunities for collaboration in scientific research in all areas of food production
• Veterinary and animal science
• Collaboration and joint venture opportunities for machinery production and packaging technologies
• Conservation and preservation of biodiversity
• Potential niche but high value opportunity in research into traditional Chinese medicine

 

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India

 

Growth potential for the agri-food industry and opportunity for collaboration in science, technology exchange and product development

• Significant opportunities in the area of food supply chain technologies – particularly in food safety/hygiene/traceability and compliance
• Post harvest technologies – 40% of food is wasted at farm level
• Sustainable production and related environmental technologies, including water use and irrigation
• Very strong, and well funded science and research base and opportunity for collaboration
• Logistics/cool chain and infrastructure
• Joint venture opportunities in machinery and packaging technologies
• Product innovation and value adding technologies
• Opportunities in fisheries and aquaculture
• IATC also provides the secretariat for the UK India Agri-business working group under JETCO

 

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South Africa 

 

Excellent science and research base with potential for collaboration; opportunities in the food chain in production innovation; capacity building and training

• Major opportunities lie in food supply chain technologies – from capacity building to production technologies and product development
• With Black Economic Empowerment a priority for the government, there are significant opportunities for vocational training and education in the food chain
• Capacity building and training are needed to underpin the BEE agenda and the distribution of farm land to previously disadvantaged individuals
• South Africa has a very strong science, research and development capability.  In addition to mainstream research, there are opportunities for collaboration in areas such as bio-prospecting, conservation and biodiversity
• South Africa could also be a potentially strong partner in animal disease research – particularly given that there is a theory and a number of diseases are migrating from south to north as a result of climate change
• Increasing focus and aspiration to grow the tourism industry is leading to a focus on eco-tourism, which requires land management skills and knowledge.
• Increase in tourism is also seeing an increase in the food service industry and there is potential for collaboration in food safety, hygiene and testing in this sub sector

 

 

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Thailand – and a ‘hub’ for the South East Asia region 

 

Highly sophisticated food industry, with tremendous potential for increased science and research collaboration

• Tesco, along with other retailers, have invested in Thailand.  Opportunities for skills and technology throughout the supply chain
• Significant marine and fisheries sector with opportunities for collaboration on process efficiency and management of fish stocks and fish farms
• Food safety/hygiene/traceability systems – particularly in relation to poultry production
• Individuals in Thailand’s Royal family very interested in organic production, so opportunities for collaboration in this specialist field
• Very significant science, research and development base, and IATC has already established a science and technology transfer network with Thailand
• Related environmental technologies, conservation and biodiversity conservation
• Thailand could act as a ‘hub’ for activity in other areas – including Malaysia and potentially Indonesia
• Malaysia offers potential in science, research and development, and high value areas such as fisheries and aquaculture

 

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Turkey

 

Upgrading agri-food industry is a priority in EU accession discussions; vast natural resources and potential to significantly increase production and add value         

• With potential EU accession being discussed, the upgrading of agro-food industries is vital, and there is funding going into Turkey to address major issues in this sector
• Turkey has vast natural resources, but in part, poor agricultural and food production systems due to poor post harvest technologies
• Vast opportunities for collaboration on value adding in the food chain and for machinery and packaging technologies
• Agriculture remains a major employer and is therefore recognised by the Turkish Government as a priority
• Opportunities exist in the fisheries sector which, despite the long coast line, is largely underdeveloped
• Food safety, hygiene and traceability issues remain a priority to be addressed – imports of certain products to the UK, for example, indicate a potential need for upgrading laboratories and training personnel
• Significant funding going into Turkey to address issues around productivity, food safety and hygiene
• Disparate research base, but with the potential for collaboration

 

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