The Canton of Fribourg has joined today the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley association, whose aim is to increase the international visibility and networking of the Swiss agri-food sector.

At today’s general assembly, the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley (SFNV) association welcomed the Canton of Fribourg as a new member. Together with the canton of Fribourg, Agroscope and the Food & Nutrition Cluster have also joined the association. Thanks to its proven skills in this sector, the Canton of Fribourg can make a significant contribution to the development of this network and help shape its future development. 

“Bioeconomy and the agrifood sector represents an essential pillar of the Fribourg economy. Becoming a member of the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley is moving in the direction of a development strategy for this sector beyond cantonal or even national borders.” adds Olivier Curty, Director of Economy and Employment at the State of Fribourg.

“The SFNV is very happy to welcome the Canton of Fribourg as a member, a central player in the food industry in Switzerland, and an essential bridge between French-speaking and German-speaking Switzerland“, welcomes Christian Nils Schwab, President of the Executive Committee of the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley.

Fribourg: one of the most dynamic cantons in the agrifood sector

The canton of Fribourg aims to be a Swiss leader in the food industry and is characterized by an impressive density of food companies of national and international dimension. As a result, this sector has importance in terms of employment and an added value that greatly exceeds the Swiss average. The dynamism of the sector is also reflected in both private and public investments. Thus, the expansion of the Nespresso plant in Romont (with its center of excellence) represents an investment of 160 million francs and the creation of 300 jobs. Micarna has also just announced an investment in one of the most modern poultry processing plants in Europe with 500 jobs.

In addition, Fribourg, which already hosts the Food & Nutrition Cluster with nearly 90 members, will also host the NTN Innovation Booster “Next Generation of Food Ecosystems” from next year, a national network focused on nutrition, the circular economy and sustainable packaging.

The State of Fribourg, for its part, invests and continues to invest in the bioeconomy and its sites for agro-food innovation such as the AgriCo Campus in Saint-Aubin (FR), dedicated to the creation of value in the fields agriculture, nutrition and biomass. The Agricultural Institute of Grangeneuve is developing its competence center for raw milk, and thanks to the upcoming establishment of the new Agroscope headquarters, the number of employees of the Federal Institute will increase from 130 to 450 employees.

This ecosystem dedicated to the food industry also benefits from synergies with the University of Fribourg, the Swiss Integrative Center for Human Health (SICHH), the Swiss NanoAnalytics of the Adolphe Merklea Institute as well as the HES-SO.

“This whole environment is particularly favourable to innovation, since it creates a permanent emulation between actors with varied expertises and backgrounds. The meeting between the rich agro-food traditions of our canton and companies at the forefront of research offers exceptional opportunities“, notes the State Councilor of Fribourg, Didier Castella, in charge of agriculture

International visibility thanks to the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley

With its membership, the canton of Fribourg will be able to strengthen the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley, on one hand thanks to its many skills as well as its function as a link between French-speaking and German-speaking Switzerland. On the other hand, Fribourg will benefit from the international influence of this young and dynamic network, founded in spring 2020 by the canton of Vaud, Nestlé, the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne and the EPF Lausanne.

State Councilor Olivier Curty: “We consider the Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley to be complementary to the Food & Nutrition Cluster. The main objective of the cluster is to strengthen cooperation between the various regional and national actors in the food sector. The Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley, for its part, will make our skills and our wealth in the food sector visible at international level”.

Renseignements
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Olivier Curty, Conseiller d’Etat, Directeur de l’économie et de l’emploi, T +41 26 305 24 00

Jerry Krattiger, Directeur de la Promotion économique du canton de Fribourg, T +41 26 304 14 00

Fathi Derder, Directeur de la Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley, M +41 79 469 61 48

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