Grain Innovation Center
Bühler marked another milestone on October 28, 2024, with the opening of its state-of-the-art Grain Innovation Center in Uzwil, Switzerland. The event brought together 200 customers and partners to celebrate the inauguration of the trailblazing facility. It was carefully designed to empower our customers from the food and animal nutrition industries to innovate and improve their processes, ensuring they stay ahead of the latest trends in milling.
Dalen Jacomino, November 2024
Milling is a deeply rooted and significant part of human civilization, with its origins going back thousands of years to ancient agrarian societies. This age-old practice, which involves grinding grains into flour or meal for food, is an essential process that has sustained communities and driven technological innovation. As part of its milling journey, Bühler, with a history dating back to 1860, has continuously honored the tradition while looking to the future. It has advanced and refined the processes to meet the evolving needs of the industry. The opening of the Grain Innovation Center (GIC) is the new playground for customers to explore potential.
The GIC is the successor to Bühler’s Grain Technology Center, which has served the milling industry since 1951. The five-story facility spans 2,000 square meters and features state-of-the-art infrastructure along with over 70 pieces of cutting-edge equipment from Bühler and its partners. The GIC works as a leading-edge arena for customers to experiment, innovate, and find concrete solutions to meet their specific needs.
At the opening, customers and partners experienced firsthand the company’s new powerhouse. After the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests embarked on a guided tour through the high-tech facility. “We are delighted to inaugurate this new center, which exemplifies Bühler’s commitment to innovation. The GIC is our latest initiative to enable our customers to thrive in challenging times,” says Johannes Wick, CEO of Grains & Food at Bühler.
The milling industry has been navigating a dynamic environment, driven by evolving global grain supply chains, nutritional requirements, sourcing transparency, and pricing dynamics.
These challenges include maintaining flour quality, improving production and energy efficiency, managing safety, and retaining skilled professionals. Adopting technologies such as automation, Internet of Things, and data analytics, along with addressing environmental concerns, increases complexity. Meanwhile, consumer demand for healthier, sustainable products accelerates innovation.
“I saw many new technologies at the new Grain Innovation Center that I didn’t know about, which could be very important for the company I work for in Brazil,” says Ricardo Motta, Industrial Director at Viterra, who attended the opening event. “If we want to succeed in a competitive environment, we need to continuously think about innovation, train our personnel, and improve processes. Having an innovation center like the GIC helps us to understand these aspects and bring solutions to where we work – that is, our mills.”
At the facility, customers can conduct tests on food and animal feed and develop new processes and solutions in various areas, including cleaning, optical sorting, grinding, sifting, mixing, and protein shifting. Additionally, they can work on hygienization and pelleting, as well as dehulling, peeling, and pearling of grains and pulses. Instead of investing in a completely new, large plant, customers can run their tests and develop new processes or products at the GIC, making it a highly cost-effective option.
“The center offers an unparalleled environment where customers can develop tailored processes and witness the extensive capabilities of Bühler’s diverse portfolio,” explains Stefan Birrer, Managing Director Milling Solutions at Bühler. “The GIC is not just a facility, it’s a symbol of our commitment to helping customers succeed in an industry that is continuously evolving.”
Food trials encompass a variety of raw materials, including cereals, herbs, spices, and pulses. The GIC provides the technology and expertise to conduct trials on local and ancient grains – raw materials that play a vital role in improving food security in many countries. Leveraging Bühler’s extensive know-how in processing, the GIC also offers testing for various other commodities, including coffee, nuts, and insects. Additionally, the Application & Training Center caters to non-food bulk solids, such as plastics and absorbers. Feed trials can be performed with production capacities of up to 5 tonnes per hour, covering the entire production line or individual process steps.
“One of the main advantages of the GIC is its ability to provide not only detailed data that enable continuous and precise monitoring of the process but also the physical and chemical properties of the product at every stage of production and under different process conditions,” says Lothar Driller, Department Manager, Feed Application Center and Training at Bühler. The side streams generated by the GIC, such as wheat bran and rice husks, corn husks, pea hulls, and screenings from cleaning, will feed Bühler’s Energy Recovery Center, which provides heating for the company’s offices in Uzwil. Customers can also use this center to explore the potential of utilizing side streams through energy recovery, which can lead to the reduction of their carbon footprint, waste, and energy costs.
The GIC is part of Bühler’s Application & Training Center hub, which encompasses the recently launched Flavor Creation Center, Food Creation Center, Protein Application Center, and Energy Recovery Center – and other centers that have been in operation for several years, including the Extrusion Application Center and Pasta Application Center. With this innovation hub, Bühler can provide full, farm-to-fork coverage, encompassing entire protein value chains. Such an environment is unique in the market.
The modernization project also includes Bühler’s Milling Academy and the Swiss Institute of Feed Technology (SFT), both of which will be housed in a new structure strategically located next to the GIC to increase synergies. The new Milling Academy and the SFT facility will enable Bühler’s teams and customers to adapt and develop the skills needed to keep pace with a rapidly changing and increasingly challenging work environment. It will have classrooms, open learning areas, meeting rooms, a customer service corner, new laboratories, a workshop area, and a larger changing room for customers.
About 1,000 customers and 150 employees were trained in more than 120 training courses offered by the Milling Academy and the Swiss Institute of Feed Technology in 2023. The new training facility is scheduled to be operational by January 2025.
Who: Grain Innovation Center (GIC)
When: The GIC was inaugurated on October 28, 2024.
Where: Uzwil, Switzerland
What: The GIC is a multi-purpose application center where customers can conduct tests on food and animal feed, innovate, and improve their processes, to ensure they stay ahead of the latest trends in milling.
Customers: The GIC serves food and animal feed milling customers worldwide.
Bühler: The five-story facility spans 2,000 square meters and features state-of-the-art infrastructure along with over 70 pieces of cutting-edge equipment from Bühler and its partners.
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
