Ian Roberts: At the Networking Days 2022, we announced that we will build a new Grain Innovation Center (GIC) to reflect the importance of the milling industry in global food systems. Stefan, as a head miller with decades of experience at Bühler, what does this opening mean to you personally, and to our customers?

Stefan Birrer: As a miller, I’m very excited about the GIC. It’s the most advanced grain processing infrastructure we have ever built and is based on decades of milling expertise. The completely new facility is the successor to the Grain Technology Center, which had served the milling industry since 1951. We’ve spent decades working with our customers to bring highly efficient milling solutions to the market, and this essential and ongoing collaboration is the basis of the modern milling technology we see today around the world. The GIC is the place where all this comes together. It’s where we will see milling industry innovations grow for decades – for wheat, maize, oats, and many other valuable grains and seeds.
 

I love that 3 years after our announcement, we have this incredible facility. Looking at it, I must admit, I can imagine retraining as a miller. What’s going to happen here at the GIC in the coming months?

Birrer: This facility is open for customers to address the challenges they face in the market. Together we will look at how we can further improve their processes and develop new solutions. Because we understand the art of milling in every aspect, we know exactly which technologies will make a miller’s life easier while helping our customers become even more efficient.

The modernization of training facilities also includes our Milling Academy and the Swiss Institute of Feed Technology (SFT), both of which are strategically located next to the GIC to create even more synergies. A lot of grain processing know-how will be concentrated in Uzwil, and we will be able to innovate along the entire value chain in connection with our other Application & Training Centers here.
 

Clearly this is not just about today – it is about preparing for the future in terms of skills and education. Coming back to what you said earlier – the concept of innovating together with our customers is not new to Bühler. How does this innovation model work in milling?

Birrer: Bühler has always been known for high quality technology. But even the best machine does not give you the result you need if it is not embedded in a well-designed, customized process and controlled by highly efficient automation systems. If we want to go further, the next level is how we can make these plants smart. That is a journey we’ve embarked on for some time, and we’ve come quite far in terms of how to enable processes to adjust themselves and operate at the optimal level.

If you look at the full process, milling is a vital part, but it’s still only one part of a long value chain before consumers can enjoy tasty bread, delicious pasta, and healthy breakfast cereals. The GIC offers the complete environment to integrate these process steps and find out where inefficiencies lie. That’s the golden nugget that our customers can uncover to increase yield, reduce costs, and improve food safety.
 

Is this solely for wheat or can we process different grains?

Birrer: Historically, wheat has been at the core of many processes. However, as a global player, we continuously develop processes for different grains that are the staple food in different regions. That’s why we have a variety of processes for maize, for oats, and for pulses, which play a key role in sustainably closing the protein gap. We’re also developing solutions for processing ancient grains such as sorghum, millet, and teff, which are of incredible importance in ensuring food security in Africa, for example.
 

Does this mean the GIC provides a full value chain platform to explore new raw materials and expand their business portfolio?

Birrer: Absolutely. Millers are the undisputed experts in handling and processing grains, which makes them crucial to feeding a growing population. Traditionally, many millers have processed one type of grain in their facilities. Today, with increasingly dynamic markets asking for more variety, we see many millers expanding their portfolios. The challenge for them is to determine how they can not only extract flour at the highest efficiency levels; in addition, they need to explore how they can get the most out of valuable side streams as well.

In the past, the goal was to extract the highest quality flour. The bran, as a side product, was fed to livestock. Today, the industry appreciates the fact that there are many highly valuable ingredients in these side streams, such as protein or dietary fiber. With this facility, we want to empower millers to valorize these side streams in new applications within their milling processes.
 

By combining forces with our other application and training centers, how can customers turbocharge value creation?

Birrer: This is what makes our new facility so unique and exciting. The combination of the GIC with our other facilities, such as the Protein Application Center, the Extrusion Application Center, and the Flavor Creation Center to name a few, unlocks fantastic opportunities in fields we have not yet fully explored.
 

The possibilities are truly exciting in terms of collaborative innovation, upcycling of side streams, and opening new business fields for our milling customers. With your background, what can you reveal “from miller to miller” about our innovation pipeline?

Birrer: Innovation has always been at the core of our activities, and it has never happened in a closed room. Innovation only happens when we consider customer and market demands combined with future trends. Being close to our customers is vital when developing new core technologies, equipment, and processes. Currently, we invest a lot of resources into further developing our core sifting and grinding technologies as well as our SmartMill concept. The goal is clear, we want to create an intelligent support system for millers that takes their processes to an unprecedented level of efficiency.
 

We have many tangible examples of modern mills running on a high level that suddenly experience a step up in efficiency and in profitability by embedding these digital layers on top of world-class technology. Why is that?

Birrer: These technologies allow grain processors to anticipate inefficiencies in the process and act before out-of-specification products occur. We’re also in touch with our customers’ customers – the food producers.

A manager of one of the largest bakeries recently told us that, if he could, he would only take flour that comes from a mill that runs with the SmartMill concept. The reason is simple, his operations run so much more smoothly and efficiently with this kind of flour that he has experienced the same increase in efficiency and profitability as the miller using SmartMill. I couldn’t have asked for a more convincing statement that we’re on the right track, and it clearly shows the impact that smart solutions have on the entire value chain. These solutions are more important than ever, because every grain and every ounce of flour counts, especially considering today’s challenges.
 

What’s your final message to all the millers producing safe and high-quality flour for billions of people every day?

Birrer: We talk a lot about purpose, and the milling industry has a real, tangible purpose: feeding the world. I’m proud that our company can offer the Grain Innovation Center and other application centers to them. By collaborating with our customers and combining our expertise, we can make significant strides in using our planet’s resources more effectively to fulfill this crucial purpose.