French group Solina, which specialises in creating customised food solutions for B2B and food service clients, has set up an R&D laboratory at the University of Girona to complement the activities of its facilities located in Les Preses (Girona). The company, which has a worldwide presence, arrived in Spain in 2017 by acquiring Grama Aliment.

In collaboration with the University of Girona, the Meat & Culinary Center will develop new food solutions ranging from seafood products to meats, sausages, ready meals and sauces, as well as vegan and vegetarian products. The manufacturing and shipping process for the products developed at this centre will continue at the Les Preses plant.

Sustainable growth and development
As Solina Ibérica’s Operations Director Carles Mirabent explained, the starting point for the process “is the concept developed at the Meat & Culinary Center in Girona”, adding that, “Our mission is to manufacture all products in accordance with food safety and quality standards, as well as current legislation, to ensure on-time delivery of all products to our customers”.

The Solina Group highlights its commitment to sustainable growth and development, and to the highest standards of occupational health and safety for its employees. The development of new foodstuffs is also being tackled in collaboration with customers, “We can develop all kinds of products together with you”, said Joaquim Vives, Managing Director of Solina Ibérica, who concluded, “Solina has never been closer to you, ready to provide you with our best solutions and services”.

The best possible project
The new R&D centre became operational in February, and as Vives pointed out, “Our Meat & Culinary Center at the Girona Science Park is the best possible project for the food industry and our slogan expresses it very well: at Solina, we give meaning to food by taking sustainability into account in all our activities”.

Axel Caestecker, R&D Manager at Solina Ibérica, pointed out that, “By opening this MCC centre, we want to accelerate the process and involve the customer as much as possible during the product development phase. This step brings us closer to being a full-service partner for our customers, from raw material selection to industrialisation.”

Anna Albar, Executive Director of the University of Girona, said, “The aim was to boost research and development, knowledge transfer and, above all, to promote and encourage the university-business relationship. I’m absolutely sure that the relationship between the Science Park and Solina, which offers intensely satisfactory relations for all partiest, is a differential and positive fact for all.”

^{Photo: Solina}