InterTrade Ireland FUSION project to develop and embed a new product development system and bring new products to the company’s retail and food service customers.

This innovation project has developed and integrated a market lead new product development system, developed new chicken snack, beef bouillon, Deli Select and pie filling products, and enhanced branding and cooked meat technical capability within a company, whilst establishing the Product Development Manager post to drive business growth. The original project aim was refined to overcome the company’s current limits in market led innovation capability, by developing a diversified range of cooked meat products for the retail and foodservice markets, and then addressed. Evidence of achievement exists in the documented new product development procedures, market intelligence on chicken snack and bouillon products, creation of an improved and diversified range of cooked meat product prototypes, and €250,000 of new Deli Select product sales. The knowledge transferred in product innovation and technology, and marketing has helped to underpin major strategic business objectives towards the development of more innovative new products (e.g. Chick’n’ dips), service excellence in innovation for its existing retail customers (e.g. Aldi, Dunnes and Musgraves), enhanced communication of the company's brand and the safe use of continuous cooking technology, whilst matching batch cooking technology product yields and eating quality.