Finalists named, with winner to be announced at Hort Connections

IFPA logo

The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) has announced the five finalists for the 2022 Tech Innovation Award, sponsored by UPL.

IFPA said the award attracted a wide range of nominations from across the industry, with the judges noting the quality of this year’s entrants.

The five finalists, in no particular order, are:

  • Tim Bond of J-Tech Systems with the Aporo Robotics Fruit Packer
  • Coolsan Australia with ChillSafe
  • James Altmann & Lachlan Chilman of Biological Services with their Sachet Technology
  • MagrowTec with MagGrow Technology
  • Claire Zoellner on behalf of the Cornell and iFoodDS team with the FInd CoV Control

Each entry was assessed on the technology’s ability to tackle issues in the fresh produce industry, along with the solution’s success in addressing these challenges and increasing overall consumption.

“It was great to see such a wide range of entries this year – running right through the supply chain and this year even including a health focus,” said Darren Keating, IFPA’s A-NZ chief executive.

“With the past couple of years being challenging for many businesses in our industry it is great to see that the focus on innovation has remained putting a positive light on the future.”

The five finalists will showcase their campaigns on the trade show floor at Hort Connections in Brisbane on Tuesday 7 June at 11.30pm.

The winner of the 2022 Tech Innovation Award will be announced at the Hort Connections Gala Dinner the following evening (8 June).