Innovating Welsh Food SMEs: Insights from the KITE Knowledge Transfer Scheme

The Knowledge Innovation Technology Exchange (KITE) Project (2008–2015) was designed and developed by Cardiff Metropolitan’s ZERO2FIVE Food Industry Centre in partnership with food and drink processing/manufacturing sector’s small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and the Welsh Government which funded the initiative via the Rural Development Programme 2007–2013 subsidies from European Agricultural Rural Development Funding. KITE was implemented in Wales as a food business development and improvement tool to improve food science and food safety technology knowledge and sustainable innovation in food sector SMEs. The activities of KITE were evaluated according to Porter’s value chain framework model of ‘primary activities’ and ‘support activities’, chosen for its ability to identify business activities that have ‘value-added gains’ for competitive advantage. Findings from case study purposive samples conducted in 13 out of 43 SMEs, supported by KITE, identified added value activity across manufacturing and processing activities that positively impacted the food sector. Examples of positive outcomes of the KITE project applied to SME food businesses in the case study included £77m increased sales, 302 new products developed, £270K of production waste reduction, 11 BRCGS Brand Reputation Global Certification Standards (BRCGS) and 2 SALSA Safe and Local Supplier Approved (SALSA) food safety quality certifications and 46 new sales contracts.