Regional Development of Food Manufacturing Capability: A Case Study Exploration

A case study of the food and drink industry in Wales, set across economic shocks, the COVID-19 pandemic, BREXIT and the energy crises: Examining the role of capability development for innovation”.

There is a persuasive reason for studying the food sector because of its multifaceted links to regional economic development, innovation, food and drink policy, and impact on health and nutrition. It is also a sector whose competitiveness and sustainability, are currently under considerable and future increasing pressure from global population growth to 8.5 billion by 2030, increased competition for natural resources, climate change, resource scarcity and malnutrition (Lazaro-Mojica and Fernandez, 2021). Crises relating to concerns over food security and resilient supply chains have sharpened the focus on this sector (Mayho et al., 2024). COVID-19 and the Ukrainian/Russian war exacerbated the emphasis on rising energy, wage and input costs (World Bank, 2022), and the whole food sector continues to experience labour and skills shortages (OECD, 2023).