MMR Partners for Rapid Product Development Venture

MMR Research Worldwide (MMR) and Food Innovation Solutions (FIS) have announced a joint venture, Cubo Innovation, which will assist food and beverage innovation with rapid prototyping and commercial feasibility assessment.

The company will headed up by Luisa Gibbons, Director, Future Focus MMR Research Worldwide and Mike Faers, CEO GoodSense Research, MD Food Innovation Solutions. The company says that while launching a widely appealing product is 'a great strategy if you have the budget to support a blockbuster launch', manufacturers are under increasing budget and time pressure, while smaller players in the food and drink industry are 'stealing a march on the big boys' with their greater flexibility and speed of action.

Cubo will 'blend consumer insights and co-creation with culinary creativity', and aims to put consumers at the heart of the NPD process. Clients can either use Cubo for complementary support and inspiration for internal R&D teams, or for a complete outsourced solution for rapid and impactful innovation.

Faers (pictured right) comments: 'Whilst both MMR and FIS held this same philosophy for some time, it's only now, with our powers combined, that we can more effectively bring this to bear on the very real challenges facing FMCG manufacturers looking to create new products in an increasingly tough environment'. He adds: 'R&D teams are stretched, not just with NPD challenges but also with pressures to reformulate in response to changing health regulations, and for cost-engineering in competitive markets. Increasingly these teams are lacking the bandwidth, the time, or the creativity needed for inspired innovation'.

Web site: www.cuboinnovation.com .