Bühler’s new Grain Innovation Center (GIC) in Uzwil is nearing completion, marking a significant milestone in the field of grain processing innovation. This new facility will become the successor to Bühler’s former Grain Technology Center, which has served the milling industry since 1951. The facility is being completely rebuilt to support customers in navigating the evolving market dynamics in the grain processing industry and to develop the foods of the future. In the multi-purpose center, customers from the food and animal feed sectors can conduct trials on new products and explore new processes and solutions. They will also have full access to Bühler’s exceptional ecosystem of application and training centers at the headquarters, covering the entire protein value chain. The GIC will open its doors to customers, partners, and guests on October 28, 2024.
Bühler’s former Grain Technology Center, operational for nearly 75 years, needed modernization to keep up with market demands. With the food and feed sectors experiencing rapid changes in the past few years, customers need more flexibility, creativity, and the right environment to adapt their products. The Grain Innovation Center will support customers in addressing key issues, such as the use of local raw materials, increasing productivity and safety, and meeting requirements for new and healthier products.
The new facility spans 2,000 square meters and features state-of-the-art infrastructure and cutting-edge equipment from Bühler and its partners. “We are so excited to be nearing completion of this important new facility, which brings together Bühler’s rich history in milling with cutting-edge technology. By integrating the GIC into Bühler’s network of Application & Training Centers in Uzwil, customers benefit from an ideal setup that enables them to turn challenges into opportunities,” says Christian Geser, Project Director, Grains & Food at Bühler Group.
Construction on the project started in August 2022, when, as a first step, all the equipment at Bühler’s previous Grain Technology Center was removed from the building. Between October 2022 and January 2023, the building was demolished and a new foundation built. The construction of the five-story GIC started in February 2023 and was completed in 12 months. Now, in March 2024, the project has entered its final phase, and the installation of all equipment and systems has begun. Some of the previous equipment was refurbished for reuse in the new GIC. Remanufacturing machines offers not only economic but also environmental benefits, such as resource efficiency by reusing components and waste reduction. Some of the machines were sold to customers, and only a minor portion was discarded and recycled.
The modernization project also includes Bühler’s Milling Academy and the Swiss Institute of Feed Technology (SFT), both of which will be housed in a new structure strategically located next to the GIC to increase synergies.
Spanning an area of 1,600 square meters, this new training facility for the Milling Academy and the SFT will have classrooms, an open learning area, meeting rooms, a customer service corner, new laboratories, a workshop area, and a larger changing room for customers and employees. This new building will enable Bühler’s team and customers to adapt and develop the skills needed to keep pace with a quickly changing and increasingly challenging work environment. About 800 customers and 150 internal employees were trained in more than 120 training courses offered by the Milling Academy and the Swiss Institute of Feed Technology in 2023. The building is slated to be operational by January 2025.