Future Food Systems
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersKensington, Australia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Future Food Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Future Food Systems
- Legal name
- Future Food Systems Ltd
- Website
- https://futurefoodsystems.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Future Food Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agrifood Research and Development
- NAICS
- Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) / Vertical Farming (Indoor LED Farms) (AFAGAHAJ)
Keywords
Where Future Food Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kensington
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Future Food Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Federal CRC funding: Future Food Systems is a federally funded Not-for-Profit organisation established in 2019. The CRC receives government funding to lead collaborations with Australian universities, the agrifood sector, and government bodies to deliver world-leading research translated into industry-ready innovations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Future Food Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Future Food Systems is a federally funded Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) that collaborates with Australian universities, industry partners, and government bodies to deliver applied research in sustainable food systems. It operates 112 R&D projects covering protected cropping, gene-editing for disease-resistant crops, IoT-enabled smart sensing, supply chain optimization, robotics and automation, food metabolomics, and renewable energy integration in horticulture. The organization runs innovation precincts and living labs (e.g., Coffs Agrifood Living Lab, Food Innovation Precinct WA) and supports 68 industry PhDs.
Product overview
Future Food Systems is a federally-funded Cooperative Research Centre established in 2019 that operates research programs in partnership with 129 industry partners, universities, and government bodies. The organization delivers R&D across 112 projects with $158m in investment, supporting 68 industry PhDs. Its portfolio includes the FFS Connect Plus partner platform, the annual For Food's Sake summit series, and regional initiatives like the Coffs Agrifood Living Lab. Research facilities include the SIFT Centre (open-access food technology facility), National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre, and the planned Agri-Tech Hub. Core research programs focus on protected cropping, supply chain optimization, genomics, robotics automation, and sustainable food technologies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FFS Connect: A platform for partners and stakeholders to access resources, collaborate, and engage with Future Food Systems research initiatives.
- For Food's Sake
Products and services
- FFS Connect Plus A partner portal and collaboration platform providing stakeholders access to research resources, networking opportunities, and FFS program information.
- For Food's Sake Annual Summit Annual summit series bringing together industry, research and government to discuss agrifood innovation, collaboration and the future of food systems.
- Coffs Agrifood Living Lab (CALL) Regional innovation platform in partnership with City of Coffs Harbour and QUT that facilitates collaboration among industry, government, academia and community stakeholders to drive agrifood sector development.
- Food Metabolomics Library Four-year $1.6m project creating unique chemical fingerprinting methods for Western Australia's premium produce, connecting nutritional composition with health outcomes through NMR-based analysis.
- Sustainable Innovative Food Technologies (SIFT) Centre Open-access facility providing food companies with advanced infrastructure to research, trial, and scale new products.
- National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre (NVPCC) State-of-the-art $7m experimental greenhouse facility at Western Sydney University's Hawkesbury campus used for advanced protected cropping research.
- WSU Agri-Tech Hub Planned six-hectare high-tech commercial, teaching and research greenhouse complex at Western Sydney University ($50m project, with $16.7m Federal Labor commitment), designed to create new jobs and opportunities for high-tech horticulture.
- ClearVue Solar Glass Greenhouse World's first clear solar glass greenhouse at Murdoch University, constructed by ClearVue Technologies using transparent solar photovoltaic glazing panels for plant breeding research.
Quantifiable outcome
- 112 R&D projects completed or underway
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Future Food Systems
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Future Food Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability9 records
Feature6 records
Future Food Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Qatar UniversitycoreQatar University, based in Doha, joined the CRC as a participant focusing on food security challenges shared with Australia. Leading research institution ranked second among Arab universities. Collaborates with WSU on sustainable fertigation technology for protected cropping in harsh environmental conditions.
- Murdoch UniversitycoreMurdoch University hosts the Australian National Phenome Centre (ANPC) and Food Futures Institute. Partners on food metabolomics library project and hosts the world-first ClearVue solar glass greenhouse at its grains research precinct.
- Bruker BioSpin GmbHcoreGlobal scientific equipment manufacturer providing NMR FoodScreener system and IVDr Clinical NMR Research Platform for food metabolomics library project.
- ClearVue TechnologiescoreSmart building materials company that constructed the world's first clear solar glass greenhouse at Murdoch University using transparent solar photovoltaic glazing panels.
- UNSW SydneycoreUNSW Sydney is a key research partner leading supply chain optimization, logistics research, and renewable energy projects. Hosts Future Food Systems headquarters at UNSW Sydney campus. Researchers from Particle and Catalysis Research Group work on CO2 capture and hydrogen peroxide generation projects.
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT)coreQUT leads the 'Genetics for Next Generation Orchards' $41m Hort Innovation program and the Centre for Agriculture and the Bioeconomy. Robotics experts from QUT's Centre for Robotics develop automation solutions for protected cropping and horticulture including pollination robots.
- Western Sydney University (WSU)coreWSU hosts the National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre (NVPCC) and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment. Leading research in plant physiology, genomics, protected cropping, and climate-smart agriculture. Partnership with Qatar University on fertigation research.
- University of New England (UNE)coreUNE contributes expertise in crop science, plant physiology, and agricultural research. PhD candidates and researchers work on heat tolerance, sugarcane yield prediction, and protected cropping research.
- Australian National University (ANU)coreANU researchers including Professor Owen K. Atkin contribute to photosystem II heat tolerance research, providing expertise in photosynthesis and crop physiology.
- The University of SydneycoreUniversity of Sydney contributes to heat tolerance research through Professor Richard Trethowan, supporting genomic and breeding approaches for crop improvement.
- City of Coffs HarbourcoreCity of Coffs Harbour is a key partner in the Coffs Agrifood Living Lab (CALL), collaborating on regional agrifood innovation and economic development initiatives.
- Protected Cropping AustraliacoreIndustry association partner for protected cropping research, collaborating on national mapping of protected cropping structures and industry development.
- NSW Local Land ServicesminorGovernment partner collaborating on national protected cropping mapping project, providing regional land services data for NSW regions.
- Hort InnovationcoreHort Innovation is a key industry partner funding the $41m 'Genetics for Next Generation Orchards' program and berry sector automation initiatives.
- P'Petual HoldingscoreSME commercial greenhouse operator and industry partner collaborating on robotic pollination automation. Company operates 12-hectare facility with six greenhouses, planning expansion to 20 hectares.
- Superior Production PTY LTDcoreWorld-leading mandarin variety developer with unique mutant germplasm collection (80,000 in Australia, 800,000 in USA). Collaborates on gene-editing for disease-resistant and dwarfing citrus rootstocks.
- Sanitarium Health Food CompanycoreAll-Australian health food manufacturer and industry partner working on sustainable packaging, plant-based product optimization, barista milk formulation, and new protein development research.
- ARM HubminorBrisbane-based ARM Hub collaborating on robotics and automation technology adoption for North Queensland banana growers and horticulture sector.
- WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)coreGovernment partner linking industry with the Food Innovation Precinct WA, identifying priority farming systems and agricultural products for metabolomics analysis.
- GreenbiominorIndustry partner collaborating on high-tech vertical farm module development for functional foods and medicinal products.
- Edith Cowan University (ECU)minorResearch partner in ClearVue solar glass greenhouse project, contributing to plant breeding technology development.
- Shire of MurrayminorLocal government partner in Western Australia collaborating on Food Innovation Precinct WA development and agri-food hub initiatives.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Future Food Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CSIRO: Australia's national science agency, running large-scale applied research across agriculture, food, and sustainability with government and industry co-funding. Comparable to FFS as a publicly funded Australian applied-research body, though materially larger in scope, headcount, and infrastructure.
- Hort Innovation: Australia's horticulture Research and Development Corporation, funding and coordinating industry R&D including the $41m 'Genetics for Next Generation Orchards' program with FFS partners. Direct counterparty and partial comparable as Australia's sector-specific agrifood R&D funding body.
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Canadian federal department combining science, research, and innovation for the agrifood sector. Analogous to FFS as a government-funded research provider partnering with universities and industry to translate science into commercial outcomes.
- USDA Agricultural Research Service: The US Department of Agriculture's in-house research agency operating extensive programs in crop production, food safety, and sustainable agriculture. Comparable large-scale publicly funded agrifood research mandate, but at substantially larger scale and budget.
Direct peers
- INRAE: France's national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment, formed from INRA and IRSTEA. Comparable scale of publicly funded agrifood research programs spanning protected cropping, food quality, and supply chain science.
- AgResearch: New Zealand Crown Research Institute focused on pastoral, crop, and food sciences with industry and government funding. Comparable applied agricultural research mandate, partner-funded model, and commercialization pathway.
- Plant & Food Research: New Zealand Crown Research Institute conducting plant-based and food research across horticulture, genomics, and sustainable cropping. Highly comparable applied-research structure, partner network, and pre-commercial science translation model.
- Rothamsted Research: UK-based applied agricultural research institute focused on crop science, agronomy, and sustainable farming systems. Comparable model of industry- and government-funded applied agronomic research with strong university affiliations.
- Wageningen University & Research: World-leading agrifood research organization combining Wageningen University and applied research institutes focused on sustainable food systems, protected cropping, and food technology. Most globally analogous operating model to FFS at much larger international scale.
- Food Agility CRC: Former Australian CRC focused on digital innovation across the agrifood value chain, partnering with universities, industry and government. Closest prior Australian CRC comparable to FFS in structure, funding model, and collaboration scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Future Food Systems social profiles
Digital presenceFuture Food Systems compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Future Food Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Future Food Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Future Food Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Future Food Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Future Food Systems
What does Future Food Systems do?
Future Food Systems is a federally funded Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) that collaborates with Australian universities, industry partners, and government bodies to deliver applied research in sustainable food systems. It operates 112 R&D projects covering protected cropping, gene-editing for disease-resistant crops, IoT-enabled smart sensing, supply chain optimization, robotics and automation, food metabolomics, and renewable energy integration in horticulture. The organization runs innovation precincts and living labs (e.g., Coffs Agrifood Living Lab, Food Innovation Precinct WA) and supports 68 industry PhDs.
Is Future Food Systems a public or private company?
Future Food Systems is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Future Food Systems founded?
Future Food Systems was founded in 2019. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Future Food Systems based?
Future Food Systems is headquartered in Kensington, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Future Food Systems make money?
One revenue line is on record: federal CRC funding.
Who are Future Food Systems's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CSIRO, Hort Innovation, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and USDA Agricultural Research Service. Direct peers are INRAE, AgResearch, Plant & Food Research, Rothamsted Research, Wageningen University & Research and Food Agility CRC.
Does Future Food Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Future Food Systems.
What industry is Future Food Systems in?
Future Food Systems's product category is Agrifood Research and Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAI, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems, with a secondary code of AFAGAHAJ, Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) / Vertical Farming (Indoor LED Farms). Its NAICS code is 111419.