New doctoral programme to transform UK food and drink

The University of Reading will lead a national consortium training the next generation of scientists to tackle the UK food and drink industry’s biggest challenges.

The Food Consortium Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA) will bring together 13 UK universities and research organisations, alongside global food industry leaders including Nestlé and Mondelēz, to drive skills, innovation and growth in the sector.

Through a training programme that combines research-led innovation with real-world application, the universities will host 15 doctoral researchers who will work on improving everyday foods – making shopping basket staples healthier and more sustainable while maintaining their appeal.

The new scheme is part of a wider investment by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) announced today, to support PhD training aimed at boosting UK innovation and economic growth.

Led by Professor Jane K Parker from the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, working alongside industry lead Dr James Osborne from Nestlé, the programme addresses mounting pressures facing Britain’s largest manufacturing sector.

The UK food and drink industry contributes £38 billion annually to the economy and employs more than 400,000 people. Yet it faces increasing challenges from skills shortages, sustainability demands, changing consumer expectations and the need to deliver healthier products without compromising taste or affordability.

Agrifood Futures

A key feature of the programme is the involvement of Strategic-Innovation Ltd and its AI-driven Think Better World platform, which provides new capabilities for understanding societal, emotional and policy drivers around food choices. This will enable researchers to address a major industry barrier: the gap between what people say they want to eat and what they actually buy.

Professor Parker said: “This programme supports Reading’s ambition to help create a global food system that delivers desirable, healthy and sustainable food for everyone, as laid out in our Agrifood Futures strategy.

“Through a combination of deep research training and real industry experience, we’re developing a new generation of food scientists who will bring fresh thinking to the sector, ensuring a pipeline of skilled professionals ready to lead meaningful change.”

Reading will coordinate the studentships and manage partnerships between the academic institutions and industry collaborators. Research projects will tackle real-world challenges including salt reduction, sustainable ingredient sourcing, regenerative agriculture, sensory perception and public attitudes toward processed foods.

The Food Consortium IDLA builds on the success of the Food Consortium Collaborative Training Partnership previously run by Mondelēz. The programme is funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and will begin recruiting in early 2026 for studentships starting in October 2026.

Full list of Food Consortium IDLA industry partners:

• Nestlé
• Mondelēz
• PepsiCo
• Diageo
• Pladis
• Nomad Foods
• Samworth Brothers
• Yeo Valley
• Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST)
• Strategic-Innovation Ltd

Read more about the University of Reading’s Agrifood Futures Strategy