The technological performance in Germany has reached a very high level. Nevertheless, there is an increasing lack of qualified personnel even in innovative occupational areas as the natural science and technology field. Insufficient numbers of qualified trainees are closely related to a regressing research level, stagnating innovation activities and with that stagnating economic growth.

Therefore, for the second time after 2007 the German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL) as cooperation partner of the Lower Saxony Competence Center Food Industry (NieKE, Niedersächsisches Kompetenzzentrum Ernährungswirtschaft) organized a stand at the IdeenExpo, a special kind of fair which calls itself a technological event with adventure feeling. NieKE presented itself in the subject area “Living and Environment” with the motto “Working in Food Production”. This presentation aimed at introducing the food industry as interesting occupational field for young people.

General information on the various fields of activity in the food industry were accompanied by several exhibits. This way, an overview on the broad range of food technology issues was given. The exhibits are commonly used at DIL for research and development purposes but are also applied directly in the food industry.

For example, a robot showed the opportunities of robotics application in food production. Robots are increasingly used for the production and processing of food; their range of application is constantly growing. The research at DIL is focusing on such new areas of application.

Another exhibit at the stand was an elcrack® system. High voltage generators, developed at DIL, use pulsed electrical fields (PEF) to disintegrate cells / cell membranes. This method accelerates production processes and changes the structure of food products. The result: new, multi-faceted food production processes which improve the efficiency for example in the winning of juice or which improve the shelf life of food products.

The exhibits were well received at the fair stand. It were not only the younger visitors who were interested in the comprehensive information. Dr. Philipp Rösler, Minister for Economics Affairs in Lower Saxony, was among the prominent visitors at the stand. He was keen to learn more about the latest technological developments in food processing. He was pleased with the commitment of the NIEKE cooperation at the IdeenExpo: “It is important to introduce the interesting occupational fields available in the food industry, which is so important to Lower Saxony, to young people.”

The biennial IdeenExpo 2009 took place 5-13 September 2009 in Hanover. The first event of this kind was conducted in 2007. It aims at attracting young people and drawing their attention to natural science and technology by offering participation and adventure within the scope of a fair . Added to this, information is provided on vocational training, career opportunities, research and occupational activities in natural science, technology and other innovative fields.