Institutional strategy and capability
Review and formulate strategy. Connect research and education priorities with expertise, facilities and partnerships across research institutes, universities and vocational providers.
Independent expertise. Shared purpose.
Food missions,
with the means
to deliver.
Strategy, research and innovation for practical food-system solutions. We help institutions, food businesses and funders turn food-system priorities into focused programmes, product and process innovations, circular solutions and regional value retention — with the capabilities and partnerships to put them into practice.
Founded and led by Pablo Juliano Otero
PhD Engineering Science · MBA · Former CSIRO Group & Focus Area Leader · Melbourne, Australia
THE CONNECTION THAT MATTERS
01
DIRECTION
Shared priorities
Government, industry, institutions and society
02
CAPABILITY
Connected strengths
Research, education, facilities and partnerships
03
DELIVERY
A focused mission portfolio
Initiatives, R&D trials, resources and consortium roles
04
OUTCOMES
Pathways to adoption
Policy, industry practice, value retention and commercial application
Co-designed with the people who will lead, deliver and use the work.
Built on applied research leadership
20+ yearsconnecting research, industry and international partnerships
30–50 projectsin annual portfolios previously led, plus two pilot plants
Australia, Asia
& Latin Americastrategy, food technology, consortia and capability building
& Latin Americastrategy, food technology, consortia and capability building
01 / THE WORK
A clearer direction.
A workable programme.
Food challenges cross institutional and commercial boundaries. Services are adapted to your mandate, existing capabilities, technical requirements and intended outcomes.
Food technology and innovation
Improve products and processes through applied research, trials and scale-up. Develop circular solutions to prevent losses and retain value from edible resources and by-products.
Research investment and delivery
Strengthen programme delivery and intended benefits through scientific and technical assessment, institutional capability building and partner co-design.
CHOOSE YOUR STARTING POINT
AN INSTITUTIONAL DECISION · RESEARCH INSTITUTES, UNIVERSITIES & VOCATIONAL PROVIDERS
Where should we focus our food research, education and innovation?
We help institutions review and formulate strategy, and turn their strengths into meaningful food-system outcomes. Research institutes align scientific capabilities and infrastructure; universities connect research, education and engagement across disciplines; vocational and technical providers align workforce training with industry needs.
RECOGNISABLE INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES WE ADDRESS
No agreed direction
Research and education activities pursue separate priorities without a clear shared institutional focus.
Expertise remains fragmented
Researchers, educators, technical specialists and facilities remain disconnected across departments.
Limited partner involvement
Producers, industry and other users have limited influence on research questions or programme design.
Research struggles to reach use
Promising findings lack a clear pathway into industry practice, policy or commercial application.
- Research strategy & programmes: Strategy review and formulation, programme design and improvement, portfolio assessment and explicit trade-offs
- Capability & education: Institutional capability assessment, facilities and partnership gaps, education and workforce skills needs, leadership support
- Innovation & impact: Impact pathways, adoption assessment, investment readiness and partner delivery responsibilities
02 / METHODS
Structure for decisions
that cross boundaries.
Scientific and institutional assessment, adapted through co-design to your needs. Methods can be used separately or combined for a focused review, a technical investigation or a wider programme.
HOW WE WORK — CO-DESIGN WITH THE PEOPLE WHO WILL LEAD, DELIVER AND USE THE PROGRAMME
Agree on
priorities
Listen to leaders, researchers and intended users. Agree on the concrete challenge and intended outcomes.
Clarify
roles
Agree on where the institution or business leads, what partners contribute and who owns implementation.
Integrate
capabilities
Mobilise relevant scientific expertise, pilot or technical facilities and complementary partners around agreed priorities.
Co-design
delivery
Develop initiatives together, with clear responsibilities, resources, milestones and measures of success.
INSTITUTIONAL & PROGRAMME ASSESSMENT METHODS
01Food System Priorities & Institutional Positioning
Examine food-system needs, the institution’s mandate and others’ contributions to identify where it can lead or complement existing work. Translate priorities into focused missions with agreed outcomes and partner roles.
TYPICAL OUTPUTA positioning and mission brief defining the challenge, institutional contribution, intended outcomes and complementary partner roles.
02Research Capability & Portfolio Design
Map capabilities and their connections against programme needs. Compare options for developing expertise, using facilities and forming partnerships, making strategic fit, feasibility and resource trade-offs visible before committing resources.
TYPICAL OUTPUTAn institutional capability architecture and prioritised portfolio with a clear rationale for advancing, adapting or stopping initiatives.
03Education & Workforce Co-Design
Assess scientific, technical and leadership needs separately from research strengths. Work with educators, technical providers and industry to align practical learning pathways and workforce capabilities with changing food-system practices.
TYPICAL OUTPUTAn education and workforce capability map identifying skills gaps, curriculum connections and industry-linked training priorities.
04Impact, Adoption & Investment Readiness
Assess intended users, routes to adoption and commercial, policy and organisational conditions for use. Review technology, IP and scale-up requirements alongside the evidence, capability and partner commitments needed for investment.
TYPICAL OUTPUTAn impact pathway and readiness review with adoption conditions, evidence gaps, indicators and next decision points.
FOOD TECHNOLOGY: RESEARCH, TESTING & SCALE-UP STAGES
05Define & Investigate Technical Requirements
Agree on product, process and commercial requirements with food businesses. Review existing scientific and operational evidence and identify research questions, formulation choices and feasible technical options.
TYPICAL OUTPUTTechnical findings paper defining material properties, process constraints and feasible investigation options.
06Applied Research & Pilot Trials
Design experiments and interpret results. Conduct or coordinate laboratory and pilot-scale trials with client teams, technical specialists and suitable facilities, with clear agreement on roles, safety and data quality.
TYPICAL OUTPUTDocumented experimental protocols, test methods and trial results evaluated against target specifications.
07Validate Performance & Scale Up
Test product safety, functionality, yield and consistency under relevant operating conditions. Resolve technical and economic uncertainties before committing to costly factory trials or capital investment.
TYPICAL OUTPUTRecommended solutions detailing operating trade-offs, cost implications, partner requirements and scale-up parameters.
08Implement & Retain Know-How
Support industrial trials and operational deployment alongside relevant delivery partners. Document findings, process specifications and operating lessons so technical know-how is retained within the client organisation.
TYPICAL OUTPUTValidation and scale-up plan with facility needs, responsibilities and documented know-how handover.
SPECIALIST ASSESSMENTS — ADDITIONAL DEPTH WHERE THE ASSIGNMENT REQUIRES IT
AI Readiness for Food Systems
Where can AI add value?Prioritise practical AI applications and review data readiness, skills, governance and partnerships for responsible use.
Food Loss & Waste Readiness
Where can losses and waste be prevented?Identify prevention and value-recovery priorities, evidence gaps, processing technologies and partner capabilities needed for delivery and adoption.
Local & Regional Value Chain Development
How can local actors retain more value?Assess market connections, suitable processing technologies, by-product valorisation and business models with farmers, enterprises and local partners.
WHAT MAKES OUR APPROACH DIFFERENT — SCIENTIFIC DEPTH APPLIED TO PRACTICAL USE
Strategy connected to delivery
Assess institutional or programme priorities alongside the science, expertise, facilities and resources required to pursue them.
Solutions in context
Examine material flows, processing options, regional location, operating scale and potential market or policy uses together.
Co-design with delivery partners
Develop the work with the people who will carry it forward, building lasting capability and making responsibilities and commitments explicit.
03 / DELIVERABLES
Useful work.
Clear decisions.
The output should help a leader or business act. Deliverables follow the agreed scope, available evidence and decision to be made.
WHAT INSTITUTIONS & PROGRAMMES RECEIVE
Leadership
decision brief
Evidence-based findings, recommended priorities and mission options, with explicit trade-offs and a clear institutional contribution.
Capability
& partner map
Relevant research and education strengths, gaps, facilities and complementary partners, connected to intended users and delivery needs.
Prioritised
mission portfolio
Selected initiatives or programme of work with intended outcomes, resource requirements, consortium roles and adoption conditions.
Implementation
roadmap
Accountable owners, milestones, funding routes and decision points, with indicators of progress and structured handover.
WHAT FOOD BUSINESSES RECEIVE
Technical
findings
Evidence on the problem, material properties or process performance, with clear operational and commercial implications.
Test methods
& results
Documented experiments, trial protocols and results assessed against agreed product, process and safety requirements.
Recommended
solutions
Feasible options, operating trade-offs and cost implications, identifying further testing and partner needs.
Validation &
scale-up plan
Next trials, facilities, responsibilities and resources, with documented know-how retained by the business.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE — AGREE USEFUL EVIDENCE AT THE START AND REVIEW PROGRESS AGAINST THE BASELINE
Institutional direction
Research capability
Research use
Programme value
04 / EXPERIENCE
Scientific depth.
Leadership in practice.
Pablo JULIANO OTERO
PhD Engineering Science · MBA · Former CSIRO Group and Focus Area Leader
Strategy & positioning
Co-developed CSIRO research strategies and built international consortia.
Capability & portfolio design
Led portfolios of 30–50 projects annually and oversaw two pilot plants.
Education & workforce
Taught food engineering, delivered international courses and mentored researchers.
Impact & investment readiness
Led innovation and value-chain programmes, evaluated investments and contributed to national food-waste policy.
More than twenty years connecting agricultural production with processing, value-added products, markets and international partnerships. Former CSIRO Group and Focus Area Leader and Principal Research Scientist, with earlier industry roles at Nestlé and CONAPROLE.
Previous CSIRO leadership covered approximately 75 staff and affiliates across a broader portfolio, with 30–50 projects annually and oversight of two pilot plants within an infrastructure base valued at more than AUD 60 million.
Pablo leads assignments with local counterparts and specialist associates selected for the scope. That combines direct senior scientific and institutional involvement with the expertise each decision requires.
SELECTED EXPERIENCE FROM PREVIOUS ROLES (DELIVERED WITH TEAMS & PARTNERS)
PROCESSING & INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY
From processing research
to industrial use
Led technology development, IP and scale-up across processing, separation and ingredient technologies. Led megasonics research and palm-oil scale-up through industrial operation, alongside olive-oil trials, HPP equipment, drying prototypes and plant ingredients.
Industrial operation at 45 tonnes/hour in palm oil and trials at 3 tonnes/hour in olive oil.
HORTICULTURAL PROCESSING & NUTRIV
Recovering value
from edible resources
Led regional hub configuration work and loss mapping, and contributed to the relationship with Fresh Select’s grower network and Nutri V. Team-developed vegetable powders, ingredients and snacks retained off-specification vegetables in the food supply and reached retail markets.
200+ tonnes diverted by February 2024, representing over one million vegetable serves.
INTERNATIONAL WHEY CONSORTIUM
Shared capabilities.
Regional application.
Led an AusAID and DFAT-supported whey collaboration across five countries involving 10 research organisations. Mapped small-cheesemaker clusters and whey flows (~600 million litres/year across mapped regions), produced a reference valorisation handbook, and co-developed acid- and sweet-whey products with industry.
Strengthened pilot and postgraduate capability in Colombia and supported UTEC dairy education and pilot capabilities in Uruguay.
REGIONAL ROADMAP & SUPPLY CHAINS
NAFTI: Northern Australia
food-technology roadmap
Advised on a Northern Australia food-technology roadmap and co-authored supply-chain analysis for shelf-stable food manufacturing with regional partners, examining material flows, processing options and regional infrastructure needs.
Subsequent regional funding supported pilot-plant designs and cost estimates.
PLANT-PROTEIN HUB ASSESSMENT
Full Harvest Solutions
& Wandarra
Led crop and process screening and regional-hub configuration assessment in North Queensland, evaluating technical feasibility, processing routes and local value-retention options across candidate crops and fractions.
Identified prioritised options for regional plant-protein processing and value retention.
EVIDENCE & POLICY CONTEXT INFORMING THE APPROACH
01Evidence on institutions & integration
- OECD (2020): A 28-case policy study on transdisciplinary research identifies disciplinary structures, funding and reward systems as key barriers to cross-boundary work.
- Klerkx & Begemann (2020): Connects mission-oriented agricultural innovation systems with networks, governance and transformation pathways.
- Termeer et al. (2018): Diagnostic governance framework focusing on system framing, connectivity, adaptability, inclusion and transformative capacity.
- Swanepoel & Mentz-Coetzee (2025): FSNet-Africa highlights engaged research training and stakeholder brokerage, where institutional structures and incentives remain central.
02National & funder policy signals
- UNFSS+4 (2025): Country reporting highlights uneven participation across academia, farmers and business, and the need for stronger science–policy–society links.
- Indonesia Convergence Blueprint (2025): Draft convergence framework connecting food systems transformation with climate action, strategic interventions and accountability.
- ACIAR–Viet Nam Strategy (2026–2035): Connects smallholder benefits with circularity, by-product valorisation, post-harvest innovation, locally suitable technologies and institutional capability.
03International forum perspectives
- World Economic Forum (2025): Highlights university collaboration incentives and the difficulty external partners face when navigating institutional capabilities.
- WEF / Bain (2023): Emphasises country-led food, nature and health transitions supported by coordinated public and private action.
- European Commission (2022): Expert group report (Everyone at the table) recommends stronger science–policy–society connections and coordination across scales.
- FAO Guidance (2024): Supports strengthening national science–policy interfaces so agrifood decisions draw on relevant, credible evidence.
05 / A FIRST CONVERSATION
What decision
are you facing?
Start with one food challenge, institutional priority, product or process problem, or investment question. We can explore the scope, the people who need to contribute and the result that would be useful.
pablo.julianootero@outlook.comMelbourne, Australia
International assignments with local partners
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER — FOCUSED ASSIGNMENTS OR PHASED SUPPORT
- 01Identify the need: Agree on what is difficult now, the decision to be made and the evidence needed to move forward.
- 02Define the assignment: Commission a standalone review or technical assessment, or agree phased support for research, trials or programme delivery with defined outputs, responsibilities, timing and fees.
- 03Agree on delivery ownership: Confirm who will carry the work forward within your organisation, with the authority, resources and review points needed.
Working with consulting & delivery partners
We also collaborate as a specialist contributor alongside consulting firms and local delivery organisations — combining food-processing science, research leadership and capability planning with local knowledge around a defined client need.