FRESH: Evolving Its Business Model

Concerns over decreasing global food security had been growing worldwide due to factors ranging from growing population and demand for food to declining levels of arable land due to urbanisation and climate change. FRESH was a research centre launched by the Singapore government in 2021 to foster public-private partnership to build up local food safety science and R&D capabilities to support the safety assessment of novel food ranging from plant-based and cell-based meat to microbial and insect protein. FRESH had to decide between two options for its future business model—remain as a public-funded institution or become a corporatised entity.