Barilla Group has opened its $25 million Barilla Innovation & Technology Experience (BITE) in Parma, Italy, spanning 150,000 square feet. The facility employs 200 professionals developing bakery, pasta and sauce products using AI-driven sensors, 3D printing and sensory research. BITE operates 84 partnerships with international universities and maintains 28 startup collaborations focused on sustainable agriculture and food technology.

Cerealto forms strategic partnership with Colorado-based Fresca Foods, expanding co-manufacturing capacity across Europe and the Americas. The transaction combines Cerealto's ten European production centres with Fresca's 350,000 sq ft US manufacturing facilities specializing in bars, granola and baked goods.

AB Mauri and Nutris have formed a technical partnership to develop fava bean protein and starch ingredients for industrial bakery applications in the UK and Ireland. The collaboration utilises Nutris's 45,000-tonne Croatian processing facility to fractionate fava beans into functional ingredients for commercial-scale bakery production, with development trials scheduled across multiple product categories in 2025.

Middleby Corporation opens 65,000-square-foot innovation centre near Venice for production-scale testing of bakery, protein and snack processing equipment. Facility offers R&D, validation and training for industrial food manufacturers.

Frank Roberts & Sons Limited has been acquired by Boparan Private Office securing the future of the 138-year-old Northwich bakery and preserving 433 jobs.

Roberts Bakery files Notice of Intention to Appoint Administrators whilst in talks with potential partners. The Cheshire bakery producing 3.5m loaves weekly faces challenges from fire damage, cost inflation and market shifts towards artisan products.

Baking Europe spent two days at the company's campus, hosted by Zoé Henneguier and the Lesaffre team, alongside Leah Smith. What we found was more than just a facility tour, it was a genuine look at how a family business approaches innovation.

Jonathan Mougel, Meilleur Ouvrier de France, becomes technical director at École Bellouet from January 2026. The Paris pastry school, owned by Puratos, expands beyond traditional training to offer consultancy services for industrial bakers and hospitality businesses navigating market changes.