NRI's Medway Food Innovation Centre (MFIC) team were in London this week for the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein Annual Conference 2026, held on 2nd and 3rd March at Imperial College London.
The conference is the UK and Europe’s leading international forum dedicated to the science, technology, investment and policy shaping the future of sustainable protein. The Bezos Centre is one of three global hubs established by the Bezos Earth Fund, with sister centres in Singapore and the United States, and serves as the primary convening point for the EMEA and UK sustainable protein ecosystem.
Dr Parag Acharya, Associate Professor in Food Innovation at NRI, took a prominent role at the event, hosting a session on Next-Generation Plant Proteins - From Crops to Ingredients. The session brought together leading researchers and industry figures to explore how advances in crop breeding, protein functionality and manufacturing are reshaping plant-based innovation. Speakers alongside Parag included Prof Baraem Pam Ismail from the Plant Protein Innovation Center at the University of Minnesota, Prof Derek Stewart from The James Hutton Institute and the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC), Dr Phil Howell from NIAB, and Christoph Jenny from Planted.
The discussion examined how science and industry can continue to work together to unlock the full potential of plant proteins across the entire value chain - from genetic improvement and breeding through to ingredient functionality and consumer-ready applications.
The conference provided a valuable platform for NRI’s food innovation expertise and reinforced the institute’s active role in the global conversation around sustainable food systems and plant protein.
To find out more about NRI's work in the plant protein space, please contact