In Parma, Barilla is combining research, process technology, and digital tools in a new innovation center called BITE. Covering an area of around 13,900 square meters, the group is investigating how pasta, sauces, and baked goods can be further developed using data-driven methods. More than $25 million has been invested in the construction, with a further $2.3 million per year earmarked for new equipment.
Around 200 specialists from the fields of food technology, process engineering, design, and gastronomy work at the center. Every year, around 30 interns from different countries join the team. The building combines design thinking areas, sensory laboratories, test kitchens, and pilot plants with complete test production lines. The team accompanies new products from the selection of grain varieties and recipe testing to scaling for the factory.
Technically, BITE relies on a combination of sensor technology, AI, and additive manufacturing. An “electronic nose” and AI-supported sensors record aroma profiles and the drying process of pasta in real time. A rugosimeter measures the surface roughness of pasta in the micrometer range and provides data on texture. Holographic design systems and 3D printers serve as a rapid prototyping platform: developers test new shapes and structures before transferring them to classic processes.
3D printing is particularly visible at Artisia, a proprietary line of printed pasta that previously operated under the name Blue Rhapsody. Barilla uses proprietary 3D printing technology to create complex geometries that would be difficult to achieve with extruders. The shapes are designed to hold sauce or change the bite. The company also offers recipes and suggestions for professional chefs and ambitious amateur cooks.
BITE is also designed as a hub for an open innovation network. Barilla cooperates with 84 universities and research institutions, including universities in Munich, Wageningen, and the US, as well as start-ups in agricultural and logistics technology. “Barilla must drive trends and focus on people’s needs,” explains CEO Guido Barilla. The center uses renewable electricity, tests regenerative farming methods, and was designed to be barrier-free. In this way, the company is demonstrating how traditional food production can be combined with tools from additive manufacturing and modern analysis systems.
