As pressure mounts on global food systems to deliver nutrition while protecting ecosystems, seafood sits at the centre of one of the world’s most complex sustainability challenges. From overfishing and marine pollution to nutrition security and waste reduction, the sector faces urgent demands for science-based solutions. Bolton Food’s newly opened Research & Innovation Center in Singapore aims to address those challenges head-on.

The Bolton Food Research & Innovation Center, inaugurated in January 2026 with the support of Enterprise Singapore, marks a significant strategic investment by Bolton Food — the seafood division of Italian family-owned FMCG group Bolton — and represents the company’s first permanent, dedicated scientific hub.

Positioned as a non-profit entity, the Centre is designed not just to serve Bolton’s own operations, but to contribute knowledge and innovation to the wider seafood industry at a global scale.

From catch to can: a systemic sustainability approach

Bolton Food operates with a fully integrated model spanning the entire seafood value chain, from fishing operations to processing and consumer products. This end-to-end oversight has allowed the company to take a systemic approach to sustainability, combining environmental protection, social responsibility and product quality across all stages of production.

Over the past decade, Bolton Food has been active in partnerships to improve fishing practices, protect marine biodiversity, safeguard labour rights and enhance transparency in global seafood supply chains. The launch of the Research & Innovation Center formalises and deepens this commitment by embedding science at the core of decision-making.

“The Center is a place where science, knowledge and vision come together,” said Luca Alemanno, CEO of Bolton Food and Tri Marine. “By strengthening our ability to understand, optimise and continuously improve how seafood is produced and consumed, we aim to create value across the entire value chain, supporting people’s health, protecting ocean ecosystems and contributing to more resilient food systems.”

Science for shared impact

Unlike traditional corporate R&D units, the Bolton Food Research & Innovation Center has been established as a permanent, non-profit platform focused on open, science-based innovation. Its mandate is explicitly collaborative, with plans to work closely with universities, research institutions and innovation partners in Singapore and beyond.

The Centre’s research agenda is designed around three priority areas that reflect some of the most pressing sustainability issues facing the seafood sector today.

Fish-value valorisation will focus on maximising resource efficiency across seafood production. This includes improving yields and developing new uses for by-products and fish waste, transforming what would otherwise be discarded into high-value ingredients or materials. With seafood waste remaining a significant contributor to inefficiency and emissions in global food systems, advances in this area could unlock both environmental and economic benefits.

Seafood consumption and human health will advance scientific evidence on the nutritional role of seafood in balanced, sustainable diets. Particular attention will be given to vulnerable populations and issues such as malnutrition and food security. As policymakers increasingly link sustainability and public health, robust data on seafood’s contribution to nutrition will be critical.

Plastic reduction addresses one of the seafood industry’s most visible environmental challenges. The Centre will explore solutions to reduce plastic use across packaging and operations, contributing to efforts to combat marine plastic pollution and meet emerging regulatory and consumer expectations.

Why Singapore?

The decision to locate the Centre in Singapore reflects the city-state’s growing role as a global hub for agrifood innovation, sustainability research and advanced manufacturing. Singapore offers access to world-class R&D infrastructure, strong institutional backing and a highly skilled talent pool, as well as proximity to key Asian seafood markets.

Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Economic Development Board have both supported the initiative, seeing it as aligned with national ambitions to strengthen the country’s position in sustainable food innovation.

“We are delighted to support Bolton Food in launching its first Research & Innovation Center,” said Lee Pak Sing, Assistant Managing Director at Enterprise Singapore. “This milestone opens exciting opportunities for collaboration with Singapore-based universities, research institutions and agrifoodtech companies to co-develop sustainable solutions.”

From knowledge to action

A key ambition of the Centre is to ensure that research translates into tangible, real-world impact. By combining scientific insight with Bolton Food’s operational scale and industry partnerships, the organisation aims to accelerate the adoption of more sustainable practices across the seafood sector.

This approach reflects a broader shift in how leading food companies view innovation: not as isolated product development, but as an ecosystem-wide effort that links nutrition, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

The Centre’s governance structure — including an independent board and scientific leadership — is designed to maintain credibility and ensure that research outcomes are robust, transparent and applicable beyond Bolton’s own operations.

Leadership with responsibility

For Bolton, the launch of the Research & Innovation Center reinforces its positioning as a sustainability leader within the seafood industry — and acknowledges the responsibility that comes with scale and influence.

“As a global seafood player, leadership carries responsibility,” said Alemanno. “The Center strengthens our ability to deliver tangible solutions that optimise resources, reduce waste and support resilient food systems, while sharing knowledge that benefits the entire industry.”

As global demand for seafood continues to grow, the sector’s ability to balance nutrition, livelihoods and ocean health will be tested. By investing in open, science-led innovation, Bolton Food is signalling that long-term sustainability will depend not only on commitments and certifications, but on rigorous research, collaboration and systems thinking.

In an industry often criticised for slow progress, the Bolton Food Research & Innovation Center offers a model for how corporate science can be deployed in service of shared, long-term value — for people, for oceans and for the future of food.