Looking forward: Future-Proofing Feed, Food and Beverage
In an environment of growing complexity - including sustainability pressures, volatile costs, and ageing infrastructure - the Feed, Food & Beverage (FF&B) industry faces an urgent need to transform. Driven by inflationary pressures of raw materials and logistics, manufacturers are seeking to reduce operational expenditure while at the same time maintaining and improving throughput and quality.
To understand how the right mechanical and electrical engineering can drive performance and sharpen competitive advantage, we sat down with Dean Osgood, Feed, Food and Beverage Sector Manager at Actemium.
Dean, let’s start at the top — what’s really driving change in the FF&B sector right now?
There are a few strong macro forces at play. First is decarbonisation. Today, manufacturers both at home and abroad are being pushed by regulation, investor pressure, and consumer demand to cut their carbon footprint.
At the same time, energy prices are incredibly volatile — and that’s eating into already thin margins.
Beyond that, many plants are working with legacy infrastructure. Old pumps, inefficient motors, poor automation – it all adds up to downtime, wasted energy, and unreliable output in terms of quality and volume.
And let’s not forget the push towards digitalisation. Industry 4.0 isn’t a buzzword anymore; it’s an operational reality and a growing expectation.
That’s a serious list of challenges. What do they mean in practical terms for feed, food and beverage manufacturers?
They are putting FF&B producers under enormous pressure to modernise – but without disrupting their current output or stretching budgets too far.
What makes it even more complicated for them is the lack of in-house expertise in some facilities to redesign or optimise systems.
Plus, justifying capital expenditure is hard without a clear, demonstrable return on investment.
So, what in your experience, are the top priorities for Actemium’s food and beverage clients right now? What are they aiming to achieve?
At their core, most customers want to reduce their total cost of ownership — that means cutting energy use, downtime, and maintenance. They’re also trying to improve the performance and reliability of their systems and lay the groundwork for smarter, digitally-ready operations.
How does Actemium help them deliver to these goals?
Our focus is on delivering real value through practical engineering solutions. That means everything – from pump sizing and process flow optimisation to the installation and integration of modern, energy-efficient equipment. Even retrofitting and upgrades that extend the life and performance of existing infrastructure.
We manage entire projects from start-to-finish – from initial consultancy and system design to installation, commissioning, and ongoing support.
What is more – we’re one of very few UK providers offering not just Mechanical and Electrical services, but also full Instrumentation, Control, and Automation capabilities (MEICA). That breadth of expertise certainly sets us apart!
We bring deep multi-disciplinary knowledge and extensive international experience as part of a global group.
But the real value lies in how we deliver. We handle everything from consultancy to maintenance – handle sourcing, cross-discipline integration, and execution — all with minimal disruption to daily operations.
You mentioned maintenance. Can you clarify how you support clients post-project?
That’s a key part of our value proposition. We offer ongoing optimisation and maintenance programmes. And we use data-led diagnostics to identify further efficiency gains over time.
Then beyond energy optimisation, we help with everything from process automation and hazardous area compliance to hygienic system design and bespoke modular solutions.
Final thoughts — where do you see the biggest opportunity for manufacturers right now?
I think the biggest opportunity is in seeing this moment not just as a challenge, but as a strategic inflection point.
Yes, the pressure is on. But manufacturers that modernise now – that invest in efficient, intelligent systems – are the ones that will be most resilient, competitive, and future-ready.
And as a business, we are perfectly positioned to help them stay ahead of the curve.
Interested in exploring how Actemium can support your feed, food and beverage transformation?
Visit our FF&B sector page or get in touch with our specialist engineering team with your project requirements – reachout@actemium.co.uk.