The food industry faces a challenge: how do you minimize waste as production volumes increase and quality standards tighten? That is at the heart of Belgian start-up Polysense's mission. Founder and CEO Yarne De Munck explains how this young company uses operational intelligence to help companies produce more efficiently, sustainably, and profitably.
© PolysensePolysense-founder Yarne de Munck
From student project to global ambition
Polysense has yet to reach its third year, but in that time, it has grown from three to nearly 30 co-workers. "We started with a passion for technology and sustainability," says Yarne. "My background is in AI, and as a student, I worked on a self-driving electric race car. That inspired us to use technology to make an impact in the real world, with a focus on the food industry."
The company initially worked across a wide range of sectors, from pharmaceuticals to dredging companies. It, however, soon became clear that the greatest value is to be gained from waste reduction in food production. "Less waste means more sustainable production and lower costs," Yarne explains. Today, Polysense is active in seven countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Spain, and Dubai, with customers such as Aviko, Agristo, Darta, and Tummers.
© Polysense
The Polysense team
In the fresh produce sector, raw material variability poses the biggest challenge."No two potatoes are ever identical, while clients like McDonald's want uniform products. Production parameters must be constantly adjusted, often still statically, resulting in a lot of waste."
Polysense approaches that with two systems: Polysense Qualify and Polysense AutoControl. Qualify automates quality control with camera systems that continuously monitor product quality instead of hourly manual sample checks. AutoControl automatically adjusts process parameters.
For example, when peeling potatoes, brushes and peel settings are dynamically adjusted to remove exactly the right amount of peel. That reduces waste, increases quality, and shortens production time. You can use that technology for vegetables like carrots, peppers, and tomatoes, even in industrial bakeries.
© Polysense
Operational Intelligence goes further than AI
© Polysense
The company refers to operational intelligence, rather than AI. "AI is a buzzword. Operational intelligence combines data, technology, and human expertise to truly optimize processes," says De Munck. Here, it is crucial to manage change: operators must trust the technology and learn how to use it. "When employees see systems support them, they quickly embrace them."
There are significant benefits. Nonstop quality control prevents defective batches from going unnoticed, saving tons of product. Automation improves operator efficiency, which is especially important when staff is scarce. At high volumes, even small reductions in waste yield considerable savings.
International success
At first, Polysense focused on the big players. Their technology, though, is scalable, so small to medium producers can use it, too. International interest is growing, and the company is active in Europe and the Gulf region. In the next five years, Yarne wants to become a global player in operational intelligence for the fresh produce sector.
Polysense shows that technology and sustainability can go hand in hand. "We want every company with waste streams to automatically think of us. If we succeed, we'll have achieved our mission," concludes Yarne. (JG)
For more information:
Polysense
Tel: +32 0784 354 767
[email protected]
www.polysense.ai
