Dr Bhavnita Patel is a Sector Lead for AgriFood at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), supporting food and drink manufacturers to adopt technologies that improve productivity, efficiency and growth. Before joining MTC, she spent over a decade in R&D roles with leading manufacturers including Mondelez International and PepsiCo. Drawing on both her industry experience and MTC's independent, technology-agnostic approach, Bhavnita works with businesses to evaluate opportunities, de-risk investment decisions and turn innovation into practical commercial outcomes.