Swansea University is working with Twisted Orange on Kaleidoscope, a joint initiative providing consumer insight to help de-risk the innovation journey for the food and drinks industry.

The initiative supports businesses to develop healthy and sustainable products, with a wider aim of contributing to a transformed food system. Kaleidoscope was developed through the UKRI Zinc Catalyst programme in 2023–2024 and has continued through the follow-on accelerator programme in 2025. The programmes support academics to develop commercialisation skills and explore pathways for their research to have real-world impact.

For Laura Wilkinson, Associate Professor in the School of Psychology at Swansea University, the work has a particular focus on healthy ageing. As part of the Healthy Ageing Challenge, her research looks at how food and nutrition can support health across the lifespan, including helping to prevent malnutrition and diabetes within older adult communities.

Research carried out at Swansea University’s Awen Institute has been an important part of developing Kaleidoscope. The Institute provides facilities designed to support research into ageing, including a living lab with a kitchen and dining area, as well as opportunities to use virtual reality equipment.

These facilities have provided valuable opportunities to develop the Kaleidoscope approach and explore how consumer insight research can support food and drinks businesses. The next stage is to work with food and drinks businesses, particularly SMEs, to help them develop healthier and more sustainable products through consumer insight research.