The Middleby Corporation announced that its new Middleby Centro di Innovazione (the MCI) is now open for business. The 65,000-square-foot facility located near Venice, Italy, is dedicated to the advancement of protein, bakery and snack processing through equipment demonstration, product research & development, customer testing, and operator training, the company highlights. Equipped with the latest industry technologies, the MCI is available to collaborate with Middleby experts, test, validate and train.

“The Middleby Centro di Innovazione is the creative ingenuity of Giovanni Battista Colussi, and is a true reflection of his engineering and entrepreneurial acumen. He designed the facility to be a showcase for all the Middleby companies and a one-of-a-kind experience for the foodservice industry,” Middleby detailed in an announcement. He is the founder of Colussi Ermes, a global leader of advanced and automated washing systems, a Middleby Food Processing company.

With this flagship center of innovation, the Middleby Food Processing group expands its network of global Innovation Centers.

“With high customer demand in Europe for our systems and demonstrations, we are excited to showcase the world’s most advanced technologies in a premier location that will serve as a global hub. The facility is state-of-the-art, as we meticulously planned every product and application to ensure a one-of-a-kind experience and an unparalleled innovation showcase,” said Mark Salman, President of Middleby Food Processing.