Bühler has inaugurated a new training facility, the Milling Academy, at its headquarters in Uzwil, Switzerland. The 1,800-square-meter centre is designed to support the professional development of food and feed milling personnel by combining classroom instruction with practical, hands-on experience across a range of milling processes and equipment.

The facility includes three classrooms, breakout areas, and a dedicated arena in the machine park for live equipment training. Participants have access to Bühler’s adjacent Grain Innovation Center, research labs, and the CUBIC innovation campus. The academy also houses a fully operational training mill with a processing capacity of 24 tonnes per day, allowing for industrial-scale instruction.

A key component of the Academy’s offering is the integration of modern teaching methods, digital learning tools, and practical experience using both current and legacy equipment. Two dedicated laboratories provide space for analytical and electronics training. The Academy also includes the School of Feed Technology (SFT), broadening the scope of training available to feed millers.

Bühler reports that the Academy will host over 100 courses annually for more than 750 participants in multiple languages. Course modules are tailored to a wide range of roles within milling operations, from operators and head millers to maintenance engineers and management personnel. Customised training can also be delivered at customer sites globally.

The new facility aims to address growing demand for technical training in an industry facing workforce shortages and increasing complexity in production processes. According to Bühler, demand for training is being driven by ongoing shifts in food safety standards, efficiency requirements, and digitalisation within milling operations.

Beyond Uzwil, Bühler maintains other training centres around the world, including partnerships with Kansas State University in the US, and training mills in Wuxi and Changzhou, China. Additional regional hubs in Kenya, Nigeria, India, and Côte d’Ivoire focus on local grain processing and provide region-specific training.

Bühler also collaborates with research institutions to link industrial practice with emerging technologies in areas such as alternative proteins and digital manufacturing. This network supports the company’s broader training strategy by connecting applied learning with innovation.

Practical training is central: participants apply their knowledge directly on machines under expert guidance, preparing for real-world tasks.

With a daily capacity of 24 tonnes, the fully automated training mill offers the opportunity to conduct training at an industrial scale.

Jan Tuborg Pedersen, Team Leader at Valsemøllen, Denmark