Namık Kemal Parlak
Miller Magazine

Long seen as a traditional pillar of food production, the global milling sector is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation—driven by renewed investment in people, skills, and smart technologies.

The global milling sector, long viewed as a traditional stronghold of industrial food production, is quietly undergoing a profound transformation. At the heart of this evolution lies a renewed focus on training, talent, and technological innovation—a message that resonated throughout the Bühler Networking Days 2025 in Uzwil. 

Stefan Birrer

In a dedicated media briefing titled “Our Network for Grain-Processing Excellence,” Bühler’s leadership laid out a compelling vision for how education and human capital are becoming the new engines of productivity and resilience in grain processing. “We often talk about machinery and automation,” said Stefan Birrer, Head of Business Area Milling Solutions at Bühler Group. “But the truth is, without skilled people—without trained operators—none of it works.”

THE SHIFTING GEOGRAPHY OF FLOUR DEMAND

The global demand for milled products is not necessarily increasing in volume—but it is shifting. As Birrer explained, the industry is seeing significant regional divergence in wheat consumption patterns. Of the 800 million tonnes of wheat produced annually for human consumption, approximately 570 million tonnes are processed into flour in industrial mills. Remarkably, nearly half of that—265 million tonnes—is consumed in just three regions: India, the Middle East, and Africa. These are also the regions where population growth, urbanization, and dietary shifts are driving new demand.

“We used to think of Europe, the U.S., or China as the drivers of wheat consumption,” Birrer noted. “But now, the real growth is coming from regions that were once under-served.” This evolution demands not just more flour—but smarter, more sustainable ways to produce it. And this is where Bühler’s focus on education and operator training becomes critical.

A NEW SKILL SET FOR MILLERS 

The modern milling facility is no longer just a place of gears and rollers. It’s a digitally connected, precision-managed ecosystem that requires operators with a much broader skillset—ranging from mechanical and electrical know-how to data literacy and process optimization. “You can’t simply hire a skilled miller from a university,” said Birrer. “You have to build that talent from the ground up.”

Sector-wide analysis suggests that maintaining efficient operations across the 12,000 industrial flour mills worldwide will require a workforce of at least 50,000 highly trained professionals. This demand is growing in tandem with rising complexity in supply chains, tighter food safety regulations, and increasing emphasis on sustainability.

But recruiting and retaining young talent in this field is not easy. In Birrer’s words, “The industry doesn’t always project the modern or dynamic image that resonates with today’s youth.” Many young professionals prefer digital-first roles and more flexible work environments. This disconnect, if not addressed, could threaten the long-term health of the industry. “The purpose of a flour mill is to feed people,” Birrer stressed. “That’s powerful. But we have to get better at communicating it.”

BUILDING TALENT WHERE IT MATTERS MOST

One of Bühler’s answers to this challenge has been to invest in hands-on, localized training centers. Nowhere is this more evident than at the Bühler’s African Milling School (AMS) in Nairobi, Kenya—an initiative that reflects both strategic foresight and deep regional commitment.

“When we launched AMS 10 years ago, our goal was simple: to build foundational milling skills across the continent,” said Priscilla Bakalian, Head of AMS. “We’ve now trained over 1,400 students from countries as diverse as Jordan, Pakistan, Tanzania, and South Africa.”

The school offers both short-term workshops and two-year vocational programs based on the Swiss dual-education model. But it’s not just about theory. AMS emphasizes practical, on-site learning—ensuring that students can operate, troubleshoot, and maintain real-world equipment.

This model has yielded impressive results. One trainee, after completing a one-month course, returned to his mill and reduced electricity usage by 15%, saving $140,000 per year— a powerful testament to how impactful operator training can be in terms of cost savings and operational efficiency.

AMS also promotes sustainable practices by teaching students how to minimize waste, repurpose milling byproducts, and extend the life cycle of capital equipment. “A $1 million mill can look 40 years old in two years if you don’t maintain it,” Bakalian warned.

BÜHLER MILLING ACADEMY

Dario Grossman

To support global knowledge sharing, Bühler has also revamped its flagship Milling Academy in Uzwil. The Bühler Milling Academy has trained over 19,000 professionals since its inception in 1979. Now, under the leadership of Dario Grossman, it has entered a new era—firmly embracing the digital age through recent upgrades.

In collaboration with the Swiss School of Milling, Bühler redesigned the Academy’s learning environment with:

• Interactive, touchscreen-equipped classrooms
• Machine simulators and digital dashboards
• Group workspaces for collaborative learning
• Remote training infrastructure for hybrid education

The Academy now also offers fully customized programs for governments, private companies, and even industry competitors. In one recent case, only 4 of 23 participants in a Pakistani training session were Bühler clients—underscoring the company’s commitment to raising industry-wide standards.

Beyond skills development, the Academy plays a role in employee retention and motivation. Offering structured learning paths, career progression, and a clear sense of purpose helps mills retain talent in a highly competitive job market.

THE MILL AS A COCKPIT

Throughout the briefing, Birrer returned to a central analogy: that of a commercial airline. “Planes may fly on autopilot, but you still need a trained pilot for unexpected situations,” he said. “Mills are no different.”

While automation and AI are playing an increasingly important role in optimizing mill performance, human operators are still essential for making real-time decisions, interpreting contextual data, and reacting to anomalies. According to Birrer, modern systems can solve 80–90% of operational issues remotely—but the rest still require skilled judgment.

He also advocated for rethinking job profiles entirely—emphasizing creativity, responsibility, and analytical thinking as core components of modern milling. “Why not have a young operator monitor yield differences between two sites and dig into the causes? That’s engaging, purposeful work.”

As the session came to a close, Birrer issued a final challenge to the industry: “We must stop thinking that only people with a bachelor’s or master’s degree can be great millers. Everyone has potential—if we respect, support, and train them properly.”

The implications are clear. To remain competitive and resilient, the global milling industry must prioritize education as much as engineering, and people as much as process. In every region—from Africa’s fast-growing markets to Europe’s mature industries—the real competitive edge lies not just in technology, but in people who know how to use it.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR THE MILLING SECTOR

• The global milling landscape is shifting, driven by population growth, urbanization, and dietary change.
• Africa, Middle East and India: 265 million tonnes consumed annually, with a 2.3% annual growth rate and 5,870 industrial mills in operation.
• Southeast Asia: 31 million tonnes consumed, growing at 2.1% annually, fueled by a transition from rice to wheat-based products like noodles and baked goods.
• Europe, North America, and Latin America, by contrast, are seeing marginal growth rates (+0.3% to +0.7%), and are focusing more on efficiency, sustainability, and value-added innovation rather than volume expansion.
• Approximately 570 million tonnes of wheat are milled globally each year across 12,000+ industrial mills—a scale that demands significant technical and human capacity.
• Supporting this infrastructure requires at least 50,000 skilled professionals, underscoring the urgency of vocational training and operator development, especially in high-growth regions.
• Training can yield substantial returns—one AMS graduate reduced energy use by 15%, saving $140,000 annually.
• Automation and AI are helping optimize performance, but human judgment remains essential, especially when interpreting data or responding to unexpected disruptions.
• The sector must rethink workforce development, emphasizing apprenticeship programs, practical skills, and career mobility over academic credentials alone.
• Communicating the industry’s purpose—feeding the world sustainably—is vital for attracting younger generations and dispelling the “old-fashioned” image of milling.