Zhaoyang Chu currently serves as Director of the R&D Center at Golden Monkey Food Co., Ltd. He holds a master’s degree in Food Science from Jiangnan University and has devoted over two decades to the innovation and product development of various confectionery, chocolate, and baked snack products.
Previously, he worked at the Hershey Asia Innovation Center, where he led cross-category agile innovation projects and collaborated closely with academia and industry partners. He is currently a member of the National Technical Committee for Standardization of Candy and Chocolate, and has participated in the revision of more than ten national and industry standards.
With the functional candy market growing at an impressive 17.3% annual rate (Global Market Insights), traditional sweet flavors alone are no longer enough to captivate Gen Z. As health concerns and the experience economy reshape consumer behavior, we've observed a striking trend: 62% of Gen Z consumers are willing to pay over 40% more for emotional value (Nielsen 2023). This signals a new rule in the evolution of candy—creating multi-sensory experiences that go beyond taste.
In this interactive session, FBIF's media platform will crowdsource creative ideas from our audience and collaborate with R&D teams from Golden Monkey Food, Amos Foods, Want-Want Group to explore the feasibility of turning bold concepts into reality. Together, we will deconstruct how candy is evolving from a traditional FMCG product into a "three-in-one innovation"—an emotional booster, a social connector, and a tech-driven experience—reshaping the $400 billion global candy market.
Let's discover what kind of candy can capture the hearts of you!