The Biotech4Food project aims to develop the agri-food industry by accelerating the development of new, promising circular value chains and fostering sustainable industrial interregional investments in SMEs through the integration of advanced biotechnology. This initiative intends to bridge the gap between biotechnology and the agri-food sector, driving innovation and enhancing the industry’s resilience and sustainability.
One of the key objectives of Biotech4Food is to discover, identify, and build promising value chains at regional, national, and European levels. The project will support the agri-food system in innovating and improving processes from farm to fork, fostering the development of new ingredients using biotechnology. This comprehensive approach ensures that all stages of the food production process benefit from technological advancements, leading to increased efficiency, reduced waste, and enhanced product quality.
In addition to technological innovation, Biotech4Food places a strong emphasis on investment and collaboration. By bringing together clusters, regional actors and industrial partners, the project aims to create a robust industrial ecosystem that supports sustainable growth.
Biotech4Food is not just about technological advancements and economic growth; it is also about creating a resilient and greener Europe. By supporting the adoption of biotechnologies and fostering collaboration across various levels, the project aims to build a more sustainable and adaptable agri-food industry. This, in turn, will contribute to the broader goals of the EU’s “Bioeconomy Strategy,” the “Long-Term Vision for Rural Areas,” and the “Common Agriculture Policy,” ensuring a successful green and digital transition in primary production.
Project Consortium
The project duration 36 months from November 2023 to October 2026 and the project consortium is about 8 regions with
- 5 experienced agri-food innovation clusters WAGRALIM, FLANDERS FOOD, VALORIAL (France, Western – Brittany, Pays-de Loire, Normandy), INNOV’ALLIANCE (France, South-East) and CLUSTER-ER (Italy, Emilia-Romagna),
- 2 younger agri-food clusters NAGRIFOOD (Spain, Navarre) and AGROTECHNOLOGIKI (Greece)
- 2 Research and technology organisations : National Center for Food Technology and Safety, CNTA (Navarre, Spain) and National Association of Manufacturers of Canned Fish and Seafood – National Technical Center for the Conservation of Fish Products, ANFACO-CECOPESCA (Spain, Galicia)
- 1 regional authority – Greece, Region of Central Macedonia
- 15 industrial partners from each region
Total amount of EU funding: 2.999.233,30 €
I4CE Partnership
The Biotech4Food project was initiated from the Thematic Smart Specialisation Partnership ‘I4CE’. With Biotech4Food, the I4CE Partnership will be further elaborated and strengthened, by creating structured links between the ecosystems of the agri-food industry and the biotechnological sector on various levels of the quadruple helix (4H) and in a broad geographical scope. Through targeted investments in biotechnological solutions, market uptakes will be accelerated and scaling-up facilitated. Biotech4Food will focus on increasing the capacities of the less developed and transition regions involved in I4CE, by connecting them with more developed regions, linking supply and demand and accelerating innovation.
I4CE (Ingredients for a Circular Economy) is one of the Agri-Food Thematic Smart Specialization Partnerships (TSSP) endorsed by the DG Regio of the European Commission. It is a European agri-food partnership of clusters, RTOs and regional authorities who are specialised in the agri-food sector. With a keen focus on techno-functional ingredients, sourced either from bio-based raw materials or through the valorization of side streams, the partners are dedicated to advancing innovation in agri-food. Moreover, our partnership aims to assist agri-food companies in exploring alternative applications for their co-products, benefiting both the food processing industry and non-food sectors. The I4CE partnership currently represents 6 Member States and 21 NUTS2 European regions.
All the information will be on the webpage : www.I4CE.eu
