At a first stage of the Biotech4Food project, partners analysed the state of the art of their regional ecosystems regarding the use of biotechnology by the agri-food industry of these regions. Besides the knowledge that partners have of biotech and agri-food actors and competences in their regional ecosystems, this in-depth analysis was completed with surveys and interviews aimed at representatives of the agri-food companies, biotechnology solution providers, and research and technology centres. All this information was analysed with special attention to the needs and challenges of implementing biotechnology in the food industry. A SWOT analysis highlighted the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats for the agri-food industry, biotechnology solution providers, and RTOs in the region.
Following this analysis, multi-stakeholder brainstorm sessions were organised by each projectpartner to validate the results of these initial surveys and to further analyse the main challenges, risks and barriers of implementing biotechnology in the agri-food companies of their respective regions, and to identify possible solutions to address them.
ANFACO-CECOPESCA organised the brainstorm session in Galicia (NW Spain), bringing together representatives of the agri-food industry, biotechnology applications providers, research, and regional authorities (policy makers) in the region. This also included the active participation of representatives of the company Hifas Innovation HUB S.L., an industrial partner from Galicia that has also joined and become a partner in Biotech4Food project.
In general, the participants validated and agreed with the list of main challenges and risks of implementing biotechnology in the food industry that were raised in the regional analysis developed in the previous stage. The most important challenges considered by the participants were:
- Costs: the process for the development of products is very long and expensive, especially for small companies, although the process is finally profitable when the product commercialisation phase is reached, but it requires a long time during which the costs are high.
- Food regulations: the regulations affecting the development of these products are strict and complicated, specifically the development of novel foods. This also means a high cost to comply with all the requirements of these regulations.
- Lack of financing: concerning the previous challenges, there is a need for access to financing to cover the high costs required until commercialisation is reached.
- Food safety: the development of new food products must guarantee their safety when they are placed on the market, so producers have to consider this risk.
- Social impact/consumer acceptance: consumers are reluctant to accept products developed through new technologies, and the information that society receives is not adequate in many cases, coming from unreliable sources.
Additionally, the following measurements wereidentified at the regional level as the most important to improve the implementation of biotechnology in the food industry:
- Access to funding: there are currently public open calls and instruments at regional and national level available for SMEs and large companies, to help them in the process of developing biotech solutions and their access to food companies, but a further effort must be made to improve the access to this information by the companies. Intermediate entities (clusters, technology transfer entities…) can help the authorities in this process.
- Compliance with regulations: new instruments should be put in place to support companies for better understanding and compliance with regulations.
- Intermediate institutions can be a great help for regional authorities to transfer the needs and challenges that the companies find in this process, for instance through this type of activities within Biotech4Food project, so that authorities can adapt their strategies and calls to what is being demanded.
Can you think of any other barriers? We would love to hear from you in the comments section.
