Earlier this April, Biotech4Food participated in the Franco-Belgian Agrifood Summit alongside Wagralim, Innov’Alliance, Valorial, and Flanders’ FOOD. The event brought together key European clusters to exchange insights on how innovation, sustainability, and regulation are shaping the future of food systems.
Biotechnology is playing a central role in this transition. Innovations such as microbial fermentation, alternative proteins, and side-stream valorization are redefining how we produce and consume food. However, scaling these technologies for the market remains a significant challenge.
The regulatory environment is also a key factor. While ensuring food safety is essential, the current framework can slow down innovation. There’s a strong call for harmonized EU regulations, testing environments like regulatory sandboxes, and closer collaboration to create a balance between safety, innovation, and sustainability.
The path to healthier and more sustainable diets requires clear communication with consumers, early involvement of all stakeholders—including industry, researchers, NGOs, and consumers—and support for SMEs in their digital and green transition. Making sustainable food affordable and attractive is also crucial.
Public-private partnerships were highlighted as a powerful tool to scale innovation and structure the biotech food ecosystem in Europe. At Biotech4Food, we are committed to supporting this mission and bridging innovation and industry to foster a resilient, healthy, and competitive agri-food system.
