1. Protein type in meat products
2. Press Release
3. The 1st Annual Meeting of the FP7 Network of Excellence HighTech Europe
4. HighTech Europe launches the European Food Processing Implementation Award
5. Knowledge Auction on Food Packaging innovations

  
A new era of knowledge transfer in food processing is beginning

Official Start of the European Network of Excellence ‘HighTech Europe’

EU Framework Programme promotes exchange of innovative knowledge to support the food production industry.

Quakenbrueck (DIL). On May 01, 2009, the European Network of Excellence ‘HighTech Europe’ took up work. With this initiative of 22 European partners, a new era of knowledge transfer has started. The aim of this cooperation is to make innovative technological knowledge available for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food production industry to strengthen them for global competition.

HighTech Europe is an initiative currently comprising 22 European research organizations, industrial federations and enterprises, which is coordinated by the German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL) located in Quakenbrueck, Germany. This Network of Excellence is part of the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development created by the EU. The objective of this project is to accelerate the innovation process in European food industries by pooling competencies and skills all along the knowledge transfer chains (from knowledge creation over sharing to utilization). The joint activities will be focused towards creation of best cases with a high impact on improving food quality, food safety and processing efficiency.

Research needs exchange to stay alive. The strategy is to set up and exploit a network among the leading universities and R&D centres in Europe as well as to strengthen links to European food processing industry (in particular SMEs). Intensive communication and co-operation will improve the transfer of innovation and knowledge. This should be the basis for developing an efficient and transparent technology selection, evaluation and implementation process.

Biotechnology, nanotechnology and ICT (information and communication technology) are considered as areas with high innovative power, thus serving as promising sources for future food processing technologies. By an evaluation process – named the Science Cube approach – the relationships between these three sources of innovation and the basic food engineering operations (separating, structure forming, stabilizing, converting and packaging) as well as the underlying scientific principles (physical, chemical and biological) are assessed (Fig. 1). Besides, special attention is paid on ethical, legal and social aspects (ELSA), on consumer perception regarding high-tech food processing, on food-specific regulatory and safety issues. For applicability to SMEs, the results of the Science Cube approach are matched with collected industrial needs.

The theoretical and practical approach will be transferred by applying feasibility studies, transfer workshops and best cases, using pilot-facilities carried out by SMEs. Moreover, new ways of implementation are developed such as Knowledge Auctions and Implementation Awards honouring full chain innovations. For policy and regulatory bodies a well-balanced Agenda of a White Book on high-tech food processing is set up. Not least, dissemination of European findings as well as training & career development especially for young scientists will allow to attract new stakeholders and next generations for a sustainable network.

The final goal is to set up an European Institute of Food Processing. It will co-ordinate specific research, development and dissemination tasks. Furthermore it will serve as a consulting and training platform for technological implementation and legal compliance. In this way, the innovation rate and competitiveness of the European Agro-Food sector should be increased.

July 16th, 2009