Coordinator

Responsible: Ingrid Aguiló-Aguayo

The Agri-food and Technology Research Institute (IRTA) is owned by the Government of Catalonia ascribed to the Department of Agriculture. Its general objective is to promote research and technological development in the area of agri-food. The development of IRTA’s scientific activity is granted by the European Union (HSR4R) and inspired by a vision of applicability and the evaluation of scientific advances, operating in accordance with the most suitable technology transfer mechanisms applicable in each case. Since its foundation, IRTA has established long-lasting collaboration agreements with other public bodies that operate in Catalonia in the areas of technological research and development, which led to the creation of a consortium network of centres (involving IRTA, universities, CSIC, public-sector bodies, etc.), which is, in effect, an R&D cooperative system.

Responsible: Irma Roig Villanova

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech (UPC) is a public institution of research and higher education in the fields of engineering, architecture, sciences and technology. UPC is ranked in the main international rankings. with a widespread presence in Catalonia. It interacts with research centres, science and technology parks, businesses and other agents as a hub for attracting talent in emerging research areas. In addition, through its four UNESCO Chairs, the UPC contributes to the exchange of knowledge and fosters cooperation. Under the current Horizon 2020 programme (2014-2020), the UPC has to date been granted 213 projects, of which it has coordinated 58 (11 of them are funded by the European Research Council).

With the collaboration of:  

The Fundació Miquel Agustí is a research team in the agri-food field specialized in the recovery, conservation and improvement of traditional Catalan agricultural varieties. The Foundation’s aim is to help the primary sector to structure itself as a strategic sector, driving new production and food models, which will enable it to achieve the goal of sustainable production and lead to resilient and healthy food models. This foundation is made up of a multidisciplinary team of research and technical staff, specialists in areas such as genetic improvement, agronomy, sensory analysis, chemical analysis, food technology and biostatistics. 

CREDA is a research foundation supported by two institutions: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and the Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA, Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries). CREDA has evolved into a dynamic and powerful center comprised of a diverse and talented team of researchers, consultants, and technicians with backgrounds spanning economics, agricultural and forestry engineering, sociology, and environmental science.  

Responsible: Lillian Barros

Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB) is a public institution of Higher Education whose mission is to deliver a quality higher education, to promote Research and Technological Development, particularly in cooperation with the business community, and to contribute to the development of the Country and the Region, by providing technical, technological and scientific competences to the society. The relevance/impact of IPB’s activities is reflected in the top positions it occupies in international rankings: SCImago Institutions Rankings, U-Multirank and Shanghai Ranking. Mountain Research Centre (CIMO) is an Excellent National FCT R&D unit, conducting research on Mediterranean mountain systems and aiming to promote scientific and technological development and their transformation into global opportunities to mountain ecosystems.

Responsible: Alexandre Gonçalves

Collaborative Laboratory Mountains of Research, Association is a Private Non-Profit Association, whose members include research units, associated laboratories, and higher education institutions, technological centers and SMEs. It aims to implement research and innovation agendas in mountain areas oriented towards the creation of economic and social value.

Responsible: Cristina Alamprese

UMIL is a public university internationally ranked; it is a leading institution in Italy and Europe for scientific productivity (www.unimi.it/en). LOCALNUTLEG program will be carried out at the Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), which is one of the largest Food Science department in Italy. Its mission is to promote education and training and to step up research in order to guarantee a safe, innovative, top quality food supply using sustainable technologies along the entire chain.

Responsible: Gwénaël Jan

INRAE, National Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research, world’s number one institute for research on agriculture, food, and the environment, contributes, through the development of skills, knowhow, and research, to technological and social innovations, to access to scientific data and publications. INRAE STLO is its largest research unit involved in science and technology of milk, dairy products, eg and their derived products, fermented or not. INRAE CSGA its leading research unit on behavioural and psychological mechanisms underlying sensory perception of food.

With the collaboration of:  

VEGEPOLYS VALLEY is a competitiveness cluster gathering together firms, research and training centres in the plant field around some innovative projects to strengthen the firms’ competitiveness. Végépolys Valley, an international plant cluster, gathers actors of the whole plant sector, from genetics to using. It is implemented in 4 French historical regions (Pays de la Loire, Auvergne Rhône Alpes, Bretagne, Centre Val de Loire) to be closer to its 500 members. The cluster boosts and supports the innovation co-designing from upstream to downstream. In order to meet the environmental, economic, and social stakes, Végépolys Valley wants to be the leading international plant cluster for a more competitive, qualitative, environment, and health-friendly agriculture. To support its members worldwide, the cluster relies on its networks, its 2 branches (China and Latin America), and its expertise regarding European projects.

Responsible: Andreas Stäbler

The Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. is the leading organisation for applied research in Europe, undertaking contract research on behalf of industry, the service sector and the government. Within the framework of EU technology programs, they are actively involved in industrial consortia which seek technical solutions to improve the competitiveness of European industry. Fraunhofer was awarded with awarded the Logo »HR Excellence in Research« from the European Commission in recognition of its outstanding Integrated Human Resources Management. Fraunhofer-Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV will participate.. Fraunhofer IVV develops products and processes primarily in the area of food ingredients, food development, functional materials, product safety, food quality, biogenic raw materials as well as plastics recycling

Responsible: Fatma Banu Özen

Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH) is a state university with a view to offering a high level of education and carrying out research in technological fields. It is the only Turkish institute of technology, which is among the most advanced model of technical universities in today’s world. Among the total of 525 academics, 47% is female. IZTECH currently hosts 370 ongoing research projects funded by various institutions.

Responsible: Yasemin SAHAN

BUFED (Bursa Uludag University Department of Food Engineering) is a department in Bursa Uludag University from Turkey. BUFED was established in 1981 in the framework of Faculty of Agriculture. The major objective of the Food Engineering program is to train the personnel to produce wholesome, safe, and nutritious food in sufficient quantities at competitive prices, while utilizing resources with maximum efficiency. Researchers from Bursa Uludag University Department of Food Engineering in the project have researches and studies on the cereal science (especially biscuits, crackers, bread), food chemistry, food microbiology (including probiotic potentials of microorganisms), functional foods, fruit and vegetable flours, new product development application, energy-reduced products, physico-chemical, chemical and microbiological analyses.

Responsible: Oren Shelef

Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) is leading the agricultural research in Israel in the last century. As the research authority of the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, ARO aims at improving the ways we produce food, and has the approved ability to conduct and disseminate effective research promoting sustainable agriculture.

Responsible: Loai Basheer

THC is a higher education institute at the north of Israel and considered as a leading engine of change for the educational, economic and social development of the Upper Galilee in Israel. THC awards academic degrees in life sciences, social sciences, computer science, and the humanities.

Responsible: Joan Ruiz

Unió Nuts SCCL is a second tier cooperative of nuts (almonds and hazelnuts) that transforms and distributes the production of its 74 associated cooperatives in different Spanish Mediterranean areas, processing more than 6.400 tons. The goal is to make continuous improvements throughout the value chain, in order to satisfy customers and maximize the value of agricultural produce leading to new industrial applications providing more functional, healthy and quality products.

Responsible: Jorge Moreira

SORTEGEL-Produtos Congelados SA, founded in 1988, based in Bragança, is mainly dedicated to the processing and marketing of fresh and frozen chestnuts. It is currently one of the reference units at European level in its industry, with an annual processing capacity of around 10,000 tonnes of chestnut. Pioneer in the process of peeling and freezing chestnuts, creating consumption habits for this product, SORTEGEL has been channeling efforts towards product innovation and differentiated product development.

Responsible: Silvia Contiero

Zini Prodotti Alimentari has more than 60 years of quality and love for good pasta, all began in 1956 when Euride Zini, originally from Reggio Emilia, brought the traditions of her land and all her love for good pasta to Milan, where she moved to found a small pasta factory. It produced fresh handmade pasta which was eaten immediately or frozen. Today, Zini still carries on this tradition, respecting the recipes of the pasta and refuses the use non-natural ingredients such as dyes and additives. In the pasta factory in Milan, the freshly made products are cooked and frozen very quickly, in order to preserve their taste and naturalness for a long time. The company mission provides for the exclusive use of traceable ingredients deriving from selected and controlled production chains. Zini today is among the companies that are exporting from in Italy to the world. It was one of the first companies in the sector to achieve the European certifications for Quality Assurance and Food Safety and was among the first companies in the frozen sector to make their own packaging in compostable material by investing in innovation. Zini’s green choice has received many international awards.

UN PA Patisserie

Responsible: Pelin Yilmaz

UN PA Patisserie (UN PA Textile Construction Food Livestock and Electronic Ind.Trade.Co.Ltd.) is an SME which main production are focused on bakery and pastry products in 1500 m2 closed production area and it has 54 employees. The products of UN PA are sold in 6 shops and an online shop in Bursa, Turkey. Pastry, bakery, ice cream, baklava, and puddings are the product types of UN PA. The production aim of the company is to produce safe and healthy foods with natural materials. Some research and development studies are carried out about gluten-free, antidiabetic and energy reduced bakery and pastry products, also sourdough bread with siyez flour.

Responsible: Fatma Betül Batur Unay

Urla Women Entrepreneurship Production and Management Cooperative (UKKOOP), located in Urla, İzmir, is a cooperative highly participated by its 184 women. It is established to support local women and encourage them to participate in socioeconomic activities. They produce and sell various food products including canned vegetables of local importance and bakery products.

Responsible: Ram Reifen

The ChickP Company is an SME established in 2019 have developed a unique process for producing functional chickpea protein, allowing the food industry to enrich its products with high-quality protein, part of of the Mediterranean diet allergen free and void of phytoestrogens, as well as to produce meat and dairy replacements having a complete protein with the highest levels: Concentrate: 60-90% protein Isolate: 90% This IP-protected breakthrough process have been developed at the Faculty of Agriculture, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Currently the company is manufacturing in China.

Responsible: Josep Ferrer

Ferrer’s mission is based on the constant search for quality and innovation in all its processes and products. At Conserves Ferrer, we offer a high-quality product, which aims to meet the consumer’s needs. Increasingly our customers are looking for ready to cook meals and ready to eat products and Conserves Ferrer aim to offer solutions to meet this trend in both local and International Markets.

Responsible: Jose Manuel

Moroccan Almonds International (MAI) is an almond grower in Morocco of Mediterranean almond varieties. MAI processes the almonds on its facilities using hullers and shellers to sort the almond kernel. MAI´s headquarters is in Souihla (Marrakech region). The almond orchards are located in several regions, Marrakech, Chichaoua, Imintanoute and in different altitudes due to the Atlas Mountains that conforms a diverse climate experience for the almond varieties. MAI has a 15 years’ experience with the Mediterranean almond varieties in the different Moroccan regions and advises the associated growers about varieties and managing techniques and all their products are processed in MAI´s facilities. We count with a certified plant nursery in Marrakech, so we can search and multiply local almond varieties. MAI project even though is managed independently, is part of the Confectionary Holding (CH) group (www.confectionaryholding.com) based in Alicante, Spain. CH manufactures ‘turrón’, chocolates, marzipan, coated almonds, almond paste and different confectionary products typical of the Mediterranean regions.

Responsible: Patricia Collino

LM (La Mandorle) is a French SME specialized in the valorisation of dried fruit and vegetal proteins since 1989 with a focus on nutrition and innovation. It develops, manufactures and distributes beverages and preparations of high nutritional value in ready-to-use UHT format and in instant powders, resulting from a patented process. It carries 2 brands designed to meet specific targets: « La Mandorle », a historic brand developed in 1989 and specialized in almond milk and « Proteines + » developed in 2017 and focused on complete vegetal protein.