Developing food innovation capacity in the South Baltic Region

This project’s main objective is to strengthen innovation capacity in food SMEs by exploiting the potentials in network and innovation activities in triple helix cooperation between food SMEs, public sector and knowledge institutions. Through triple helix cooperations, the project builds a knowledge-bridge between SMEs, knowledge institutions, students and public sectors across the South Baltic Region (SBR) supporting and facilitating growth and development in the food industry in SBR. No one can do it alone.

Part of the project concerns Food Innovation – In SME’s and will be referred to as Workpackage 3 (WP3).
The purpose of WP3 is to strengthen the Danish, German and Swedish food industry engaged in alternative crops and health-promoting plant protein sources that substitute for the more production-intensive and environmentally harmful production of animal protein sources. The knowledge from the participating institutions will be implemented through innovation activities and in already existing networks within the food industry and thereby create value to the involved SMEs.
The partners involved in WP3 will setup seven innovation activities as a part of the project as well as disseminate best-cases and knowledge through food clusters and networks on both EU-level, national level and regional level and activate the strong food alliance this partnership represents. These cross-border activities will ensure that SMEs will achieve an increased competitiveness.

Background:
The food industry is challenged by missing focus and knowledge to adjust to future trends converting future challenges into growth potentials within e.g. sustainability, health and vegetable proteins but also of an aging population, population growth and migration as well as larger focus on integrated food systems and consumer centric approaches.

Purpose:
Innovation in the food industry is crucial for meeting the expected increase in food demands worldwide emanating from the increasing world population in the coming decades. Investments in food innovation are essential to qualify the SBR food industry to take part of the expected potential in new and increasing markets and thereby securing and maintaining global competitiveness and growth in SBR food industry.

Zealand will together with SLU provide tests of the application of the processed products. These tests will be run in facilities similar to the ones used in the industry. Tests play an important role for SME’s innovation and will be provided through the knowledge institutions.
The case will also cover chemical and physical characteristics of the processed protein products to ensure the human nutritional value and the food functionality of the proteins. The development process will incorporate the paradigm of the legumes own sensoric and gastronomic qualities and attractions.
This paradigm is considered to be more effective in the implementation of the consumer acceptance of legumes compared with the paradigm that cover vegetable proteins as an alternative to animal proteins. These areas of expertise are areas brought in to concrete innovation activities conducted by Zealand in close collaboration with the food industry and public food services.

The project will through this systematical approach combining practical and theoretical aspects in food SME innovation, develop and systemize a triple helix based innovation method, supplementing business development systems in settings accessible for a larger number of food SMEs.

Create a food innovation toolbox based on exemplary case-based interactions between food SMEs, knowledge institutions and public sector developing new products and markets driving food development for the future.

The first main output of the project will be at least 25 innovation activities in food SMEs based on resources generated in interaction between food SMEs and knowledge institutions where students contribute to innovation. The triple helix cooperation provides:

•  16 targeted cross-border conferences
•  network meetings
•  innovation camps
•  Food Innovation Council – an expert panel
  connecting food SMEs to resources in
  knowledge institutions.
• Students involvement will stimulate innovation within
  e.g. market demands and research, new products
  and processes and new market potentials in the SBR.

The second main output of the project will be an innovation toolbox for SBR food SMEs developed from conceptualization of best practice, workshops interacting with food SMEs and expert reports on food innovation. All together the project implements several innovative activities of great importance for the projects’ main target group: Food SMEs.