About event

Open innovation & Challenge-Based Program

🌟 The Objective

In the Open Innovation & Challenge-Based Program, our aim is to foster collaboration between startups and research groups and agrifood enterprises throughout Europe, streamlining the development of pilot projects and mutually beneficial partnerships. This initiative enables corporates and SMES of the Agrifood sector (Challenge owners) to harness the knowledge, creativity, and innovation of startups and research groups (Solution providers), potentially leading to the inception and integration of novel products, services, or technologies and solve real industry challenges. Simultaneously, participating startups and research groups seize the opportunity to implement pilots, thereby evolving into solution providers and receiving valuable feedback on their innovations. Additionally, partnering with esteemed companies in the sector offers startups a platform for recognition.

This program unfolds in 2 main phases:

Capacity building program (topics)
1. For challenge owners:
  1. Mentor scouting within your organization and how to be a mentor
  2. The importance of fostering collaborative innovation
  3. Typical pitfalls and benefits of working with a startup
2. For solution providers:
  1. How to nurture a relation with a Corporate or SME in the AgriFood sector
  2. The importance of market validation
  3. Typical pitfalls and benefits of working with a Corporate or SME
3. For both parties:
  1. Pilot Development and Validation Tests: Planning and execution of pilot projects
  2. Risk Management and Compliance: Identification and mitigation of legal, regulatory and security risks associated with open collaboration
  3. Success cases (Testimonial session)
Pilot Implementation
1. Define a pilotting plan
2. Implementation of the pilot

1. Challenge owners

Why participate as a challenge owner? Uncover the advantages:

Be a pioneer in the adoption of innovative solutions to solve challenges that your company faces.
Have the opportunity to stay agile, boost your competitiveness and drive the sustainable growth of your business.
Be a central part of the acceleration of innovation and knowledge exchange, tapping into fresh ideas and solutions not yet available at the market.
Be part of this pioneer ERASMUS+ project with a consortium distributed Europe wide.
Be part of the AgriFood4Future network.

If you’ve identified a challenge within your company and are looking for a startup to address it, you can still apply!

2. Solution providers

Here are the challenges proposed by companies. If you think you can meet them, apply via the Google Form below, indicating the challenge you’d like to take up.

The full list of challenges is available below:

Challenge #1 - Emulsions in the food industry

Unigrà is an Italian agro-food group founded in 1972 by Luciano Martini. It has always been operating in the food industry to develop products and solutions intended for professionals and final consumers.

Today, Unigrà is an important international enterprise, employing more than 1,150 people and exporting 40% of its production; it has five plants (three in Italy, 1 in Brazil and 1 in Malaysia), 20 foreign subsidiaries and a large network of distributors and importers.

Through its various brands, the company offers high-end raw materials, goods for resale and finished products across all channels: industrial, artisan, Ho.Re.Ca. and retail.

The success of Unigrà is founded on clear and winning concepts: constant search for the best raw materials, a strong focus on product quality, consistent investment in cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, constant attention to market and customer requirements, assertiveness and determination in achieving increasingly ambitious results through care, passion and transparency.

Challenge #2 - Pest and disease monitorization with drones and tractors on vineyards

Established in 1984, AVIPE is an Association of Winemakers from Palmela. Promotes integrated protection and production of vineyards.

Grants technical support to winegrapegrowers, recommends fertilization, phytosanitary treatments, cultural operations and irrigation.

AVIPE is an inspection centre of pesticide application equipment (CIPP) and is part of the Nacional Agricultural Warning Service of the Setúbal peninsula (SNAA). Supports their associates on the applications to the European funds (PDR2020). AVIPE integrates the interregMed project “Embrace”.

Challenge #3 - Ultrasound for the control of pests on vineyards

Established in 1984, AVIPE is an Association of Winemakers from Palmela. Promotes integrated protection and production of vineyards.

Grants technical support to winegrapegrowers, recommends fertilization, phytosanitary treatments, cultural operations and irrigation.

Challenge #4 - Drainage losses in small-scale semi-hydroponic systems

Bfruit was founded at the end of 2013 by small fruit producers with the aim of becoming a producer organization. In September 2016, Bfruit became the first small fruit Producers Organization (PO).

In 2017 it was recognized as a fruit and vegetable PO.

Bfruit was born with the mission of concentrating supply, creating scale, organizing production, providing technical support to producers and marketing raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, currants and Kiwi.

Challenge #5 - Inert substrates used in hydroponic raspberry and blueberry production: what to do with these products at the end of their shelf life

Bfruit was founded at the end of 2013 by small fruit producers with the aim of becoming a producer organization. In September 2016, Bfruit became the first small fruit Producers Organization (PO).

In 2017 it was recognized as a fruit and vegetable PO.