Open Innovation & Challenge-Based Program

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. For many of their formulations, emulsifiers are used and technically needed to stabilize emulsions and modulate viscosity of formulations, but this is sometimes challenging to obtain.

We are looking for clean label, innovative emulsifiers that are: Sustainable: short supply chain, local or circular Minimal processing, high technological input→ can be plant based, derive from any kind of fermentation, as well as from cellular agriculture Functional → can replace existing emulsifiers in one or more of the following food categories: Margarines Bakery Chocolate and compounds Whipping creams Ice creams Any other Unigrà product category In liquid or powdered form

PasiSera develops hardware and software solutions for standardized underground greenhouse systems that enable year-round, energy-independent food production. By combining passive climate control with advanced sensing and predictive technologies, the company helps farmers reduce energy consumption, mitigate climate risks, and achieve more stable yields.

One of the main challenges in protected agriculture is ensuring precise, real-time monitoring of crop health and environmental conditions to improve productivity, resource efficiency and resilience.

We are looking for innovative solutions that provide:

• Real-time plant-level monitoring of crop health, growth, and nutrient requirements
• Advanced sensing technologies for monitoring micro-environmental conditions
• AI-powered analytics and predictive models for early-warning alerts and decision support
• Solutions that improve yield predictability and reduce production risks
• Technologies supporting nutrient recycling, water circularity, and regenerative farming practices
• Digital tools that enhance traceability and reliable data sharing
• Applications for greenhouse, vertical farming, hydroponic, aquaponic, and regenerative agriculture systems
  

Particular interest will be given to solutions addressing:

• Smart Farming
• Protein Diversification
• Traceability and Reliable Data Sharing
• Nutrient Recycling
• Circular Water Management
• Vertical Farming
• Hydroponics and Aquaponics
• Regenerative Agriculture

The ideal solution should contribute to more efficient, resilient, and data-driven food production systems.

Milk Dynamics manufactures 100% natural, functional dog chews and treats for private label brands across Europe, the UK, North America, Asia, and the Middle East. Its products combine natural ingredients to deliver benefits such as dental hygiene, improved digestion, calorie control, and food safety, while maintaining the highest quality standards through HACCP and GMP-certified production.

As production scales, reducing drying times while maintaining product quality, consistency, and safety has become a key operational challenge.

We are looking for innovative drying solutions that can reduce drying time by 20–30% without compromising product integrity, including:

• Advanced dehumidification systems
  
• Dew point control automation
  
• Optimised airflow and temperature management
• Real-time humidity monitoring and control
• Other innovative drying technologies applicable to pet food production
  

Expected Outcome: A feasibility study and pilot-ready solution that can be implemented at our production facility in Madeira Island, enabling faster production cycles, improved operational efficiency, and increased margins while maintaining the quality, safety and consistency of our products.

Fruveg Farms is a Ghana-based agribusiness dedicated to producing premium dried fruits and fresh produce while supporting smallholder farmers through sustainable and inclusive agricultural practices. The company is committed to reducing food waste, promoting circular economy solutions, and building resilient food systems.

One of the key challenges faced by Fruveg Farms is the high level of post-harvest losses affecting fruits and vegetables, which impacts farmer incomes, operational efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Limited access to affordable smart farming technologies, reliable farm-level data, traceability systems, and scalable monitoring solutions further constrains productivity and market access.

We are looking for innovative solutions that can support:

• Reduction of post-harvest losses across the agrifood value chain
• Farm-to-market traceability and secure data sharing
• Smart farming and climate-resilient agriculture practices
• Digital monitoring systems for production, quality assurance, and sustainability reporting
• Farmer inclusion, training, and access to digital tools
• Resource valorization and circular economy approaches
• Conversion of agricultural by-products (e.g., pineapple leaves and fruit peels) into value-added products such as textiles, compost, detergents, animal feed, or other innovative applications

Particular interest will be given to solutions that improve transparency, productivity, export readiness, and environmental performance while creating additional income opportunities for smallholder farmers.

Expected Outcome: A feasibility study / pilot-ready solution that can help Fruveg Farms reduce food waste, strengthen traceability, enhance circularity and build a more resilient and sustainable agrifood ecosystem.

ZymbioX is dedicated to transforming microplastics into benign substances in agricultural soils through evidence-based microbial consortia. The company develops farm-specific remediation solutions that transform microplastics, protect crop health, and support food safety for farmers and retailers.

Built around the vision of creating healthy soils for a healthy planet, ZymbioX combines cutting-edge microbial science with regenerative agriculture principles to restore soil functions, improve ecosystem resilience, and support long-term agricultural productivity. The company views microbes as the “software” and regenerative practices as the “hardware” of a resilient farming system.

Agricultural soils are becoming one of the largest sinks for microplastic pollution. The accumulation of microplastics can negatively impact soil health, microbial activity, water retention, nutrient cycling, and long-term agricultural productivity. While many existing approaches focus on detection, monitoring, or waste management, farmers currently have limited access to practical, scalable, and economically viable remediation solutions.

We are looking for innovative solutions that can support:

• Remediation of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils
• Restoration of soil health and ecosystem functions
• Enhancement of microbial activity and soil biodiversity
• Improvement of water retention and nutrient dynamics
• Monitoring and assessment of soil quality and remediation performance
• Climate-resilient and nature-based approaches to soil restoration
• Scalable and economically viable solutions for agricultural deployment
• Data-driven tools that support evidence-based decision-making and regenerative farming practices
  

Particular interest will be given to solutions that combine scientific rigour, measurable environmental impact, and practical applicability for farmers, while contributing to climate mitigation, food security, and ecosystem restoration.

Expected Outcome: A feasibility study / pilot-ready solution that can help remediate microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, restore key soil functions, and strengthen the resilience and sustainability of farming systems.

Blue Filter is a Palestinian company specialized in agricultural water treatment. Based in the Gaza Strip, the company has developed an innovative, chemical-free and environmentally friendly filtration technology that removes nitrates and salts from groundwater using plant-derived biofiltration materials. Its mission is to provide farmers with affordable and sustainable solutions that improve irrigation water quality while protecting natural resources.

Farmers worldwide face increasing challenges related to water quality, particularly elevated nitrate and chloride levels in irrigation water. Excessive nitrate contamination can affect crop quality, food safety, and groundwater resources, while high chloride concentrations contribute to soil salinization, reduced crop yields, and long-term land degradation.

Blue Filter has developed a nature-based water treatment technology capable of significantly reducing nitrate and chloride concentrations without the use of electricity or chemical additives. The company is now seeking innovative partners to help advance, optimize, and scale this solution for broader agricultural applications.

We are looking for innovative solutions that can support:

• Improved nitrate and chloride removal efficiency under different water conditions
• Enhanced lifespan and regeneration capacity of bio-based filtration media
• Low-cost, real-time water quality monitoring systems
• IoT and smart sensing technologies for irrigation management
• Scalable and modular treatment systems suitable for both smallholder and commercial farms
• Manufacturing and deployment improvements that reduce costs and increase accessibility
  

Particular interest will be given to solutions that contribute to sustainable water management, climate-smart agriculture, and decentralized treatment systems for water-scarce regions.

Expected Outcome: A feasibility study / pilot-ready solution that can help Blue Filter scale its technology, improve irrigation water quality, reduce soil degradation, increase agricultural productivity, and expand access to affordable and sustainable water treatment solutions worldwide.

AlgBe Biotechnology is a biotechnology SME dedicated to unlocking the potential of microalgae through science-based innovation. Building on a proprietary microalgae culture collection and sustainable production approaches, the company develops market-ready solutions for the health, agrifood, and circular economy sectors. Its mission is to create high-value, locally developed microalgae products while contributing to a more sustainable and resource-efficient bioeconomy.

As demand for functional food ingredients and nutraceutical products continues to grow, AlgBe seeks innovative solutions to accelerate the development and industrialization of sustainable microalgae-based products.

We are looking for technologies and expertise that can support:

• Optimization of microalgae cultivation systems, particularly for Spirulina and other cyanobacterial strains;
• Algae biorefinery technologies for the production of high-value ingredients;
• Downstream processing, harvesting, extraction, and purification systems;
• Encapsulation, formulation, and stabilization technologies for bioactive compounds;
• Enhancement of bioavailability and shelf-life of functional ingredients;
• Smart cultivation, monitoring, and process control systems;
• Circular approaches for water, nutrient, and resource management;
• Sustainable production technologies that reduce environmental impact and improve operational efficiency.

Particular interest will be given to solutions that enable the production of microalgal biomass enriched with functional compounds such as selenium, zinc, magnesium, antioxidants, peptides, and other bioactive molecules with applications in the food, nutraceutical, and health sectors.

Expected Outcome: A feasibility study and pilot-ready solution for the sustainable production, processing, and commercialization of innovative microalgae-based ingredients, supporting the industrial scale-up of high-value functional foods and nutraceutical products.

Regalion Molecular is committed to developing innovative and environmentally friendly solutions that create value for customers while contributing to a more sustainable future. The company strives to deliver excellence across its services and technologies, continuously seeking to transform scientific innovation into scalable industrial applications.

As the company advances the development of its proprietary nanomaterial production technology, a key challenge is scaling the process from laboratory validation to pilot-scale manufacturing while maintaining product quality, consistency, and economic viability.

We are looking for innovative solutions that can support:

• Access to advanced testing and characterisation infrastructure, including techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and other relevant analytical methods;
• Cost-effective approaches for quality control and batch-to-batch consistency verification;
• Process engineering expertise for scaling laboratory processes to industrial pilot-plant level;
• Design, optimisation, and integration of Ultrasonic Cavitation and Tangential Flow Filtration (TFF) systems;
• Process simulation, digital twins, and scale-up methodologies;
• Manufacturing optimisation and operational efficiency improvements;
• Strategies to reduce capital expenditure and facilitate industrial deployment.

Particular interest will be given to solutions that combine technical feasibility, scalability, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness while supporting the transition from research and development to commercial production.

Expected Outcome: A feasibility study / pilot-ready design for an industrial-scale production process, including advanced quality characterisation methodologies, process engineering recommendations, and a roadmap for the successful deployment of a pilot manufacturing facility.

BCF Life Sciences is a European biotechnology company and pioneer in the circular bioeconomy, specialising in the extraction and valorisation of free amino acids and keratin from poultry feathers through proprietary biotechnological processes. Since 1986, the company has been developing sustainable ingredients for the human, animal, and plant health sectors, transforming agricultural by-products into high-value solutions.

As demand grows for more targeted and efficient biostimulants, BCF Life Sciences seeks innovative solutions to develop stable, crop-specific formulations based on its proven Leafamine® technology.

Challenge 1 – Stable, Crop-Specific Formulations for Free Amino Acid Biostimulants

We are looking for technologies and expertise that can support:

• Development of stable formulations combining free amino acids with micronutrients and other functional ingredients;
• Characterisation of formulation stability under different pH, temperature, and storage conditions;
• Crop- and stress-specific biostimulant formulation design;
• Compatibility studies between amino acids, micronutrients, and biological compounds;
• Advanced formulation science for agricultural biostimulants;
• Pilot-scale validation and formulation protocols suitable for industrial implementation.

Particular interest will be given to solutions that improve product stability, shelf-life, and efficacy while enabling faster development of next-generation biostimulants tailored to specific crops and environmental conditions.

Expected Outcome: A feasibility study and pilot-ready formulation strategy for stable, crop-specific free amino acid biostimulants that can be validated and scaled for commercial production.

“BCF Life Sciences is a European biotechnology company and pioneer in the circular bioeconomy, specialising in the extraction and valorisation of free amino acids and keratin from poultry feathers through proprietary biotechnological processes. Since 1986, the company has been developing sustainable ingredients for the human, animal, and plant health sectors, transforming agricultural by-products into high-value solutions.

As demand grows for more targeted and efficient biostimulants, BCF Life Sciences seeks innovative solutions to develop stable, crop-specific formulations based on its proven Leafamine® technology.

Challenge 2 – Quantifying the Regenerative Agriculture Impact of Free Amino Acids

We are looking for innovative solutions that can support:

• Quantification of fertiliser, water, and input-use efficiency enabled by free amino acid biostimulants;
• Assessment of soil health improvements, microbial activity, and biodiversity;
• Measurement of soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reduction potential;
• Development of environmental and ESG performance indicators;
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies for biostimulant applications;
• Field trial design and data analysis to validate regenerative agriculture impacts.

Particular interest will be given to solutions that generate measurable evidence supporting the contribution of free amino acid biostimulants to climate-smart agriculture, soil restoration, and sustainable food production.

Expected Outcome: A feasibility study and pilot-ready assessment framework to quantify the environmental, agronomic, and regenerative agriculture impacts of free amino acid biostimulants, supporting future product positioning, sustainability reporting, and market adoption.”

Agrozee Organics works on promoting millet-based food systems that combine improved nutrition, stronger farmer livelihoods, and climate resilience. Through its activities, the company aims to increase the use of millets as nutrient-dense and climate-smart crops while creating greater value across the entire millet supply chain.

In India, iron deficiency anemia and poor dietary diversity remain major public health challenges among school-going children, with nearly one in two children affected. At the same time, smallholder millet farmers face low productivity, limited market access, inadequate processing infrastructure, and post-harvest losses, reducing farmer incomes and discouraging millet cultivation. Climate change further increases these pressures through erratic rainfall, droughts, and declining crop resilience.

We are looking for innovative, scalable solutions that can strengthen the millet value chain while simultaneously improving nutrition, farmer prosperity, and climate resilience, including:

• Millet-based nutritious food products suitable for children and wider consumer markets
• Solutions improving millet processing, storage, preservation, and reduction of post-harvest losses
• Technologies or business models that increase farmer productivity and income
• Digital or market-access solutions connecting smallholder farmers with processors, buyers, institutions, and consumers
• Approaches supporting traceability, quality assurance, and transparent supply chains
• Climate-smart farming solutions that improve millet productivity under drought and variable rainfall conditions
• Innovative models for integrating millet-based foods into schools, public nutrition programs, retail, and mainstream diets
• Circular and resource-efficient approaches that create additional value from millet production and processing
  

Expected Outcome: A pilot-ready and economically viable solution that demonstrates how millet-based value chains can simultaneously improve access to nutritious foods, increase smallholder farmer incomes, reduce losses, and strengthen resilience to climate change.

Association for Farmers Rights Defense (AFRD) is a Georgian organization supporting farmers and promoting more sustainable, efficient, and resilient agricultural practices. The organization is interested in practical technologies that can help farmers improve productivity, reduce resource use, and respond to the growing environmental and operational challenges faced by modern agriculture.

One of the main challenges is the limited adoption of affordable, intelligent technologies that can support farmers in monitoring crops, automating field operations, reducing input use, and making better decisions in real time.

We are looking for innovative, scalable solutions that combine engineering, robotics, sensing, and artificial intelligence for real-world agricultural applications, including:

• Smart agricultural machinery and autonomous field equipment
  Robotics for planting, weeding, harvesting, crop care, and other farm operations
• Sensor technologies for soil, crop, weather, and environmental monitoring
• AI-powered monitoring, diagnostics, and decision-support tools
• Precision agriculture solutions that optimize water, fertilizers, pesticides, and energy use
• Technologies supporting pest detection, prevention, and reduced pesticide dependency
• Solutions that contribute to regenerative agriculture, biodiversity protection, and ecosystem resilience
• Clean technologies that reduce waste, emissions, and environmental impact across agricultural operations
• Practical systems that can be deployed by small and medium-sized farmers and adapted to local farming conditions
  

Expected Outcome: A pilot-ready and scalable solution that demonstrates clear improvements in farm productivity, resource efficiency, automation, and environmental performance, with strong potential for deployment in real agricultural settings.

Boland Ferments develops circular food solutions that use fermentation to transform local agricultural side streams into higher-value food products. The company aims to strengthen short supply chains, reduce food loss, and create products that can reach mainstream consumers rather than remaining limited to niche sustainable-food markets.

A key challenge is that significant volumes of agricultural side streams and surplus production remain underutilised, while local food systems often struggle to scale beyond specialised channels. Boland Ferments aims to address both issues through a circular “Know Your Farmer” burger made from locally sourced agricultural side streams and introduced through frituur outlets, a high-volume and widely accessible food-service channel.

We are looking for innovative solutions that can support the development and scale-up of this circular food concept, including:

• Technologies for transforming heterogeneous agricultural side streams into safe, consistent, and appealing food ingredients
• Fermentation and processing solutions that improve texture, flavour, nutritional value, shelf life, and product stability
• Approaches for quality control, food safety, standardisation, and traceability
• Resource valorisation and nutrient-recycling technologies
• Business models connecting farmers, processors, food-service operators, and consumers
• Solutions supporting scalable production and integration into mainstream food-service environments
• Approaches for communicating the value of local sourcing, circularity, and short supply chains to consumers
• New applications for underutilised agricultural side streams and surplus production
  

Expected Outcome: A pilot-ready and scalable circular burger concept with a viable production and business model, demonstrating how local agricultural side streams can be valorised into an attractive mainstream food product while reducing food loss and strengthening connections between farmers and consumers.

Matubu Coffee Roastery is a Belgian coffee roaster interested in developing more circular approaches to managing by-products generated during coffee roasting. One of the main side streams is coffee chaff, a lightweight material separated from coffee beans during roasting that currently has limited high-value applications in Europe.

While several potential uses for coffee chaff exist internationally, their adoption in Europe remains limited due to factors such as processing costs, logistics, regulatory requirements, market demand, and uncertain economic viability.

We are looking for innovative, scalable solutions that can recycle or upcycle coffee chaff into valuable products or inputs, including:

• New food, feed, agricultural, or bio-based applications for coffee chaff
• Technologies for processing, stabilising, or transforming coffee chaff
• Resource valorisation and nutrient-recycling solutions
• Applications in compost, soil amendments, biochar, biomaterials, or other circular products
• Solutions that address storage, transport, and logistics constraints
• Approaches that comply with relevant European regulatory and food-safety requirements
• Business models that demonstrate clear market potential and economic viability
  

Expected Outcome: A feasible and scalable circular application for coffee chaff, supported by a clear technical and economic assessment, that can be realistically implemented within the European market.

Sea.Sense (Greentide BV) develops innovative seaweed-based seasonings that make European seaweed more accessible and appealing to mainstream consumers. By combining locally sourced seaweed with crispy grains, seeds, and gastronomic flavours, the company aims to overcome low consumer familiarity with seaweed and integrate it into everyday diets.

Sea.Sense is now exploring the development of a new vegan bacon-style seasoning based on dulse (Palmaria palmata), a red seaweed cultivated in several European countries and known for developing a distinctive umami and bacon-like aroma when dried and heated.

The main challenge is that there is currently no standardized processing method that consistently maximizes these sensory characteristics. Flavour development depends on multiple factors, including raw material quality, drying conditions, moisture content, particle size, and thermal processing parameters.

We are looking for applied research and product-development solutions that can help optimize the flavour potential of dulse, including:

• Evaluation of baking, roasting, frying, and other thermal processing methods
• Optimisation of drying conditions, moisture levels, and particle size
  Identification of processing parameters that maximise bacon-like aroma and flavour
• Sensory testing and comparison of different processing approaches
• Solutions that preserve clean-label positioning and product stability
• Kitchen-scale and pilot-scale validation of the most promising processing protocols

Expected Outcome: A validated and reproducible processing protocol that maximises the natural bacon-like flavour of European-grown dulse and enables its use as a natural vegan bacon flavour ingredient in Sea.Sense crispy seaweed toppings.

Sea.Sense (Greentide BV) is exploring dulse as a promising European marine ingredient for the development of innovative, sustainable food products. While European dulse cultivation is expanding through both onshore and offshore production systems, there is still limited visibility into the economic and operational feasibility of using dulse at commercial scale.

The key challenge is the lack of transparency across the value chain, including raw material availability, processing capacity, logistics, cost structures, and value creation from cultivation through to the final dried ingredient. This makes it difficult to determine whether European dulse can be supplied at a competitive cost for use in mainstream consumer food products.

We are looking for solutions and expertise that can map and assess the complete European dulse value chain, including:

• Mapping of European dulse producers and available cultivation capacity
• Assessment of raw material volumes, seasonality, and supply reliability
• Analysis of drying, processing, storage, and logistics requirements
• Evaluation of cost structures across cultivation and processing stages
• Identification of technical, logistical, and economic bottlenecks
• Assessment of potential value-added applications for dried dulse flakes or powder
• Identification of scalable supply-chain models and potential commercial partners
• Evaluation of the commercial feasibility of supplying dulse as a food ingredient
  

Expected Outcome: A clear technical and economic assessment of the European dulse value chain, identifying the most viable supply, processing, and commercialisation pathways. If commercially acceptable cost levels can be achieved, the results will provide the basis for further valorisation of dulse into a natural vegan bacon flavour ingredient.

CropX is a global digital agronomy company that combines real-time soil data, weather insights, aerial imagery, and agronomic analytics to help farmers improve productivity and resource efficiency. As agricultural digitalisation expands across Europe, one of the main barriers to adoption is the fragmentation of Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS), IoT platforms, and region-specific data infrastructures.

The challenge is to create a standardised and scalable integration framework that enables CropX agronomic data to connect seamlessly with European FMIS platforms and specialised local IoT networks. Current systems often use different data structures, communication protocols, and integration approaches, making interoperability complex and slowing down adoption by growers.

We are looking for innovative solutions that can support:

• Development of a standardised API or middleware integration layer
• Secure, reliable, two-way data exchange between CropX and external FMIS or IoT systems
• Harmonisation of different agricultural data formats and protocols
• Interoperability with region-specific European farm management platforms
• Integration of soil, weather, crop, machinery, sensor, and operational data
• Data governance, permissions, privacy, and secure access management
• Scalable architecture that can be replicated across different countries and farm systems
• Tools that reduce integration complexity and adoption friction for growers and technology providers

Expected Outcome: A pilot-ready and scalable API architecture that demonstrates secure, seamless two-way data exchange between CropX and selected European FMIS or IoT platforms, improving interoperability, reducing adoption barriers, and increasing data transparency across the agricultural value chain.

OceanBites develops innovative marine food solutions and is now preparing to scale its production system while maintaining product quality, cost-efficiency, and sustainability.

One of the main challenges is that current cultivation and harvesting processes still rely heavily on manual operations. This limits production capacity, increases operational costs, and creates barriers to efficient scale-up.

We are looking for innovative solutions and technical partners that can support the development of a production optimisation roadmap, including:

• Automation of cultivation and harvesting processes
• Technologies that reduce manual handling and labour intensity
• Smart monitoring and process-control systems
• Sensors and digital tools for real-time production monitoring
• Solutions improving water, energy, and nutrient efficiency
• Technologies supporting consistent product quality and production reliability
• Concepts for scalable, modular, or semi-automated production systems
• Feasibility studies and conceptual designs for future production infrastructure
• Solutions supporting circular and sustainable resource management
  

Expected Outcome: A clear, technically and economically feasible roadmap for the next phase of production scale-up, including priority technologies, conceptual designs, and pilot-ready solutions that can improve automation, efficiency, sustainability, and overall production capacity.

W’ICE develops frost protection solutions for vineyards and fruit production, helping growers reduce the risks associated with spring frost events that can significantly affect crop yields and farm income.

One of the main challenges is quantifying the true economic impact of frost damage and translating this into a clear business case for growers. Because frost losses are influenced by multiple variables, it can be difficult to isolate their financial effect and determine realistic willingness-to-pay for protection technologies.

We are looking for solutions and expertise that can support:

• Cost-benefit analysis of frost protection technologies
• Quantification of spring frost impact on yield, crop value, and grower income
• Assessment of return on investment for different grower profiles and production systems
• Willingness-to-pay analysis among vineyard and fruit producers
• Benchmarking of existing frost protection practices and competing technologies
• Market assessment in frost-sensitive wine and fruit-producing regions
• Identification of priority international markets and customer segments
• Mapping of relevant growers, associations, distributors, and strategic partners
• Comparison of regional frost risks, farming practices, and adoption barriers

Expected Outcome: A clear economic and market assessment demonstrating the value proposition of W’ICE’s frost protection solution, including realistic willingness-to-pay insights, priority customer segments, and recommendations for international market expansion.

Green Vapour Solutions is a South African company focused on circular agrifood systems and agricultural waste valorisation. The company aims to transform residues from maize and vegetable production into valuable products that can improve farm profitability, reduce environmental impact, and support more resilient rural economies.

One of the main challenges is that large volumes of agricultural residues remain underutilised or are treated as waste, despite their potential to be converted into useful inputs and bio-based products. At the same time, farmers and processors need solutions that are technically feasible, commercially viable, environmentally sustainable, and suitable for deployment in emerging agricultural markets.

We are looking for innovative solutions that can support:

• Conversion of maize and vegetable residues into livestock feed ingredients
• Production of organic fertilisers, compost, and soil-improvement products
• Biochar and other carbon-based applications
• Renewable energy and bioenergy solutions from agricultural residues
• Bio-based materials and other high-value circular products
• Biotechnology, engineering, and digital solutions for waste valorisation
• Technologies for nutrient recovery and recycling
• Solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health
• Scalable systems that can be integrated into farming and maize-processing operations
• Business models that create additional revenue streams for farmers and rural communities
  

Expected Outcome: A technically feasible, economically viable, and scalable solution for converting agricultural residues into higher-value products, with clear potential for integration into Green Vapour Solutions’ operations and replication across South Africa and other emerging agricultural markets.

VIVES, through the Yacon Collective Flanders, is exploring the potential of yacon as a healthy, functional, and locally produced food ingredient. Although yacon has an attractive nutritional profile and fits growing demand for plant-based, clean-label, and functional foods, it remains a niche crop in Flanders.

The main challenge is to overcome barriers related to low consumer awareness, fragmented sales channels, high labour costs, limited production scale, product fragility, and shelf-life, while creating commercially attractive applications for the food industry.

We are looking for innovative solutions that can support:

• Development of yacon-based ingredients such as purees, juices, syrups, powders, and other semi-finished products
• Processing technologies that improve shelf life, stability, quality, and industrial feasibility
• New food applications that highlight yacon’s nutritional and functional properties
• Clean-label and plant-based product concepts
• Consumer testing and strategies to improve market acceptance and awareness
• Identification of attractive market segments and distribution channels
• Business models connecting growers, processors, food companies, and retailers
• Solutions that reduce production and processing costs and support scale-up
• Approaches that increase value creation and revenue opportunities for Flemish growers
  

Expected Outcome: A commercially viable and scalable yacon-based ingredient or food application, supported by a clear processing approach, market positioning, and business model that can help move yacon from a niche crop toward broader adoption within the Flemish agrifood sector.