Open Innovation & Challenge-Based Program

The Open Innovation & Challenge-Based Program connects startups and research groups with agrifood companies across Europe to co-develop pilot projects and innovative partnerships.

Corporates and SMEs present real industry challenges, while startups and researchers bring forward creative solutions. This collaboration fosters the development of new products, services or technologies, benefiting both sides and driving impact in the agrifood sector.

If you want to be a Solution Provider: We are on the lookout for organisations that can meet and surpass challenges. Click the links below to see the challenges proposed by companies. If you think you can meet them, click the apply button and indicate the challenge you’d like to take up!

List of challenges:

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.

Solutions that improve yield predictability and reduce production risks

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.

    

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”.

    

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”.

    

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.

    

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.

    

Beesweet sells organic honey with aromatic plants. The processes are natural, preserving the pure characteristics of this product made by bees. Since the company uses medicinal plants in its flavoring process and based on laboratory studies conducted, it believes it is enhancing the honey in terms of health and wellness benefits for consumers.

    

At Monte Silveira farm, the land is treated “as a living being”. The 700- ha farm is located in Castelo Branco, Portugal. It is a reference in regenerative agriculture in Portugal and Europe. As one of the first large-scale properties to obtain Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC), it stands out for an innovative approach that goes beyond traditional sustainability, promoting the regeneration of ecosystems, combining productive agricultural and grazing practices with protection and recovery biodiversity and soil health. A key challenge is adopting water reuse, recycling, and optimization practices to improve water use efficiency. This includes minimizing waste, reducing dependency on freshwater resources, and promoting sustainable water management to support long-term agricultural resilience.

    

At Monte Silveira farm, the land is treated “as a living being”. The 700- ha farm is located in Castelo Branco, Portugal. It is a reference in regenerative agriculture in Portugal and Europe. As one of the first large-scale properties to obtain Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC), it stands out for an innovative approach that goes beyond traditional sustainability, promoting the regeneration of ecosystems, combining productive agricultural and grazing practices with protection and recovery biodiversity and soil health. The challenge lies in improving traceability, transparency, and operational efficiency for managing cereals, flour, and related products. This involves implementing advanced digital tools to boost consumer trust by enabling real-time data sharing, ensuring food authentication, and verifying product integrity. Additionally, alignment with our Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) is crucial to demonstrate sustainability and compliance.

    

A Porto-based company with farmland in Ponte de Lima is supporting Portuguese farmers by promoting organic local products such as olive oil, vinegar, honey, and lupin. They propose two main challenges within the program: developing robotic solutions to automate the currently manual lupin harvesting process, crucial for replacing imports from Chile, and creating more eco-friendly, biodegradable alternatives to their patented “Ring Pack” packaging, in line with their sustainability mission. It’s the only European company producing biologic lupin. Lupin has a high protein content (40%) and a low glycemic index. It is a sustainable plant-based alternative for both human and animal consumption, with a lower environmental impact compared to soy.

    

A Porto-based company with farmland in Ponte de Lima is supporting Portuguese farmers by promoting organic local products such as olive oil, vinegar, honey, and lupin. They propose two main challenges within the program: developing robotic solutions to automate the currently manual lupin harvesting process, crucial for replacing imports from Chile, and creating more eco-friendly, biodegradable alternatives to their patented “Ring Pack” packaging, in line with their sustainability mission. It’s the only European company producing biologic lupin. Lupin has a high protein content (40%) and a low glycemic index. It is a sustainable plant-based alternative for both human and animal consumption, with a lower environmental impact compared to soy.

    

Bio-Venta is the largest biodiesel production complex in the Baltic states, located in Ventspils, Latvia. Founded in 2004, the company operates a state-of-the-art facility with an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes of biodiesel, primarily serving export markets such as Scandinavia. In addition to biodiesel, Bio-Venta produces rapeseed cake (up to 65,000 tonnes/year), pharmaceutical-grade glycerine (up to 9,000 tonnes/year), and mineral fertilizers like potassium sulphate. The complex includes advanced infrastructure for rapeseed storage, oil pressing, and biodiesel handling, benefiting from its strategic location within the Freeport of Ventspils for efficient logistics. Bio-Venta is recognized for its ongoing investment in research and innovation to improve biodiesel production technologies and is committed to environmental protection and sustainable industrial practices.

  • Design cost-effective processes for large-scale production of bioplastics from rapeseed cake, addressing economic viability and scalability challenges.
  • Development of new rigid, semi-rigid and flexible applications

    

Bio-Venta is the largest biodiesel production complex in the Baltic states, located in Ventspils, Latvia. Founded in 2004, the company operates a state-of-the-art facility with an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes of biodiesel, primarily serving export markets such as Scandinavia. In addition to biodiesel, Bio-Venta produces rapeseed cake (up to 65,000 tonnes/year), pharmaceutical-grade glycerine (up to 9,000 tonnes/year), and mineral fertilizers like potassium sulphate. The complex includes advanced infrastructure for rapeseed storage, oil pressing, and biodiesel handling, benefiting from its strategic location within the Freeport of Ventspils for efficient logistics. Bio-Venta is recognized for its ongoing investment in research and innovation to improve biodiesel production technologies and is committed to environmental protection and sustainable industrial practices.

  • Develop a method to optimize glycerine concentration in bioplastics to balance flexibility and mechanical strength without compromising durability.
  • Develop technologies or formulations that reduce the moisture sensitivity of bioplastics from rapeseed cake, improving their shelf life and performance in humid environments