Food Innovation and Sustainable Food Technology
Assessment of emerging/innovative processes in food processing and packaging (smart technologies, mild technologies, minimal processing, fermentations).
The goal is to improve nutritional quality, safety, and environmental sustainability, as well as to study new functional materials and packaging to preserve quality and safety.
Food Safety – One Health
Evaluation and management of food-related risks, focusing on emerging hazards under the One Health and Farm-to-Fork approaches. Strategies will be defined to implement the EU risk analysis system in MENA countries, supporting the development of evidence-based food safety policies. Topics include antimicrobial resistance, rapid analytical methods for contaminants, new pathogenic species, and the study of emerging and re-emerging contaminants through “Omics” approaches.
Waste Reduction – Circular Economy
Enhancing the sustainability of food systems through a circular economy approach, focusing on valorisation and reduction of food by-products and waste. Innovative processes and products will be designed and validated to reduce, reuse, and valorise these materials, opening new industrial opportunities and contributing to economic, social, and ecological progress.
Social Impact (Consumers – Entrepreneurs) and Stakeholders Engagement
Creating synergies between the scientific community and the national and MENA industrial/social systems to promote the reuse of research results and improve business productivity. A Technology and Innovation Transfer Programme (TTIP) will be developed, including training to reduce the skills mismatch, acceleration paths for spin-offs and start-ups, and a digital portal for disseminating results.
Technology Transfer
The FOCUSER project platform promotes Research to Business (R2B) connections, facilitating the transition of research with low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) to higher TRL stages. This is achieved through open meetings, seminars, webinars, and targeted R2B interviews to develop prototypes and operational demonstrations in Italy and MENA countries. Actions are coordinated with the national AgroFood cluster CLAN.
