Periodic Reporting for period 1 - METROFOOD-EPI (METROFOOD-RI Early Phase Implementation)
Période du rapport: 2024-01-01 au 2024-12-31
The agrifood sector is a strategic asset of all European Countries and is one of the largest and most strategic economic sectors, with particular social relevance: it is of crucial importance to ensure sufficient food, and vital to ensure employment, preserve rural public goods, supply healthy and quality products, including sustainable and secure production and distribution chains, and community building. It also has to facilitate the enhancement of the competitiveness and sustainability approach of Food Business Operators - especially SMEs - into the food chain, with quality, safety, and traceability being key elements. It is essential to consider all factors affecting food quality & safety, from raw materials to the environment of primary production, food processing and storage, logistics, retail, up to domestic procedures (from farm to fork), thus making health converge into a unicum as a system by applying the “One Health” approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health.
METROFOOD-RI is a distributed Research Infrastructure (RI) aimed at promoting scientific excellence in the field of food quality and safety. It provides high-quality metrology services in food and nutrition, comprising an important cross-section of highly interdisciplinary and interconnected fields throughout the food value chain, including agrifood, sustainable development, food safety, quality, traceability and authenticity, environmental safety, and human health. It combines a Physical-RI and an electronic-RI for open data deposition, access, and processing.
METROFOOD-EPI is the HEu funded project supporting the Early Phase Implementation of METROFOOD-RI; its overarching mission is to advance the building process of METROFOOD-RI as infrastructure consolidated for its full implementation and ensure an effective start of the operational phase. To this end, the following specific objectives were identified: support the establishment of the legal entity that will manage the RI; specify the technical implementation of the RI as service-oriented; consolidate the positioning in the landscape, as a research facility oriented towards end-users in the agrifood sector; secure the long-term sustainability of the RI.
METROFOOD-RI is a distributed Research Infrastructure (RI) aimed at promoting scientific excellence in the field of food quality and safety. It provides high-quality metrology services in food and nutrition, comprising an important cross-section of highly interdisciplinary and interconnected fields throughout the food value chain, including agrifood, sustainable development, food safety, quality, traceability and authenticity, environmental safety, and human health. It combines a Physical-RI and an electronic-RI for open data deposition, access, and processing.
METROFOOD-EPI is the HEu funded project supporting the Early Phase Implementation of METROFOOD-RI; its overarching mission is to advance the building process of METROFOOD-RI as infrastructure consolidated for its full implementation and ensure an effective start of the operational phase. To this end, the following specific objectives were identified: support the establishment of the legal entity that will manage the RI; specify the technical implementation of the RI as service-oriented; consolidate the positioning in the landscape, as a research facility oriented towards end-users in the agrifood sector; secure the long-term sustainability of the RI.
The METROFOOD-EPI consortium achieved its objectives through four action layers:
- Consolidation of countries engagement in METROFOOD ERIC, by securing membership, establishing governance, and finalising the RI’s distributed architecture.
- Strengthening the technical organisation and implementation of the RI for its full operational phase, including access and services.
- Consolidation of the RI’s positioning in the agrifood research & innovation landscape, updating the scientific strategy, supporting community building, and ensuring synergies with other existing RIs and initiatives in the agrifood sector across Europe.
- Long-term scientific & financial sustainability, including impact analysis, risk management and user engagement strategies.
Activities were focused on building up the ERIC, finalising the requested (updated) documents for the Step 2 application, the full organisation of the RI in its distributed architecture and the completion of the set-up process. A special focus was given to the RI’s e-component, including specifications of data management solutions and the e-core architecture components (e.g. catalogues, access portal). The access and service offer were finalised. Furthermore, two open calls for access were launched and services focused on development of novel products and characterisation of fermentation processes and their bio-based derived products were provided to external users selected based on the excellence of their applications. Trainings on food safety, quality, traceability and sustainability issues were conducted through webinars. Specific actions were dedicated to the strategic planning, covering financial sustainability, impact analysis, risk management, and contribution to the European Research Area (ERA). Finally, communication, dissemination, and outreach activities were performed, accompanied by actions to liaise with other initiatives - for better integration in the landscape and consolidation of the international dimension - and for community engagement - with relevant inputs for strengthening and enlarging the user community and supporting the RI long-term sustainability.
- Consolidation of countries engagement in METROFOOD ERIC, by securing membership, establishing governance, and finalising the RI’s distributed architecture.
- Strengthening the technical organisation and implementation of the RI for its full operational phase, including access and services.
- Consolidation of the RI’s positioning in the agrifood research & innovation landscape, updating the scientific strategy, supporting community building, and ensuring synergies with other existing RIs and initiatives in the agrifood sector across Europe.
- Long-term scientific & financial sustainability, including impact analysis, risk management and user engagement strategies.
Activities were focused on building up the ERIC, finalising the requested (updated) documents for the Step 2 application, the full organisation of the RI in its distributed architecture and the completion of the set-up process. A special focus was given to the RI’s e-component, including specifications of data management solutions and the e-core architecture components (e.g. catalogues, access portal). The access and service offer were finalised. Furthermore, two open calls for access were launched and services focused on development of novel products and characterisation of fermentation processes and their bio-based derived products were provided to external users selected based on the excellence of their applications. Trainings on food safety, quality, traceability and sustainability issues were conducted through webinars. Specific actions were dedicated to the strategic planning, covering financial sustainability, impact analysis, risk management, and contribution to the European Research Area (ERA). Finally, communication, dissemination, and outreach activities were performed, accompanied by actions to liaise with other initiatives - for better integration in the landscape and consolidation of the international dimension - and for community engagement - with relevant inputs for strengthening and enlarging the user community and supporting the RI long-term sustainability.
METROFOOD-EPI has been a foundational step in establishing METROFOOD-RI as a long-term, sustainable operational RI. The project’s impacts span multiple areas, benefiting the research community, policymakers, food businesses, and consumers. The six main impact categories are: scientific, technological and innovation, economic, societal, political, and environmental.
Considering the specific role of the project in the lifecycle of METROFOOD-RI, a critical outcome was the preparation of the complete ERIC Step 2 application package, agreed upon by the National Nodes’ Representing Entities and the Board of Governmental Representatives. This includes the statutes, the policy documents, and technical and scientific descriptions, Terms of References and Rules of Procedures. In terms of operationalisation, the specifications for the e-core components were finalised, including the Authentication and Authorisation Infrastructure, catalogues, and access portal, while the access procedures were finalised and the service chart updated. To support the consolidation of the RI’s positioning in the landscape, the METROFOOD ERIC contribution to the ERA was clarified, and synergies with other RIs were strengthened. As strategic components to support the RI’s long-term sustainability, the KPIs for impact monitoring were refined and the procedures for impact assessment were established; the risk and contingency plans were updated, and the plans for stakeholder outreach and user engagement were further improved. The roadmap for financial sustainability was elaborated, outlining the business model and the roadmap for the smooth implementation and long-term operation of METRFOOD ERIC. This is a crucial element for the RI’s establishment and long-term operation.
Considering the specific role of the project in the lifecycle of METROFOOD-RI, a critical outcome was the preparation of the complete ERIC Step 2 application package, agreed upon by the National Nodes’ Representing Entities and the Board of Governmental Representatives. This includes the statutes, the policy documents, and technical and scientific descriptions, Terms of References and Rules of Procedures. In terms of operationalisation, the specifications for the e-core components were finalised, including the Authentication and Authorisation Infrastructure, catalogues, and access portal, while the access procedures were finalised and the service chart updated. To support the consolidation of the RI’s positioning in the landscape, the METROFOOD ERIC contribution to the ERA was clarified, and synergies with other RIs were strengthened. As strategic components to support the RI’s long-term sustainability, the KPIs for impact monitoring were refined and the procedures for impact assessment were established; the risk and contingency plans were updated, and the plans for stakeholder outreach and user engagement were further improved. The roadmap for financial sustainability was elaborated, outlining the business model and the roadmap for the smooth implementation and long-term operation of METRFOOD ERIC. This is a crucial element for the RI’s establishment and long-term operation.