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Creation of an Excellence Group to Foster the Design of Affordable, Sustainable, and Healthy Foods

Project description

Sustainable food design processes

As the global population grows, the demand for food is increasing, putting pressure on the agrifood sector to meet this need sustainably. Consumers now seek foods that are healthy, affordable, delicious, and aligned with their dietary preferences. Traditional methods are struggling to keep pace with these expectations. In response, the EU-funded THRIVE project aims to transform the food industry through innovative research. Specifically, it will establish an ERA Chair in Sustainable Food Structuring Technologies at Universidade Católica Portuguesa’s Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF). The project will build an interdisciplinary team focused on developing cutting-edge food design processes. By integrating an innovative fork-to-farm approach, THRIVE will drive sustainable innovation and advance the CBQF.

Objective

The rapid growth of the global population is pressuring the agri-food sector to deliver in a sustainable manner healthy, tasty, and affordable foods which are aligned with the consumer dietary preferences. In response to this, THRIVE will establish an ambitious ERA Chair programme in Sustainable Food Structuring Technologies at the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry (CBQF) of Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Under the leadership of Professor Lília Ahrné, a world-leading researcher in the field, THRIVE will enhance the scientific excellence and innovation capacity of CBQF and Portugal through the creation of an interdisciplinary research group that will support the development of new processes for the structural design of future sustainable and healthy foods. A novel “fork-to-farm” approach, involving not only researchers, but also consumers, producers, retailers, and polici-makers will be used to foster co-creation, while promoting strategic interactions with relevant international and intersectoral stakeholders to increase THRIVE’s impact on the agri-food systems.
The proposed activities will contribute to the green transition of the agri-food sector, a strategic area for Portugal and Europe, while ensuring that new food product designs are both technically feasible and tailored to customer’s needs and preferences. In addition, THRIVE’s mission transcends research, encompassing a commitment to drive structural changes and support measures to make CBQF’s performance thrive. By integrating the EU Charter and Code for Researchers, developing a new integrative research strategy (including the creation of a Living Lab), establishing a robust stakeholder platform, and boosting CBQF’s research management capacity, THRIVE aspires to cultivate an ecosystem conducive to ideation and innovation, thus placing CBQF as an international hub at the forefront of R&I in Food Science, with a strong impact on the regional, national, and European systems.

Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-CSA - HORIZON Coordination and Support Actions

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-TALENTS-01

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Coordinator

UNIVERSIDADE CATOLICA PORTUGUESA
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 2 499 214,26
Address
PALMA DE CIMA
1649 023 LISBOA
Portugal

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Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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