Objective
Global food systems face mounting challenges from climate change, resource scarcity, and fragile supply chains. Gas precision fermentation, a biotechnology where engineered microorganisms convert gases such as CO2 and H2 into nutrients, offers a transformative pathway to sustainable, resilient nutrition. AIR2FOOD will establish Europe’s first innovation hub for gas precision fermentation, uniting academia, pioneering companies, investors, regulators, and civil society into a coherent ecosystem. The project advances three demonstrators to TRL6, producing β-lactoglobulin (whey protein), β-alanine (nutraceutical), casein (milk protein), and β-palmitate (human milk fat) directly from CO2 and renewable energy. These demonstrators not only deliver success stories to build investor confidence but also act as sector proxies, covering diverse product classes, fermentation strategies, and microorganisms, and offering scalable, climate-positive alternatives to conventional proteins and lipids. AIR2FOOD integrates biotechnology advances with techno-economic and life-cycle assessments, green business models, investment roadmaps, and regulatory foresight to ensure outcomes are technically robust, economically viable, and socially acceptable. To accelerate adoption, it develops shared pilot infrastructures, an AI-enabled knowledge base, a browser-based economic and environmental assessment platform, and a regulatory sandbox - reducing barriers for start-ups and SMEs while informing policy. Stakeholder engagement spanning food companies, retailers, NGOs, chefs, farmers, and regional innovation valleys will foster trust, inclusivity, and acceptance. Embedding sustainability, legitimacy, and scalability from the outset, AIR2FOOD will position Europe as a leader in gas precision fermentation. In the long term, it will deliver safe, climate-positive food solutions that reduce import reliance, land and water use, and strengthen sovereignty, competitiveness, and climate neutrality.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences atmospheric sciences climatology climatic changes
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.6 - Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.6.5 - Food Systems
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL6-2025-02
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
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.
SW7 2AZ London
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.