"Menuterraneus has developed a platform, both web and mobile, that helps users plan their weekly menu, thus helping them to acquire healthy habits. Specifically, Menuterraneus has developed an algorithm able to automatically generate a nutritionally balanced menu, making it complementary to the school menu that children receive in their schools. Thus, responding to the question that all European families make every day ""What will we eat today?""
We have conducted a market research to determine the technical and economic feasibility of the roll out of Menuterraneus into France, Germany and the UK.
The results show that, while it is a very appreciated tool from nutritionist perspective, there is very little interest from end users. Only 5% to 15% declare to plan their dinner ahead and 2% to 8% would be interested in our app. Also, adapting our algorithm to each market would require major changes at a significant cost. Given these challenges we believe, that at this time, it doesn’t make sense to try to extend our platform to other European markets. It would be very difficult to find enough critical mass to justify the required investment or support from third parties.
Nonetheless, our interviews with different players, mainly schools and parents, have led us to identify a new opportunity. There is a need to improve communications between schools and families. Communication tools are key to improve education methods and relationship between schools and both parents and students
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
1. To study eating habits in the European Union, to lay the foundations of project developments in a European context.
Search and contact partners (nutritionists) in the different countries, which will be subcontracted to help in the study of eating habits. Menuterraneus has already identified three possible partners:
o France: Societé Française de Nutrition
o Germany: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e.V.
o UK: The Nutrition Society
2. To study the technical feasibility to evolve the current algorithm to the customs/habits of each of the selected countries.
3. To specify the necessary investments for the development of the previous points and to address the needed changes to the application and its contents. A work schedule will also be estimated.
4. To evaluate the market fit of a system as proposed in those EU representative countries through a proof of concept and to identify the adequate partners.
5. Finally, ways of monetization in each different country will be studied.
6. An analysis of associated risks (barriers, competition in markets, regulatory standards, etc.) and an analysis of the management of intellectual property generated, will be performed.
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