Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PRO-METROFOOD (Progressing towards the construction of METROFOOD-RI)
Reporting period: 2017-01-01 to 2017-12-31
METROFOOD-RI is a European RI listed as “Emerging” on the 2016 ESFRI Roadmap. It is a new, distributed RI of Global Interest, by means of which it is possible to carry out different activities supporting data collection and measurement reliability, as well as basic and frontier research in food and nutrition, with the general objective to enhance scientific cooperation and encourage interaction between the various stakeholders, as well as the creation of a common and shared base of data, information and knowledge. The general objective of PRO-METROFOOD is to bring the emerging METROFOOD-RI ESFRI project to the level of maturity required for entering in the active project list (ESFRI Roadmap 2018), strengthening the Consortium and planning the future phases. In order to reach this general objective, 4 specific objectives have been identified: design strategies on the medium and long terms; provide the organizational framework of METROFOOD-RI; demonstrate the capability of METROFOOD-RI to supply scientific services and prepare the chart of services; establish plans to coherently integrate METROFOOD-RI into the European landscape, realising coordination with EU and National initiatives and positioning at a global level. These specific objectives are connected to scientific, technical and conceptual aspects. Thanks to a well-defined strategic plan, PRO-METROFOOD focuses on the development of a unique RI able to provide services at a cutting-edge level, but at the same time sustainable and able to positively impact by overcoming of the high fragmentation of which suffer the research system in general and the sector of research on Food and Health, so giving benefits related to consolidation, reliability and accessibility of big data, building of public trust in the data, and expansion of the people’s ability to use them.
The “wide planning” of METROFOOD-RI was realised and the core and supportive components and the structural determinants defined and developed. METROFOOD-RI vision, mission, objectives, drivers and strategies were stated: risk and contingency plans (D2.1) human resources policy (D2.2) user strategy and access policy (D2.3) financial plan (D2.4) strategies and long term sustainability plan (D2.5).
The conceptual management model the RI was developed. In particular, the Consortia were strengthen both at National and EU level (D3.1) up to the signature of a GCA for METROFOOD-RI (D3.3). The governance structure was defined considering different schemes along the different phases (D3.6) and the final legal structure was selected as an ERIC (D3.4). The Quality Documentation System has been designed and planned (D3.5). The DMP (D3.2) has been developed considering all research data generated and/or collected by the RI and all the phases. The technical implementation for the Physical- and e-RI was developed. In particular, a detailed inventory of all the facilities was performed (D4.1 and D5.1) and a first service chart for both the services delivered by the Physical- and the e-RI was defined (D4.2 and D5.2). The linkages between the two Physical- and e-sections were also studied and the plans for their better integration defined (D5.3). Finally the technical implementation plan was defined (D4.3 D5.4). In order to demonstrate the actual capability to provide services and test the inter-operability, two pilot services were implemented: development of new Multipurpose-RMs (D4.4); implementation of a pilot e- infrastructure (D5.5). In order to position in a right and effective way METROFOOD-RI, an in-depth and systematic examination of the landscape has been performed, first of all in the field of Food and Nutrition, but also in some other potentially related fields (D6.1). The possibilities of including METROFOOD in the national roadmaps and/or national and regional RIS3 were studied as well (D6.2). Then, the potential added value in joining forces and develop collaborations with existing networks and other national and ESFRI listed RIs was evaluated and dedicated actions put in place (D6.3). Finally, the inter-links with global initiatives and the positioning at a global level were considered (D6.4). The plans for communication (D7.2) training (D7.3) dissemination and exploitation (D7.6) of METROFOOD-RI were designed. A systematic analysis of stakeholders was performed defining guidelines for mapping (D7.1) and finally setting up the procedure to develop the user database (D7.5). Also, the PRO-METROFOOD website and the METROFOOD-RI one were updated and improved (D7.4). The project and its outcomes were communicated with many different initiatives at both National and EU level, and some national and international open events were organised.
The conceptual management model the RI was developed. In particular, the Consortia were strengthen both at National and EU level (D3.1) up to the signature of a GCA for METROFOOD-RI (D3.3). The governance structure was defined considering different schemes along the different phases (D3.6) and the final legal structure was selected as an ERIC (D3.4). The Quality Documentation System has been designed and planned (D3.5). The DMP (D3.2) has been developed considering all research data generated and/or collected by the RI and all the phases. The technical implementation for the Physical- and e-RI was developed. In particular, a detailed inventory of all the facilities was performed (D4.1 and D5.1) and a first service chart for both the services delivered by the Physical- and the e-RI was defined (D4.2 and D5.2). The linkages between the two Physical- and e-sections were also studied and the plans for their better integration defined (D5.3). Finally the technical implementation plan was defined (D4.3 D5.4). In order to demonstrate the actual capability to provide services and test the inter-operability, two pilot services were implemented: development of new Multipurpose-RMs (D4.4); implementation of a pilot e- infrastructure (D5.5). In order to position in a right and effective way METROFOOD-RI, an in-depth and systematic examination of the landscape has been performed, first of all in the field of Food and Nutrition, but also in some other potentially related fields (D6.1). The possibilities of including METROFOOD in the national roadmaps and/or national and regional RIS3 were studied as well (D6.2). Then, the potential added value in joining forces and develop collaborations with existing networks and other national and ESFRI listed RIs was evaluated and dedicated actions put in place (D6.3). Finally, the inter-links with global initiatives and the positioning at a global level were considered (D6.4). The plans for communication (D7.2) training (D7.3) dissemination and exploitation (D7.6) of METROFOOD-RI were designed. A systematic analysis of stakeholders was performed defining guidelines for mapping (D7.1) and finally setting up the procedure to develop the user database (D7.5). Also, the PRO-METROFOOD website and the METROFOOD-RI one were updated and improved (D7.4). The project and its outcomes were communicated with many different initiatives at both National and EU level, and some national and international open events were organised.
The ambition of PRO-METROFOOD is to crate, design and made sustainable a new RI representing a novelty in the landscape of the EU (ESFRI) RIs, with particular reference to the “Health & Food” Domain. The creation of such kind of new RI will lead to introduce different elements of innovation, such as: meeting and integration in a single RI of two areas traditionally separated (“Food” and “Metrology”); broad multidisciplinary approach with different application fields involving different kinds of users; wide audience of stakeholders and close relationships with them; active cooperation with industries and consumers; new approach to traceability aimed to create collaborative models between enterprises along the food chain and among local chains; development of functional models for sharing and performing collaborative validation of innovations and new technological solutions. Other more specific elements of innovation are strictly related to the pilot services: for the Physical-RI, production of new multipurpose-RMs filling a gap in the current production; for the e-RI, it can permit to enhance research by allowing exploitation of existing data and will realise an innovative application to access data and data analyses, in order to provide food and health innovations.
Expected impacts of PRO-METROFOOD can be grouped as follows: 1) strengthening the technological development capacity and effectiveness, as well as the scientific performance, efficiency and attractiveness of the ERA; 2) organisation of a first-class RI providing transnational access and cutting-edge services; 3) impacts on scientific and knowledge development, European research capacity, competitiveness, economy and society. PRO-METROFOOD at first and then more widely METROFOOD-RI operated/will operate though merit base to promote competitiveness, growth and jobs, economic and social cohesion. In particular, the RI will constitute a useful tool for promoting the competitiveness and the market expansion. In fact the Market Globalization requires, as essential prerequisite, a System of Measurements traceable to basic SI units such that the results become reliable and mutually recognized. An economic return will be produced in terms of industrial development, Technological Transfer, occupation and training. Furthermore METROFOOD-RI, through the wide involvement of stakeholders, makes possible to apply the principles of RRI tackling the research in the agrifood sector in a holistic way, by integrating the issues related to Safety, Sustainability and Competitiveness of the Agro-Industrial System, aiming towards convergent objectives and aligning research and innovation with the values, needs and expectations of the whole Society.
Expected impacts of PRO-METROFOOD can be grouped as follows: 1) strengthening the technological development capacity and effectiveness, as well as the scientific performance, efficiency and attractiveness of the ERA; 2) organisation of a first-class RI providing transnational access and cutting-edge services; 3) impacts on scientific and knowledge development, European research capacity, competitiveness, economy and society. PRO-METROFOOD at first and then more widely METROFOOD-RI operated/will operate though merit base to promote competitiveness, growth and jobs, economic and social cohesion. In particular, the RI will constitute a useful tool for promoting the competitiveness and the market expansion. In fact the Market Globalization requires, as essential prerequisite, a System of Measurements traceable to basic SI units such that the results become reliable and mutually recognized. An economic return will be produced in terms of industrial development, Technological Transfer, occupation and training. Furthermore METROFOOD-RI, through the wide involvement of stakeholders, makes possible to apply the principles of RRI tackling the research in the agrifood sector in a holistic way, by integrating the issues related to Safety, Sustainability and Competitiveness of the Agro-Industrial System, aiming towards convergent objectives and aligning research and innovation with the values, needs and expectations of the whole Society.