Periodic Reporting for period 1 - B-shelf (Edible coating for preventing loss of water and fungi proliferation in fruits and vegetables)
Berichtszeitraum: 2017-05-01 bis 2017-08-31
B-Shelf is an innovative project that will allow our company to speed up the commercialization of an edible coating at a competitive price which will disrupt the post-harvesting and in-storage market of fruits and vegetables. B-shelf answers the global need of reducing post-harvest losses of fresh produce: Only in Europe, €13 billion are wasted during distribution, retail and household levels yearly. B-Shelf could save 40% of these losses, saving €5.2 billion. Our target is to reach the market in 2020 with a solution that will reduce significantly water losses and fungal infections in fresh pepper, to later reach other fruits and vegetables.
We have analysed the Freedom to Operate of our solution, as well as its financial and technical feasibility, to finally elaborate a solid business plan. We have found that our novelty is not yet protected by any patent, while we have our core technology, the microcapsules, already protected in 20 countries. However, we are aware of the need to respond quicker than our competitors, since is a growing market. Therefore, we have defined a complete and structured Technical Work Plan for the final adaptation of our solution to peppers (as a model for other crops) and to comply with the regulations in our target markets, as well as a Business Model. BotanoCap’s profile is suitable to develop this project, as it sums management capabilities, technological and industrial expertise, sound established research, business and commercial networks, lobby capabilities and innovative attitude. However, we consider that by getting involved different key stakeholders from the very early stages, B-Shelf project will have a greater impact.
The impact of B-Shelf will reach the whole supply chain: from production to the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. However, since post-harvest handling and storage, processing and distribution and retailing phases are being affected the most from food losses due to spoilage and contamination they will be given special focus upon commercialization. With B-shelf, these European stakeholders can save up to €5.2 billion. Handlers, processors and distributors will experience a positive effect on their profits by the boosting their delivery volumes, decrease delivery frequencies and enlarged access to new markets. For BotanoCap, B-shelf will generate up to €26M cumulative profit after 5 years of commercialization and will generate 78 new jobs.