Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TrustEat (Building a trusty future food system by using blockchain tech)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2022-01-01 al 2023-09-30
The TrustEat project was a Twinning action between the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL, Portugal), Wageningen University & Research (WUR, Netherlands), and IBM Research Europe (IBM, Switzerland) in the field of food blockchain. The essence of the partnership was to strengthen the research area of food blockchain, focusing on improving INL´s research profile and capturing future opportunities of joint research. With these objectives, partners have developed a R&D Strategic Roadmap, conducted training for senior and junior researchers, benchmarked activities in research management, and developed activities with stakeholders to make the project sustainable. Activities included staff exchanges, expert visits, on-site/virtual training, workshops, joint summer schools and activities to increase the ecosystem awareness.
In Talent Programme I for ERs, the goal was to enhance INL ERs' R&I profile in blockchain for the agrifood sector. TrustEat partners conducted 3 workshops for about 35 INL ERs, well-received for content, organization, and interaction. Expert Visits featured 13 scientific lectures aligned with the 3 modules, initially held online due to the pandemic. Summer Schools integrated Scientific Lectures, with recorded sessions on the TrustEat website. 7 ER secondments visited IBM and WUR.
Talent Programme II for ESRs hosted online (2021) and in-person (2022) Summer Schools. The program included Virtual Trainings, Seminars, and Scientific Lectures. Both editions had unique elements like tutoring, Career Session, Satellite day, Technical Workshop, and social activities. 3 Technical Workshops covered hands-on examples and concrete data flows and authentication pipelines from sensor to end result. 7 ESR secondments to WUR and IBM explored various aspects of agrifood research.
Talent Programme III - Project Management benchmarked Research Management across INL, WUR, and IBM. INL members visited IBM, and the Grants Office exchanged visits with WUR.
Sustainability actions included a Virtual Cooperation Platform and a Think Tank.
On the dissemination side, the project website received 5,822 visits, and partners disseminated information via social media, newsletters, videos, and conferences.
TrustEat pursued funding opportunities, resulting in 2 approved Horizon Europe projects on food traceability and digitalization.
Internal monitoring involved an International Advisory Board, issuing mid-term and final evaluation reports.
Topics and ideas that were explored in the TrustEat secondments will potentially led to 6 publications. In addition, the consortium is preparing to launch a Special Issue dedicated to the applications of Blockchain in the Food System.
The project has significantly elevated INL's visibility among European partners, resulting in invitations to participate in 3 different consortia for Horizon Europe proposals related to agrifood blockchain. Furthermore, INL collaborated with WUR to jointly develop 5 proposals for Horizon Europe. From the 11 Horizon Europe proposals initiated, 9 were submitted, 2 dropped and 2 approved. One of the projects approved will give continuity to the learning outcomes of TrustEat as it aims to find Transparency Solutions for Transforming the Food Systems. It comprises 27 partners linked to agri-food actors and businesses through an interactive co-creation approach, which will enable INL to create more strategic connections.
INL is working together with the international company SOGRAPE in the implementation of maturity sensors for grapes in the field, in the follow up of the Horizon 2020 project i-GRAPE. Learning outcomes from TrustEat are being applied in this sensor. A patent was registered related to this project.
TrustEat promoted the involvement of 5 regional stakeholders in blockchain proposals. It also created a Think Tank in Portugal/Galicia and organised a Think Tank Forum with academia, industry and policy makers. Different topics were discussed, such as examples of early adoption of digital technologies in companies to trace food products, markets ‘acceptance and future positioning of the region. Topics discussed may be included in the policy agendas.