Objective
The purpose of this THEMATIC NETWORK is to set up an efficient across-Europe collaboration between producers, technologists, retailers and other relevant experts able to boost technology transfer (and Rmethodology transfer') related to innovative solutions for offering high quality convenience products at the point of sale. The development of the market potential of fruits and vegetables is limited by the offer of quality, safe, convenience products. While sensory attributes are important, convenience of use is also a need for today's consumers and fresh fruits and vegetables are generally time consuming to prepare. Furthermore, fruits and vegetables offer innovative product opportunities in the so-called 'future foods', that is, minimally processed fruits and vegetables with prominent 'natural' and 'healthyr features (anti-cancer, health-drinks, fermented bio-active vegetable preparations, etc.).
The project therefore intends to explore the good opportunity for transeuropean collaboration in the development of the market potential of fruits and vegetables: technology transfer (occurring largely from North to South) can improve the offer of hortofruticultural products (moving more from South to North) at adequate prices, good quality and increased convenience. This translates into benefits to the healthy eating habits of the (specially northern) consumers and added value to the (particularly southem) producers.
The purpose of such collaboration is to try to promote more 'process' innovation (specially in the South) and 'product' innovation (specially in the North).
The tasks defined are the following:
1. Analysis of the supply and distribution chain of fresh and minimally processed hortofruticultural products in different countries of Northern and Southern Europe;
a) identificatlon of quality and safety control methods and of technologies employed in the different countries;
b) identification of critical points showing a greater potential for improvement by application of available scientific and technological solutions;
c) identification of technologies able to contribute to the improvement of the critical points, with quantification of costs and training required to implement them (areas of special attention: postharvest technology, storage, heating technologies, modified atmospheres, active packaging systems)
2. Identification of new 'product-opportunities', making better use of a good North-South quality chain, and exploring the concept of 'future foods' .
3. Production of a series of manuals and other dissemination material written for the producer and for the retailer containing the recommended steps for introducing the two main lines of innovation being discussed:
a) technologies and practices that ensure optimised quality and safety;
b) possibilities for 'future foods' based on fruits and vegetables.
4. Interchange and dissemination;
a) Organisation of 'missions' constituted by project partners and also staff from producer and retailer companies of one country to others;
b) Organisation of workshops.
The several tasks will be developed by working teams in each country and involve producer and retailer companies, by making use of existing local networks. Each project partner therefore operates as the coordinator of the local network. The project activities (working teams, missions, events) will be organised in such a way that seeds may be created for international partnerships. Mobility is therefore a key element in these initiatives.
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.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture fruit growing
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture horticulture vegetable growing
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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.
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.
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
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Coordinator
4050 Porto
Portugal
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.