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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FOODstars (Innovative Food Product Development Cycle: Frame for Stepping Up Research Excellence of FINS - FOODstars)

Teaser

Summary

Stepping up the research excellence of FINS within the whole Innovative Food Product Development Cycle in close cooperation with the eminent research institutions in the EU, Teagasc - Agriculture and Food Development Authority of Ireland and the University of Bologna, Italy aims at creating the preconditions for the implementation of OPEN INNOVATION principles in the development of food products. Project activities are designed to promote a creative triangle: RESEARCH â€“ INDUSTRY â€“ CONSUMERS within which inner synergy between key players will contribute to boost the innovation rate of food industry.
The involvement of researchers from various fields of food technology acts to promote the multidisciplinary research and enable their better integration in the process of food product development. The constellation of FOODstars increases contacts, broadens networks, facilitates the discussion between partners and develops durable joint research partnerships. By bringing together various skills and experiences from different fields of science, engineering and marketing the innovation process in the industry is improving, enabling better technology and/or product solutions. Thus, the necessary confidence and trust between research and industry and long-lasting scienceâ€“industry cooperation at any step in the innovation process is ensured. Moreover, FOODstars tends to strengthen the ties with consumers as the most available innovation partners and actively involve them in the innovation process within the food industry. By interacting with informed consumers, the food industry is able to respond to the specific consumer needs and facilitate development and delivery of the demanded new food products.
FOODstars is an initiator of social changes that strengthen the ability to adapt to new technologies and continued innovation. Since highly promote innovation, new skills and technological advances, FOODstars acts as a driver of industry revitalization and economic development, especially due to the fact that it targets schoolchildren and students presenting them with the effective training and career development activities in the food science and technology.
In that manner, the preconditions for emerging ideas for new, healthy, safe, high-quality, affordable and innovative food products and technological processes will be created. The spirit of open innovation aims at bringing satisfaction to all for the benefit of the whole society: to science - the power of emerging knowledge, to industry â€“ the increased competitiveness, to consumers â€“ food products created in accordance to their preferences.

Work performed

So far, eight one-month long trainings were conducted in the project partner institutions, involving 22 researchers from FINS. Two trainings were completed at UNIBO, Italy and six at TEAGASC, Ireland. Moreover, 22 FINS researchers attended the school organized within the project which allows FINS researchers better research planning and design of experiments. Knowledge is gained in specific food research areas such as novel food technologies, food structure, food components analysis, aroma profiling, sensory and consumer science. During the training in the project partner institutions certain research results have been gathered publishable in the top 10% impact ranked scientific journals, as well as presentable at the international food conferences.
Four workshops and one school held at FINS were attended by PhD student, researchers and university professors beyond the host institution thus enabling better communication and the exchange of ideas and creating new partnerships and interdisciplinary teams nationally and internationally. The performance of each event was assessed by a survey and rated very high by participants.

Final results

As a result of FOODstars activities FINS human resources have been strengthened: their international mobility has been increased together with significant improvement of their set of skills, not only research-, but also consumer- and industry-related. Hence, their higher R&I output has already been observed which leads to innovative ideas and knowledge transferable to new products being of great importance for knowledge-based economy and society. Research network between coordinating and partner institutions, as well as with national research institutions have been strengthen offering new possibilities for cooperation within European Research Area, increased visibility and reputation of FINS.