The Hub4Food project, led by Asociación Cluster Alimentario de Galicia and supported by the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme, has completed a series of knowledge-sharing events that brought together SMEs, research organisations, industry clusters, policymakers and civil society to strengthen the Atlantic agrifood innovation ecosystem.
These exchanges promoted collaboration across Spain, Ireland, Portugal and France, showcasing research and innovation while preparing the ground for the project's upcoming pilot activities. By fostering stronger links between research, industry and policy, Hub4Food continues to drive sustainable innovation and support the competitiveness of the Atlantic food sector.
Spain: Orchestrating Technological Disruption in Galicia and Bilbao
The Spanish consortium has spearheaded a multi-regional engagement strategy focusing on the integration of disruptive technologies within the marine and food industries.
During the Food4Future expo, EIT Food and Clusaga, food cluster partners, leveraged a high-visibility platform to lead the roundtable discussion titled "Best Technologies to Develop Better Food." This session, held alongside blue marine startups, explored the untapped potential of blue bioresources.
Technical leadership continued with the event "Disruption and Innovation in the Marine and Food Industry," hosted by ANFACO-CYTMA (RTO partner) in Vigo. Furthermore, Clusaga and ANFACO conducted a specialised webinar on "New products and opportunities for the food industry," providing SMEs with actionable intelligence on emerging market requirements.
Ireland: Strategic Policy Alignment at 'Atlantic Days 2025'
In Galway, BIA Innovator Campus (food cluster) and Teagasc (RTO) positioned Hub4Food at the centre of the European policy debate during 'Atlantic Days 2025' at the Marine Institute. This flagship gathering encompassed the Interreg Atlantic Area Annual Event and the Atlantic Stakeholder Platform Conference.
The Irish partners facilitated meaningful interactions with representatives from the European Commission's DG REGIO (Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy) and DG MARE (Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries). These discussions emphasised how Hub4Food aligns with the "EU Ocean Pact" and the broader "Tides of Cooperation" theme of the Atlantic Strategy.
Portugal: Pioneering National Engagement from Science to Gastronomy
The Portuguese consortium pioneered a national engagement strategy aimed at bridging the gap between scientific research and consumer-ready innovation through two major initiatives:
- Lisbon Food Affair: Inovcluster (food cluster), CATAA (RTO), and MARE-IPLeiria (RTO) orchestrated a strategic roundtable titled "From the Sea to the Plate: Where the Atlantic Meets Innovation." The session focused on the commercial valorisation of marine resources, transforming scientific research into viable food solutions.
- Mostra dos Fundos (Coimbra): MARE–IPLeiria, Inovcluster, and CATAA represented the project at this major EU-funded innovation showcase. High-impact project presentations were delivered under the theme "Investigação e saúde" (Research and Health). A critical technical highlight included sensory "proof of concept" testing involving innovative products developed by the project's pilot partner, Allmicroalgae.
France: Advancing Circularity and Marine Valorisation
French networking initiatives focused on the technical and circular economy aspects of marine resource transformation.
Valorial (food cluster), PRAXENS (RTO), and Lempa (RTO) participated in 'Le Salon de l'Algue' (Seaweed Fair) in Rennes. During the professional B2B matchmaking day, the partners conducted rigorous sensory testing of seaweed biscuits, evaluating taste, texture, and appearance to establish concrete guidelines for further product development.
Additionally, Valorial organised a high-impact session on transforming marine by-products into valuable resources for the agrifood sector. Crucially, this included a project ideation workshop specifically focused on the valorisation of marine co-products, driving the identification of new circular economy models.
