In a significant milestone for Foodscale Hub’s contribution to the EU’s food technology and sustainability sector, two Foodscale Hub projects, Ploutos and CoRoSect, have been recognised by the European Commission’s Innovation Radar for their innovative contributions. Significantly, the FoodSHare platform, developed under the Ploutos_H2020 project, demonstrated groundbreaking advancements in addressing critical issues such as food waste, community support, and food security. This marks a proud moment in Foodscale Hub’s history, since, as Key Innovators for the FoodSHare platform, we now see the fruits of our joint labor with other Ploutos project partners.
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FoodSHare: Revolutionising Food Redistribution
FoodSHare, a platform designed to streamline the distribution of surplus food to charities and other initiatives with a good cause, was lauded by the Innovation Radar for its potential to transform the food industry. Developed within the Ploutos_H2020 project, FoodSHare focused on reducing food waste, supporting local communities, and helping the environment. By providing a seamless way to donate or access surplus food, FoodSHare addressed a significant problem in the food supply chain.
The European Commission’s Innovation Radar highlighted FoodSHare for its innovative approach and potential impact. This recognition underscored the platform’s importance and aligned with the broader goals of the Ploutos project. Ploutos developed a Sustainable Innovation Framework that leveraged behavioural innovation, sustainable business models, and data-driven technology to create systemic changes in the agri-food sector.
Ploutos’ strategy involved deploying 11 innovative systemic Sustainable Innovation Pilots across 13 countries, encompassing diverse agri-food ecosystems, from arable farming to dairy production. These pilots integrated behaviour change, collaborative business modelling, and data-driven innovation to deliver environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable solutions.
CoRoSect: Transforming Insect Farming with Robotics
The CoRoSect project is another project recognised by the Innovation Radar, with multiple CoRoSect innovations added to the European Commission’s portal. The project addressed the challenge of food security through the innovative use of robotics in insect farming. As the global population is projected to exceed 8 billion by 2030, food security has become a main concern. Insect farming presented a promising solution due to its sustainability and efficiency. However, the current manual processes involved in insect farming needed to be scaled and optimised to meet future demands.
CoRoSect introduced a Cognitive Robotic System for Digitalized and Networked Automated Insect Farms. This system aims to replace labour-intensive tasks with automated robotic procedures, increasing efficiency and reducing costs. By integrating research on the bionomics and life cycles of insects with advanced robotic tools, CoRoSect enhanced the scalability and sustainability of insect farming.
The project’s innovative approach was further demonstrated through large-scale pilots conducted in five insect farms across five European countries. These pilots focused on rearing three commonly occurring insect species, ensuring a robust evaluation of CoRoSect technologies and their impact on food security.
While Foodscale Hub is not the key innovator in the innovations listed on the website, our organisation held the important role of…
Foodscale Hub: Continuous Commitment to Sustainable Innovation
Both Ploutos’ FoodSHare platform and CoRoSect’s multiple innovations were part of a broader commitment to sustainable innovation in the food industry. The Ploutos project, encompassing 33 partners from various sectors, including farmers, food industry companies, scientists, and policymakers, exemplified a collaborative effort to revolutionise the agri-food sector. The establishment of the Ploutos Innovation Academy further strengthened this commitment by integrating best practices and assessments derived from the project’s pilots.
The recognition by the European Commission’s Innovation Radar is a testament to the significant strides made by these projects in advancing food technology and sustainability. By addressing food waste, supporting local communities, and enhancing food security through innovative solutions, Ploutos FoodShare and CoRoSect have paved the way for a more sustainable future.
As these projects have come to an end, they hold the promise of making a lasting impact on the food industry, ensuring that the benefits of technological and scientific breakthroughs are realised across Europe and beyond. The future of food security and sustainability looks promising with such high-potential innovations leading the way.
We, as Foodscale Hub, are excited to take part in that future. For more, follow our Newsroom.