Towards commercialization of food systems microbiome solutions

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

• identified barriers and opportunities for scaling up innovative products and technologies that leverage and/or support the microbiome for resilient, competitive and sustainable organic, circular and conventional food systems, contributing where relevant to biodiversity, climate and environmental sustainability;
• improved in-situ testing of innovative microbiome solutions related to organic and conventional food systems to promote their access on the EU market.

Scope:

Microbiome solutions demonstrated high potential to support our food systems, making them more resilient, more productive and more environmental-friendly, for instance by boosting crop yields, improving food safety, supporting biodiversity and leveraging its benefits or decreasing fertilizers use or pesticide needs. However, bringing these solutions to the market face several challenges, for instance the lack of business models for widespread deployment, or consistently producing at scale effective microbiome solutions. The topic is relevant to the EU policies related to the Commission communication on: Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU, the new EU bioeconomy strategy, the Life Sciences Strategy, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the R&I Food 2030 Framework, the Clean Industrial Deal, and the policies on digital transition (e.g. AI Act, etc).

Proposals should address all the following activities:

• promote the access to the EU market of innovative microbiome solutions (technologies or products leveraging and/or supporting microbial communities and their interaction with their host and/or environment) that are tackling challenges in sectors supporting resilient, competitive, climate-, environmental-friendly and sustainable food systems;
• develop technologies, standards and/or methodologies enabling cost-effective and reliable production and deployment at scale of microbiome solutions;
• provide business models for companies, SMEs and start-ups to facilitate the successful deployment and commercialization of microbiome solutions for the EU market.

Projects selected must follow the multi-actor approach. Actors involved may be researchers, advisors, food and bioeconomy business, startups and SMEs. Proposals should ensure an early engagement of researchers, businesses (including SMEs and startups), public authorities and policy makers, and consumers associations to co-develop, test, validate and adopt the solutions.