EIT Food

As a Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), EIT Food connects partners from leading businesses, universities, research centres and institutes across 13 countries in Europe and from the entire food value chain.

EIT food is a pan-European partnership, with a consumer-centered approach, to empower innovators, entrepreneurs and students to develop world-class solutions to societal challenges, accelerate innovation, create jobs and increase Europe’s competitiveness.

The partnership’s aim is to develop a highly skilled food sector, which collaborates with consumers to provide products, services and new technologies, which deliver a healthier lifestyle for all European citizens.

As one of the largest food-related initiatives worldwide. EIT Food wants Europe to lead a global revolution in food innovation and production. EIT Food's ambition is to redesign the way we produce, deliver, consume and recycle our food and to create a future-proof and effective food sector which supports a sustainable and circular bio-economy.

Our Consumer-Centric approach

EIT Food links the pillars of the knowledge triangle - innovation, education, business creation - with a consumer-centered approach which gives European citizens the opportunity to become true change agents.
EIT Food will engage consumers in the change process, improve nutrition and make the food system more resource-efficient, secure, transparent and trusted.
EIT Food addresses and connects leading business companies and entrepreneurs, researchers and innovators, students, academics and every European citizen to develop world-class solutions to societal challenges and create a future-proof and effective food sector.

EIT Food has six strategic objectives:

1. Overcome low consumer trust Food supports European citizens in the transition towards a smart food system that is inclusive and reassuring.
2. Create consumer valued food for healthier nutrition EIT Food enables individuals to make informed and affordable personal nutrition choices.
3. Build a consumer-centric connected food system EIT Food develops a digital food supply network with consumers and industry as equal partners.
4. Enhance sustainability through resource stewardship EIT Food develops solutions to transform the traditional ‘produce-use-dispose’ model into a circular bio-economy.
5. Educate to engage, innovate and advance EIT Food provides ‘food system’ skills for more than 10,000 students, entrepreneurs and professionals through advanced training programmes.
6. Catalyse food entrepreneurship and innovation EIT Food fosters innovation at all stages of business creation.

It aims to boost the skills and entrepreneurial spirit in the sector and unlock the potential of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who will accelerate innovation, create jobs, benefit businesses and increase Europe’s competitiveness.

This will be achieved by:

• Developing new talents: EIT Food education programmes will attract and engage new talent thanks to innovative course content which is designed to overcome the ‘silos’ of knowledge and skills in specific areas of the food system. EIT Food will introduce new learning methods, entrepreneurial tools, and business practices that empower students, professionals and executives at all career stages to become entrepreneurial champions in Europe’s food sector.
• Supporting business creation and acceleration: EIT Food will boost the competitiveness of the EU food sector and ensure that Europe remains the number one global exporter of food and drink. EIT Food will proactively support entrepreneurs in transforming their ideas into businesses through the entire start-up cycle and in clearly defining their market. It will generate future entrepreneurial champions in the food sector who will fulfil their ambition to improve nutrition, achieve food security and promote resource-efficient food systems.
• Create consumer-valued food for healthier nutrition: EIT food will develop innovative tools and technologies that support personalised diet profiles combined with the ability to self-assess the impact of customised diets through non-invasive home diagnostics, mobile devices and individual online coaching. This will help to narrow the current gap between people’s intentions and actual behaviour towards healthier foods and lead to an improvement of people’s health across Europe.

Over the first 7 years, the partners will invest close to 1200 million euros matched with up to 400 million euros financed by the EIT. In addition, it is expected to attract significant funding from other sources of private and public sector investment, multiplying the investments made by the EIT.