TRAFOON project is funded by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme(FP7/2007-‐2013) under grant agreement no. 613912
Open to Innovation Conference Networks for the Support of the Traditional Food Sector in Europe
Fostering Entrepreneurship for Traditional Food SMEs
Fostering entrepreneurship
Why? • Reinforce the capacity of the network to stimulate innovation
and entrepreneurship in food researchers and SMEs• Support the innovation transfer
Fostering entrepreneurshipSpecifically it aims to:
i. Provide the stakeholders with the necessary tools toeffectively transfer innovations between knowledge creatorsand technological enablers;
ii. Generate motivated entrepreneurs, engaged in the creationof new activities and businesses;
iii. Ultimately strengthen regional competitiveness and economythrough smart specialization strategies, making a moreefficient use of regional/national capacities.
First step: Inventory of needs – an useful tool
Key elements: – Marketing – Labelling – Legal aspects – Certification – Technology transfer & Education – Entrepreneurship
How we used them?– Qualitative analysis of results of inventory needs and developement of suitable knowledge transfer activities à organisation of specific session in coopeartion with the 4 traditional food categories;
– Development of suitable training activities for SMEs on Fostering Entrepreneurship à face-‐to-‐face trainings divided in modules and integration of other regional/national training mapped by the whole consortium;
– Implementation of the training courses with all the stakeholders (researcher included)
Final output
Preparation of a strategic research innovation agenda for innovation and entrepreneurship in traditional food
production
Malaga, 8th April 2016Entrepreneurship Workshop for SMEs of agricultural and
fisheries sector
• The importance of the business plan• Internationalisation: how a certified product can ease the entry into new markets
• The importance of costs management
Vienna, 5th July 2016Fostering entrepreneurship: supporting the journey to
innovation
• Technology meets the market: how technology transfer generates innovation?
• IPR protection• Formulation of the business plan• Costing and Pricing
China Market StudyOverview of the China food market -‐ trade, market trends, market barriers, opportunities,
and key market stakeholders
• Soon the world’s largest consumer of imported food.• Not a single market; there are several second or third tier cities to be
explored.• Online retail increasing.• End-‐to-‐end cold chain logistics continue to improve.• Fish: increased preference for frozen seafood and dried seafood.• Grain: whole and organic -‐ main selling points for Chinese
consumers.• Fruits and Vegs: imported fresh produce perceived as meeting higher
food safety standards (premium product). But food safety standardsand regulations growing.
USA Market StudyOverview of the USA food market -‐ trade, market trends, market barriers, opportunities,
and key market stakeholders
• Consumption of fruit and vegetables is low amongUS consumers;• EU-‐US: low average import tariffs and the absence of some
inspection requirements for fruits and vegetables;• Rise in demand for healthy fish meals, whole grain food, fruit “as is”
and organicvegetables;• Grain: World’s largest exporter of some grains categories. But there
is market besides animal feed and industry;• Fish: crowded market, fish companies reduce the costs of production
to compensate the high spending in brandingandmarketing;• Primal concerns: how the food is produced; sustainability of the fish
supply; herbicides and pesticides; non-‐GMOgrains.
Best PracticesExamples of entrepreneurship in the field of traditional food
• 8 examples of entrepreneurship approaches that:– Transformed an interesting idea into a successfulbusiness (Trafoon areas).
– Are a response to recentmarket needs and trends.– Have a high degree of innovation.
• Desk research + online interviews which provideddeeper understanding of the case’s background,focus, approach and results. Case study ficheswere built for each example.
Best PracticesNAME DESCRIPTION LOCATION
Orti della Valle del Carpina -‐
Biodiversity and Organic Farming
Ø Local (organic) produceØ Combination of truffles with classic traditional
productsItaly
Aqua4C –Sustainable Fish
FarmingØ Eco-‐innovative Jade Perch farming Belgium
Land Pack – Green Packaging Solutions from the Grains
Fields
Ø Ecological straw-‐based packaging alternative to polystyrene boxes Germany
Nono Sentido –Food and Wellness
Ø Unique local products and combinations – e.g. Olive oil and seaweed Portugal
Best PracticesNAME DESCRIPTION LOCATION
Terrius – adding value to protected designation of
origin products
Ø Dehydrated, milled, canned, processed and fresh local PDO and PGI Portugal
Liá -‐ extra virgin olive
Ø Premium extra virgin olive sealed in a special white bottle
Ø Combination of traditional methods of cultivation with modern concerns: packaging, marketing, etc.
Greece
Yonest -‐ homemade natural Greek yoghurt
Ø Traditional recipe of Greek yoghurt with fresh milk, no addition of cream and 100% natural ingredients
Ø Fruit and cereal recipes
Portugal
Frutaformas – reshapefruit
Ø Transformation of DOP fruit into child-‐friendly orup-‐market snacks Portugal
Best Practice: Aqua4C -‐ eco innovation in a fish farm
• Aqua4C (Omegabaars©) – aquaculture
start-‐up originated from a PhD research
project (KU Leuven).
• Aqua4C is producing Jade Perch fish in
closed recirculation systems and the
energy and water of the farm is integrated
with a tomato greenhouse from Tomato
Masters (www.tomatomasters.be)
Figure 1. Aqua4C fish farm and Tomato Masters Stokstorm greenhouse horticulture in Deinze,
Flanders.
Figure 1. Omegabaars Homepage.
Innovation
• Howdo they make it work?
1. The rainwater that falls in thegreenhouses is used to fill the breedingtanks.
2. The water is heated by the residualheat of the greenhouses.
3. The fish feed is 100% plant-‐based andconsists mainly of grains and oilseeds.
4. The bathing water is purified in thereed-‐bed, assuring that only cleanwater returns to wildlife.
5. Residues are used to fertilize thetomato plants.
Aqua4C and Tomato Masters farming chain.
Products
1. More sustainable choice of fish.
2. Jade Perch (omegabaars in Dutch)presents the highest naturallevels of Omega-‐3 oil and carriesstomach sacs of Omega-‐3 oil.
3. Jade Perch: vegetarian, resistantto diseases -‐ antibiotics are notused in the filtering system (rarein fish breeding).
The Jade Perch, and the cooked fillet.
Lessons & Reflections• Identification of challenges/opportunities : over-‐exploitation of the oceans > need
for sustainable production (aquaculture).
• Aqua4c: a highly eco-‐friendly breeding process, and the production of an ecological fish species.
• Inclusion of scientific knowledge: KU Leuven continues to provide support, including financial assistance.
• Involvement of other start-‐ups on company/product development process: the collaboration with the adjacent tomato farm is a win-‐win situation.
• Capacity to demonstrate in the market the qualities of Jade Perch as a food: healthy and high quality protein-‐rich fish. In terms of taste, it is similar to bream, sea bass, trout or eel.
THANK YOU!
For more info email
Susana Seabra [email protected]ão Gonçalves [email protected]
Laura Lecci [email protected] Shandilya [email protected]