FOOD2020 I

Action for the Future in the German-Dutch Food Industry

In October 2015, the steering committee INTERREG/EDR gave the go-ahead for the Food2020 project, initiated by the German Institute of Food Technologies, (DIL) in Quakenbrück. The project has a budget of 5.2 million Euro.

Food2020 intends to prepare the food industry in the German-Dutch border region for 2020. The activities initiated by Food2020 aim specifically at cross-border cooperation between companies, realised by experts and research facilities working closely with business, in order to stimulate the transfer of technology and innovative developments. Topics under discussion include “The development and use of new processing methods”, “Sustainability in food production” and “Improving work conditions”. At the same time, measures are planned to recruit qualified workers, guaranteeing the economic stability of the region’s food sector. Food2020 will implement specific measures to counter the impending shortage of qualified staff. Staff training plays an important role here. However, steps are being taken to attract new employees in the border region. The project’s goal is to progressively establish a model region for a viable food industry in the project area.

Feasibility studies and innovation projects

25 cross-border feasibility studies and ten innovation projects are being funded, in which companies develop new products, processes and services in collaboration with scientific institutions. By way of example, some of the projects deal with developing innovative products using insects as a basis, improving industrial hygiene in production by deploying new types of surfaces and innovative cleaning procedures, or establishing a modular system for employee advanced training in small and medium-sized companies in the food sector.

Project partners

The project, which is planned to run for two and a half years, is being coordinated by DIL and carried out with eight partners from the German-Dutch border region. The German project partners are NieKE (Agrifood State Initiative), FPI (Food Processing Initiative) and GIQS. In the Netherlands, the business development agencies NOM (Investerings- en ontwikkelingsmaatschappij voor Noord-Nederland), Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij Oost NV, LIOF (NV Industriebank) and BOM (Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij) are involved in the project, as well as the Agro-Food Network Food Valley NL.

Financiers

FOOD2020 is implemented within the INTERREG programme Deutschland-Nederland and is co-financed by the European Union and the Staatskanzlei Niedersachsen, the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Energie, Industrie, Mittelstand und Handwerk NRW, the Dutch Ministerie van Economische Zaken and the provinces of Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslân, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, Noord-Brabant and Overijssel. It is supported by the programme management of the Ems Dollart Region.

Further information can be found on the project website and on the social media profiles from FOOD2020 on Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn and Xing.

  • Funding programme: INTERREG V A
  • Term: 07/15 - 12/17
  • Budget: 5.2 MM Euro
  • Partners: GIQS + 8