CONFERENCE: RESEARCH AND INNOVATION TO FOSTER THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE EUROPEAN AGRI-FOOD AND SEAFOOD SECTORS

 

The Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU together with the Directorate General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission (DG RTD) is organising a conference on the main drivers for research and innovation in European food chains. The European Technology Platform “Food for Life”, the Hellenic Technology Platform “Food for Life” & the Federation of Hellenic Food Industries (SEVT) are also supporting the conference.

The aim is to discuss research and innovation as valuable tools for fostering the competitiveness of the European food sector and for promoting healthy and safe diets among Europe’s citizens. Conference contributions will showcase examples of excellence, both from Europe and worldwide.

The conference covers the following activities:

  • Discussing the effects of the main drivers of change on the whole food chain – from primary production to the ‘healthy consumer’ – taking into account the development of relevant EU policies, sustainability and measures to support market development for innovative food products and processes.
  • Assessing the contribution of successful European projects and of existing synergies in shaping the future research priorities within the Horizon 2020 (2014-2020).
  • Explaining how the new European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation – Horizon 2020 – will tackle the challenges along the food and value chains.
  • Raising awareness on research opportunities for food industries, especially SMEs, and fostering their participation in the EU-supported RTD activities.

In the margins of the conference the Board meetings of the European Technology Platform “Food for Life” and the Hellenic Technology Platform “Food for Life”will take place.

The Conference will be held in the ‘Megaro Mousikis Athinon’ (Athens Concert Hall), Athens, Greece on 10-11 March 2014. The meeting will start at 9:00am on 10 March and will end at 16:20pm on 11 March 2014. Further details on the venue, where to stay and how to get there, will be communicated to participants upon confirmation of their invitations.

If you would like to get informed about registration opening or if you have any preliminary queries please send us an email at the following address: RTD-FOODEVENT-2014@ec.europa.eu.

CONFERENCE

“RESEARCH AND INNOVATION TO FOSTER THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE EUROPEAN AGRI-FOOD AND SEAFOOD SECTORS”

ATHENS

 

10 – 11 MARCH 2014

DRAFT PROGRAMME

March 9, 2014

18:30 – 19:30

Sightseeing Acropolis Museum

(upon invitation only - Kindly offered by the Hellenic Federation of Food Industries)

20:00 – 22:00

Networking dinner (upon invitation only)

 

March 10, 2014

08:30- 09:00

Registration

09:00- 10:00

Welcoming speeches

 

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Science, Research and Innovation (tbc)

 

Dacian Cioloş, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development (tbc)

 

Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs & Fisheries (tbc)

 

Kostis Chatzidakis, Minister of Development & Competitiveness (tbc)

 

Kostantinos. Arvanitopoulos, Minister of Education and Religious Affairs, Culture and Sports (tbc)

 

Athanassios Tsaftaris, Minister of Rural Development and Food (tbc)

 

Evangelos Kalousis, President of Federation of Hellenic Food Industries

 

Jesus Serafin Perez, President of FoodDrinkEurope (tbc)

10:00 – 10:50

Session 1: Research and Innovation as key tools to boost the competitiveness of the agri-food and seafood sectors and ensure the production and promotion of safe and healthy diets.

Chair: Tassos Haniotis, European Commission, Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development,  Director, Directorate for Economic analysis, perspectives and evaluations

10:00 -10:20

The importance and contribution of research and innovation to economic growth in Europe and particularly Greece.

Christos Vasilakos, General Secretary For Research & Technology (tbc)

10:20 – 10:50

Research and innovation initiatives for the agri-food and seafood sectors in developed countries and emerging economies: examples from the EU, US, Japan and China

President of National Council for Research and Technology (ESET) (tbc)

10:50 -11:20

Coffee break

10:50 -11:20

Press Conference (upon invitation only)

11:20 – 12:30

Session 2: Innovation in research and enterprises

Chair: Daniele Rossi, Vice - Chair European Technology Platform “Food for Life”

11:20-11:40

Opportunities for agri-food and seafood research in HORIZON 2020, from production to the consumer.

Patrik Kolar, European Commission , Directorate General for Research and Innovation, Head of Unit for Food, Health and Well-being (tbc)

11:40-12:00

Opportunities for food SMEs from HORIZON 2020

Daniele Rossi

12:00-12:30

Technology transfer and innovation support tools: Case studies from EIT, EEN, KIC and JPI

Lisbeth Munksgaard, Aalborg University Copenhagen, Denmark

Julian Drausinger, Lebensmittel Vertrauen Analysen (LVA), Austria

12:30 – 14:00

Lunch Break

14:00 – 16:30

Session 3: Sustainable Food Security: The primary production side

Chair: – Patrik Kolar (tbc)

14:00-14:20

Sustainable Food Security: Challenges for EU agriculture

Tassos Haniotis

14:20-14:40

Sustainable food production from competitive agriculture

David Baldock, Executive Director of the Institute for European Environmental Policy

14:40 – 15:00

Eco-innovation in primary food production

Sebastien Treyer, Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI)

15:00-15:30

Coffee break

15:30-15:50

Sustainable seafood production from competitive European fisheries

Fitz Köster, National Institute of Aquatic Resources - DTU Aqua

15:50 - 16:10

Sustainable seafood production from competitive European aquaculture

Courtney Hough, Secretary of European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATIP)

16.10 - 16.20

Blue Growth in the context of the new marine strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Seas

Christos Theophilou, European Commission, Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries,  Unit for Maritime policy, Mediterranean and Black Sea

16:20 - 16.50

Discussion

17:00 – 18:00

Board meeting of the European Technology Platform “Food for Life”

 

March 11, 2014

 

09:00 - 16:20

Session 4: Sustainable and competitive agri-food and seafood sectors for a safe and healthy diet

Chair: Volker Heinz, Director and CEO of German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL)

09:00 - 09:20

Major challenges to European agri–food industries

Michael E. Knowles, Chair of European Technology Platform “Food for Life”

09:20 – 09:40

Supporting market development for innovative food products and processes

Beate Kettlitz, Director of Food Policy, Science & R& D, FoodDrinkEurope

09:40 - 10:00

Innovation in food technologies

Volker Heinz

10:00 - 10:20

Food wastage: An industry priority with environmental, social and economic impact

Toine Timmermans, Coordinator of FUSIONS FP7 Project, Wageningen UR

10:20-10:50

Coffee break

10:50 - 11:10

Safe and healthy foods and diets: a constant priority of EU policy

Andreas Menidiatis, European Commission, Directorate General for Health and Consumers, Adviser, Directorate for Safety of the Food Chain

11:10 - 11:30

Healthy Nutrition, Healthy People

Artemis Simopoulos, The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health, Washington, USA

11:30 - 11:50

The Mediterranean Diet: Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Dimitrios Melas, General Secretary of Agricultural Policy and International Relations, Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food (tbc)

11:50 - 12:10

Dietary needs of an ageing population

Antonia Trichopoulou, Director WHO Collaborating Centre for Nutrition

12:10 - 12:30

Networking of Member States for a healthy diet and a healthy life

Pamela Byrne, Chair of Joint Programming Initiative “A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life”

12:30 - 14:00

Lunch break

14:00 - 14:20

EU research in the service of EFSA´s Risk Assessment

Hubert Deluyker, Scientific Adviser of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

14:20-14:40

A ”One-health approach” to tackling foodborne outbreaks

Frank Møller Aarestrup, DTU – National Food Institute, Denmark

14:40 - 15:00

Informed consumer choices: The use of modern communication technologies by industry

Partick Wall, University College Dublin (tbc)

15:00 - 15:30

Coffee break

15:30 - 15:50

Research achievements and future priorities for sustainable agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries and industrial food productions

Ulf Sonesson, SIK - The Institute for Food & Biotechnology

15:50 - 16:20

Discussion – Closing Session

16:30 - 18:00

15th Meeting of the National Technology Platforms “Food for Life”