June / July / August 2023

YOU ARE

WHAT YOU

EAT

"We are fixing our food production value chain for a sustainable planet."

What is the Food4Sustainability CoLAB?

The Food4Sustainability CoLAB purpose is to solve large scale problems in bio-based food systems (e.g. feed, fish, algae, vegetables) for climate resiliency. The CoLAB will pioneer a shift from linear agri- food production processes to a circular one.

Our goal is to test and implement novel approaches to food production systems that can have positive impact on:

• CO2 mitigation

• Null use of chemicals (synthesis)

• Sustainable intensification (maximization of land use)

• Water preservation & environment impact

• Increased efficiency the whole value chain in the food industry

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...More about the Food4Sustainability CoLAB 

Ultimately the LAB will galvanize a impoverished region (Idanha - www.cm-idanhanova.pt) to become a role model in rural development and replicable in other regions in EU.

The BGI Accelerator - Building Global Innovators, was the entity selected to lead the new Collaborative Laboratory (CoLAB) Foodlab - Collaborative Laboratory for sustainable food production systems (July 2019).

The Colab will feature a base funding of 7,8M€ for the initial years of activity and it expects to become self sustainable by the end of year 3 of operation. It will initially create 21 high skilled jobs in the region of Idanha a Nova.

What are CoLAB's?

In order to stimulate the creation of qualified employment generating economic and social value in Portugal, the Government promotes "laboratories" for research and innovation that bring together companies, universities and scientific centers, called Collaborative Laboratories (CoLAB).

The CoLABs aim to respond to the challenge of densification of the national territory in terms of activities based on knowledge, through a growing consolidation of forms of collaboration between institutions of science, technology and higher education, and the economic and social fabric.

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The FCT, within the framework of the National Reform Program, the Interface Program and the Agenda "Commitment to Science and Knowledge", is responsible for the creation and operationalization of the creation of Collaborative Laboratories with ANI - Agência Nacional de Inovação.

Founding Partners