FINE – Food Innovation Network Europe

The food and drink industry is one of the largest manufacturing sectors in Europe. Despite of fierce international competition and demand from consumers for innovative products, R&D investments in the food sector have remained low over the past decade. FINE brings together regions with the aim of enhancing European, national and regional policies that promote increased levels of investment in R/D and innovation in the food sector. The project will also develop opportunities for interregional cooperation between regions for which the food sector is important.

FINE’s specific objectives include mobilising relevant stakeholders, including policy makers, to increase the level of R&D in the food sector, and developing a sustainable, collaborative R&D Action Programme with a view to contribute to the realisation of the Lisbon strategy.

The FINE partners will undertake regional SWOT analyses to allow comparisons of the profiles of the participating regions. Based on the comparisons and recommendations, each region will then define a new strategy to stimulate R&D investment in its food cluster. Good and bad practice will be translated into recommendations for regional, national and European policy makers. The results of the project will also be used to prepare ten interregional R&D projects related to the food sector.