2014 Annual Report

As we stated in least year’s annual report, the economy has rebounded. This is fortunately true of many industries in The Netherlands, but agro-food in particular has shown impressive growth. We’ve seen some jaw dropping figures, like the € 80 billion in exports in 2014.

Food Valley NL itself is also showing great dynamism. For example, our network, the Food Valley Society, continued to grow. An increasing number of foreign members have discovered how our network can help them find Dutch business partners. The year 2014 was also the year that Silicon Valley and Food Valley NL got acquainted. In a special meeting prior to the Food Valley Expo, players from both Valleys met to discuss cross-pollination between agro-food and IT. It was a memorable event, well deserving of a follow-up!

During the Food Valley Expo, Food Valley NL launched DutchFoodInnovations.com, a unique new website featuring a searchable database of innovative solutions for problems businesses in our industry are sometimes

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confronted with. From the moment it was launched, the site attracted great interest and was accessed by people from over a hundred countries.

At the Expo, we also launched a new trade show formula. Under the banner of Holland Food Valley, Food Valley NL organized sampling sessions we called ‘Taste & Try’. For a modest fee, companies could offer trade show visitors samples of their products while informing them about the innovative R&D these were based on. The idea sparked great enthusiasm. Immediately after the Expo, Food Valley NL received several requests for the formula to be introduced at other events.

This annual report presents our 2014 results. The outlook for the Dutch economy is strong. The same is true of the energy we feel in Food Valley NL and its surroundings. We see a bright future ahead for our entire industry. Roger van Hoesel, Managing Director, Food Valley NL

CHAPTER 4 – COMMUNICATE4.1 Corporate Site 164.2 Food Valley Update Blog 164.3 DutchFoodInnovations.com 164.4 Digital Newsletters 164.5 Other Websites 164.6 Social Media 16 4.7 Food Valley Update Magazine 17 4.8 Dutch Innovation at Its Best 2014 184.9 Leaflets 18 4.10 Holland Food Valley House 19

CHAPTER 5 – ABOUT FOOD VALLEY NL• Core Activities 21• Board 22• Advisor to the Board 22• Staff 22 • Food Valley Society Members 23

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Food Valley 2014 Annual Report | 3

PREFACE Dynamism all around 2

CHAPTER 1 – INSPIRE 1.1 Food Valley Society 5 1.2 Koplopers in Ambitie 5 1.3 Project Support & Participation 6 1.4 Food Valley Award 6 1.5 Food Valley Expo and Pre-Event Meeting 6 1.6 Food Valley Direct 8 1.7 SME Innovation Vouchers 8 1.8 Horizon2020 Subsidies 8

CHAPTER 2 – ENCOURAGE2.1 International Matchmaking & Technology Scouting 102.2 Foreign Delegations 10 2.3 On Request 10

CHAPTER 3 – CO-CREATE 3.1 National Networks 123.2 International Networks 133.3 Consultation 14

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The Dutch agro-food industry can only continue to innovate and generate new business if its entrepreneurs can find inspiration, new knowledge, and opportunities to meet like-minded (or surprisingly other-minded) people. Food Valley NL’s services, events and innovation programs are geared towards creating these conditions.

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CHAPTER 1

Inspire

1.1 Food Valley Society

More and more agro-food organizations, both Dutch and foreign, are participating in Food Valley NL by becoming members of the Food Valley Society. The Society encourages new ideas and makes trends tangible. Members speak the language of entrepreneurship and help each other out.

In 2014, membership grew from 134 to 146. The Society welcomed four new international members, two from Japan, one from India and one from Thailand. For an overview of all Food Valley Society members, see p. 22. In 2014, Food Valley NL organized five members-only field trips to the following locations:

• Danone Nutricia Research (Utrecht, The Netherlands; 100 participants);• AkzoNobel Salt Specialties (Hengelo, The Netherlands; 25 participants);• Dutch Spices (Nijkerk , The Netherlands; 55 participants);• Cargill R&D Centre Europe (Vilvoorde, Belgium; 65 participants);• Nutress (Ochten, The Netherlands; 25 participants).

1.2 Koplopers in Ambitie

Food Valley NL’s Koplopers in Ambitie (KIA) [Leaders in Ambition] innovation program specifically targets agrofood, feed and horticultural entrepreneurs whose innovation ambitions are aimed at sustainability and/or healthy nutrition. Leaders in Ambition focuses on the following topics:

• Upcycling waste streams;• Sustainable energy consumption;• Reducing water consumption;• Improving product formulations.

In 2014, a new topic was added to the list: ‘Improving Product Formulations’. On June 11, Food Valley NL organized a kick-off meeting about the formulation of low-fat, low-salt and low-sugar food products. The impetus for this meeting, held on the premises of NIZO food research, was an agreement between the Dutch government and the food industry to strive for healthier product formula-tions. Attendance was good; 120 people heard three key-note speeches on the challenges of reducing products’ salt, fat and sugar content. Afterwards, attendees discussed the possibilities and pitfalls of improving the formulation of specific product categories.

At the 2014 Food Valley Expo in October, a follow-up session focused on reducing the salt content of meat products. Knowledge institutes, the meat industry and ingredient suppliers contributed to this session.

The ‘Sustainable Energy Consumption’ project, launched in 2013, continued in 2014 with five companies. There were two field trips to DOC Kaas in Hoogeveen and Huuskes in Enschede. At these locations, the participating companies worked on their own challenges while taking inspiration from the solutions implemented by the host companies.

The ‘Upcycling Waste Streams’ project concluded in the fall of 2014. At a meeting at Vleeshandel Hilckman in Nijmegen, a Wageningen University MSc student presented the results of a study into new upcycling opportunities.

Late 2014 also saw the launch of a new KIA project called ‘The Circular Economy’. The project was launched during the Agro-Food Technology Event in Wageningen. This is collaboration with MVO Nederland, a Dutch organization that fosters corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The Leaders in Ambition (KIA) program will run until 2016.

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1.3 Project Support & Participation

Large and small companies in the agro-food, feed and horticultural industries can count on Food Valley NL for help:• formulating project proposals and innovation plans;• raising funds, including EU subsidies under Horizon 2020; • finding potential business partners. In 2014, Food Valley NL contributed to the following projects: National Food Valley NL’s contribution

Kennis Werkt! Project Manager [Knowledge Works!]

IPC Voeding, Sport Secretariat & & Gezondheid communications consultant [IPC Sports, Health and Nutrition]

StartLife Chair of the Supervisory Board & communications consultant

Hallo Markt Initiator and project manager

International Food Valley NL’s contribution

European Food Alliance Project partner

Food2Market Project manager

NetGrow Project partner

1.4 Food Valley Award

Food Valley NL annually presents the Food Valley Award to the most innovative and economically viable food, feed or horticultural innovation. Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are basic criteria that all entries must meet. Other qualities the judges’ panel may reward include originality and degree of collaboration. Over the years, the Food Valley Award has become one of the most coveted and prestigious innovation prizes in The Netherlands.

In 2014, the 10th Food Valley Award was presented to JFPT foodlife and TOP for their Pluckr, a grape de-buncher

that uses ultrasonic vibrations to destalk grapes without damaging the fruit. The machine can also be used to destalk other types of fruit.

The two runners-up in 2014 were the PaperFoam chilled champagne packaging developed by PaperFoam for Veuve Cliquot, and Pienter Baby Food, ready-to-eat, chilled baby food that contributes to toddlers’ taste development, developed by Pit-Foodconcepts. A promo-tional video was made of each of the nominated innovations. The winner also received a two-year membership of the Food Valley Society. Both the winner and the runners-up received an original artwork and a certificate.

The members of the 2014 Food Valley Award judges’ panel were Jan Maat, Managing Director at TI Food and Nutrition (chair); Leo den Hartog, R&D director at Nutreco’s Quality Affairs and Sustainability; Romano Hoofman, R&D Program Manager at NXP Semiconductors; Anne Mensink, International Relations Manager and Sr. Scientific Officer at Food Valley NL; Jos Nelissen, CEO of Newtricious; Hugo de Vries, member of the management team at Waterschap Hollandse Delta and Wim Saris, Professor of Human Nutrition at Maastricht University.

1.5 Food Valley Expo and Pre-Event Meeting

The annual Food Valley Expo brings together business-es, knowledge institutions and government agencies. The 2014 edition took place at the Papendal Conference Center in Arnhem. To mark the Expo’s 10th anniversary, Food Valley NL organized a pre-event meeting called ‘Silicon Valley Meets Food Valley’, in collaboration with the Mixing Bowl, a Californian initiative aimed at connect-ing IT and agro-food innovators, and Schuttelaar & Partners, Dutch communications consultancy. At Food Valley NL’s request, Deloitte Data Engine studied the application of IT patents in the agro-food industry. Chief Innovation Officer Wim Scheper presented the preliminary results in a keynote address. IT solutions are applicable in two areas in the agro-food industry: the facilitation of contact between producers and consumers, and the improvement of agricultural efficiency and quality. Five speakers from California and five from The Netherlands explored both areas, drawing from real-life case studies. A hundred participants from the Dutch agro-food industry attended the event, which ended with a networking reception and dinner.

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The Food Valley Expo’s 10th edition attracted more than seven hundred visitors, mostly from The Netherlands and other Western European countries, but also from Japan, Kazakhstan, Thailand and the USA. The event was organized by Food Valley NL, with assistance from many other organizations.

Highlights of the 2014 Expo were:

• the launch of IBM’s Cognitive Cooking using the Watson Supercomputer by IBM Watson Group’s Marc Teerlink; • the presentation of Foodcase and Gategroup’s collaboration to serve more sustainable in-flight meals by Foodcase’s Wilbert de Louw and Gategroup’s Jacqueline Collins; • the presentation of Top sector Agri & Food’s ambitions by Aalt Dijkhuizen, head of the Agri & Food Top team; • the launch of the DutchFoodInnovations.com website showcasing innovations from the Dutch agro-food, feed and horticultural industries;• the Science for Business meeting featuring an interview with Louise Fresco, Chair of the Wageningen University Board and keynote speeches by Cisca Wijmenga, professor of Human Genetics at UMC Groningen; Suzan Wopereis, researcher at TNO’s Expertise Group for Microbiology & Systems Biology; and Sacha van Hijum, senior scientist at NIZO food research;• the presentation of the 2014 Food Valley Award.

The trade show featured the latest innovations by 44 exhibitors, several introductory meetings, and matchmaking sessions. One of this year’s innovations was the Taste & Try event at the Holland Food Valley House, where chefs Erik te Velthuis and Oscar Huizing presented tasty dishes made with innovative techno-logies, ingredients and products. As each dish was served, the chefs explained the scientific knowledge it was based on. Food Valley Expo visitors could also attend various inspirational sessions and workshops on current agro-food topics and funding opportunities. These sessions were organized by Axon Lawyers, EFFoST, Schuiteman Accountants & Adviseurs, TEN the export network, Coolwave processing, Urban Heroes, EP&C, Friesland- Campina, VION, TNO Expertise Group Functional Ingre-dients, Darling Ingredients International and Kennis Werkt! 1.6 Food Valley Direct

Food Valley Direct helps agro-food, feed and horticultural companies find answers to their knowledge-related questions in order to accelerate innovation. Food Valley Direct is Food Valley NL’s first point of contact for companies looking for knowledge. Every individual question is dealt with immediately in order to find the best and most efficient solution. The author of the question is matched with a company, research institution or other knowledge supplier, or is put into contact with a student from the appropriate field.

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In 2014, Food Valley Direct received 89 matching requests from agro-food companies. Of those, 62 were referred to appropriate companies and research institutes, while 27 were linked to educational institutions. These referrals resulted in a total of 44 successful matches with companies and/or knowledge institutes and 14 matches with educational institutes. Food Valley Direct also organized two events with educational institutions. During the first, agro-food entrepreneurs discussed the presentation and design of their products with alumni from the Arnhem-based ArtEZ Academy of Arts. The second event consisted of an education bazaar in which educational institutions from all over The Netherlands took part. Thirty agro-food businesses acquainted themselves with the potential added value of collaborating with educational institutes. Before a multi-disciplinary group of students, four companies presented a bottleneck in their organization. Company representatives and students subsequently debated possible solutions.

1.7 SME Innovation Vouchers

In 2014, Food Valley NL awarded innovation vouchers from the Province of Gelderland to small and medium-sized agro-food and feed businesses. The province had earmarked € 500,000 for this purpose. The innovation vouchers are meant for SMEs in the province of Gelder-land that have a narrow, well-defined research question. To qualify for a voucher, a company must submit its research question to Food Valley NL. Food Valley NL assesses whether the question qualifies for a voucher and, if necessary, helps the applicant find a suitable knowledge supplier. When awarded a voucher, SMEs can use it to conduct research, to rent laboratory facilities, or to hire an innovation consultant or grants advisor, for example. Vouchers are worth a maximum of € 10,000 and SMEs must match the voucher amount from their own budget. Companies may apply for only one voucher per calendar year. In 2014, 72 applications were submitted, 41 of which were awarded a voucher. Food Valley NL organized two meetings for voucher-recipient companies. The first focused on mutual inspiration and funding. The second dealt with informal investors and featured discussions among entrepre-neurs, and between entrepreneurs and investors.

1.8 Horizon2020 Subsidies

The European Commission has earmarked € 70 billion to foster R&D in business and knowledge institutes until 2020. The funding is allocated through the Horizon2020 program launched in January 2014. Food Valley NL informs agro-food SMEs on how to use the Horizon2020 subsidies.

Throughout 2014, Food Valley NL ensured that innovative food SMEs with international aspirations were kept informed about the available EU funding through blogs, e-mails and personal consultancy. Twenty visitors to the Food Valley Expo made use of personal advice. About 120 companies were contacted by telephone or e-mail, resulting in 14 personal consultations.

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Food Valley Update | 9Food Valley Update | 9

Food Valley NL encourages innovation in the Dutch agro-food industry by putting Dutch and international food companies in touch with each other. Food Valley NL provides international matchmaking and technology scouting services and hosts foreign delegations, which it introduces to Dutch businesses and knowledge institutions.

CHAPTER 2

Encourage

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2.1 International Matchmaking & Technology Scouting

Food Valley NL advises and helps foreign businesses to find the knowledge they need and contact the experts they are looking for. In 2014, Food Valley NL once again received a large number of requests from abroad for international matchmaking and for scouting out new technologies.

During the 2014 Food Valley Expo, Food Valley NL, The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO Nederland) and Enterprise Europe Network jointly organized international matchmaking sessions. Businesses, knowledge institu-tions and universities attended one or more of 78 such sessions, focused on food technology, food safety and nutrition & health, where they met potential commercial, technological or research partners from elsewhere in Europe. In 2014, 44 businesses and institutions took part, from eleven different countries: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA. Just before and after the Expo, Food Valley NL hosted three delegations and organized customized visits to various Dutch companies.

2.2 Foreign Delegations

Other countries have been showing a great interest in the Food Valley NL’s formula and its extensive network. In 2014, Food Valley NL received more than 30 foreign delegations from Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, and the USA. Food Valley NL also received cabinet ministers from Japan and South Korea, and the state governor of Michigan, USA.

Usually, foreign delegations are looking for business partners in The Netherlands. Food Valley NL ensures that they are given a custom-made tour of Dutch know-ledge institutes and/or companies. Additionally, Food Valley NL joined forces with Wageningen University to organize an informative meeting for Turkish and Dutch companies on the topic of ‘Business opportunities in Southeastern Turkey’.

2.3 On Request

Food Valley NL is continually and actively expanding its international network. To this end, Food Valley NL honors numerous requests to present its goals and methods at corporate offices and conferences abroad. In 2014, Food Valley NL presentations included keynote addresses at the Mixing Bowl in Stanford, California and at the Agrifood Business Forum in Palmerston North, New Zealand. In Japan, Food Valley NL organized guest lectures at the University of Kobe and conducted seminars in Tokyo and Osaka while on a joint mission with the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA). In Spain, Food Valley NL delivered two keynote speeches at the Dutch Embassy in Madrid and at the ‘Cluster of Nutrition and Health AINS’ in Cataluña.

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Food Valley Update | 11Food Valley Update | 11

Food Valley NL actively creates and maintains many different networks, often by collaborating with other Dutch clusters or foreign parties. Joining forces fosters co-creation and innovation.

CHAPTER 3

Co-create

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3.1 National Networks

HALLO MARKT2014 saw the start of the Hallo Markt project. This project’s aim is to help agro-food SMEs from the Dutch province of Gelderland introduce their innovations on the market. Hallo Markt provides support by coaching the entrepreneurs, offering practical solutions and pro-viding access to a network of experts and companies.

Food Valley NL manages the project, which is run in close cooperation with HAS Food Design, FoodResult, The Food Agency and OD. The project is sponsored by the Province of Gelderland. Duration: 2014-2016. Budget: € 420,000.

KENNIS WERKT!As part of the Kennis Werkt! [Knowledge Works!] project, Food Valley NL invests in building a network of highly- educated knowledge workers from all over the globe. One of the ways in which this was achieved was through Food Valley’s successful Ambassador Program.

Food Valley Ambassador ProgramThe Food Valley Ambassador Program recruited MSc students from abroad. The students were matched with a Dutch-based, internationally active company that provided them with guidance and support throughout their year- long internship. The program was discontinued on June 30, 2014.

All in all, Food Valley NL educated a total of 52 enthusiastic Ambassadors. All ambassadors were offered training in presentation and networking in order to hone their ambassadorial skills. They were also asked to take part in various Food Valley activities and assisted in hosting foreign visitors and delegations at the Food Valley Expo and other meetings.

Kennis Werkt! was a collaborative project involving Arla Foods, BLGG AgroXpertus, Danone Research, Food Valley NL, FrieslandCampina DMV, H.J. Heinz, KeyGene, Koninklijke Euroma, Lyempf, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Micreos, NIZO food research, Nutri-Akt, NZO, OMVE Netherlands, Corbion, VION en Wageningen University & Research Centre (Wageningen UR). Food Valley NL managed the project. Duration: 2009-2014. Budget: € 1.8 million.

SPORTS, NUTRITION & HEALTH Thirteen SMEs and knowledge institutes are collabo-rating with Food Valley NL in a Sports, Nutrition and Health project. This project is aimed at developing

customized food products for specific target groups such as athletes, seniors and medical patients. The companies involved are investing their own money in this project and actively working together to tackle different topics within the project. The ultimate goal is to develop new products and initiate new partner-ships. The project was partly funded by a collective innovation grant (Innovation Performance Contract; IPC) from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.

In June 2014, the participants convened at NIZO food research to give their fellow participants a progress report. An expert from Gelderse Vallei Hospital gave a presentation entitled ‘Understanding the Care Market’. At the Food Valley Expo in October 2014, two of the companies taking part in the IPC presented the innovative products developed in conjunction with the project.

Food Valley NL (secretariat) provides assistance and advice to the companies participating in the Sports, Nutrition & Health program, in collaboration with Alliantie Voeding Gelderse Vallei (a partnership formed by Gelderse Vallei Hospital and Wageningen University), InnoSport NL and Oost NV. The project was partly funded by a collective innovation grant (Innovation Performance Contract) from NL Agency, a division of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. Duration Sep 2012- Mar 2015. Budget: approx. € 1 million.

STARTLIFEStartups and aspiring startups in the agro-food industry can turn to StartLife for:• advice when starting a business or trying to develop an idea into a marketable product;• funding (loans); • an introduction within Food Valley NL

In 2014, 70 aspiring startups were interviewed, 32 of which were considered viable startups in StartLife. These 32 startups were offered a collaboration agreement and helped to identify and analyze their individual needs. Of those 32, eleven were granted a loan in 2014. All in all, 46 startups had been granted a loan by StartLife as of December 31, 2014.

In StartLife, Food Valley NL collaborates with Wageningen UR, Oost NV, KiEMT and Kadans Biofacilities. Food Valley NL chairs the Supervisory Board and acts as communications consultant. Duration: 2010-2016. Budget: approx. € 10 million.

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3.2 International Networks

EUROPEAN FOOD ALLIANCENine successful agro-food clusters actively collaborate in the European Food Alliance (EFA). Their goal is to offer European agro-food companies services and network contacts from all over Europe to accelerate innova-tion and growth. At the Food Valley Expo, the various clusters showcased innovative agro-food products from their members in a collective EFA booth. The an-nual EFA meeting, chaired by Food Valley NL, took place the following day. In November 2014, Food Valley organized a food tour to the UK, which included a visit to the Food Matters Live trade show in London. At the trade show, Food Valley NL and the Dutch Embassy in London gave a seminar en- titled ‘The Netherlands, the ingredients for your success!’ while Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) organized a matchmaking event. Ten companies from three different countries took part in this two-day excursion. The European Food Alliance (EFA) is a partnership between Danish food cluster Agrofoodpark Aarhus (Denmark), Flanders’ FOOD (Belgium), Food Processing Initiative FPI (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) Institute of Food Research IFR (UK), NiekE/DIL (Lower Saxony, Germany), PdC Nutrition, Health and Longevity NSL (France), Food Valley NL (Netherlands), Skåne Food Innovation Network SFIN (Sweden) and WagrALIM (Belgium).

FOOD2MARKETFood2Market offers agro-food SMEs information, advice and practical help to foster innovation and encourage new business on the German, Flemish and Dutch markets. In 2014, 54 Dutch companies made use of Food2Market’s services. In 2014, four meetings were held in The Netherlands:• a master class in retail;• a workshop on ‘How to Find the Ideal Buyer’;• a workshop on ‘The Internet and Exporting Goods’;• a workshop about the cultural differences between The Netherlands and Germany.

In May 2014, Food2Market led an excursion for 25 compa-nies to the PLMA trade show in Amsterdam. Food2Market also published an inspirational booklet entitled ‘FoodChallenge 2020’ and started another one called ‘New routes2market’.

Food2Market is sponsored by INTERREG IVB North-West Europe (NWE) and the Province of Gelderland. The project is a financial instrument of the EU Cohesion Policy. Food Valley NL manages the project. Duration: 2010-2015. Budget: approx. € 2.4 million.

NETGROWBehind the scenes, Food Valley NL is continuously developing new and better ways to support companies. To this end, Food Valley NL shares its knowledge and expertise with eight other European knowledge clusters in a 7th Framework Umbrella Project called NetGrow.

In 2014, NetGrow concluded its four-year existence. This year, Food Valley NL published two publications based on the results of the research conducted within NetGrow over the past years: • The Network Learning Toolbox

This toolbox gives food SMEs information on rele-vant networks in Europe and helps them identify how they can make more effective use of the ser-vices and activities available in these networks. At the same time, network organizations can use the toolbox to develop activities better tailored to their members’ needs.

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• Open Innovation in the Food Industry: An Evidence-based Guide

This publication gives agro-food, feed and horticultural companies suggestions on how to get the most out of open-innovation collaboration projects.

The NetGrow Network Learning Day, held in Brussels on April 10, 2014, marked the end of the NetGrow project. The participants presented the results of the project to an audience of SMEs, network managers and policymakers.

NetGrow was a partnership between Bologna University (Italy), Bonn University (Germany), Debrecen University (Hungary), Institute for Food Studies and Agro Industrial Development (Denmark), La Salle Beauvais Polytechnic Institute (France), Ghent University (Belgium), Skåne Food Innovation Network (Sweden), Food Valley NL (Netherlands) and Teagasc Agriculture and Food Authority (Ireland). Duration: 2010-2014. Food Valley NL’s total budget amounted to more than € 425.000.

LETTER OF INTENT: FUJIAN FOOD CLUSTERIn March 2014, Food Valley NL signed a cooperation agreement with the Association of Zhengzhou Food Industry and the Sino-Europe Agricultural Development Centre (SEADC) in Zhengzhou, China. The aim of this structural cooperation is to develop a food cluster in the coastal province of Fujian that is based on the same principles as Food Valley NL and will foster the develop-ment of the region’s agro-food business.

3.3 Consultation

By acting in an advisory capacity, the staff members of Food Valley NL make their experience and expertise available to third parties in The Netherlands and abroad. In 2014, they were consulted by various organizations including Kenniscentrum Plantenstoffen, Institute of Food Research (IFR), AIESEC international youth network and Food Valley Thailand.

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In 2014, Food Valley NL took the next step in digitizing its communications. This entailed the overhaul of both Food Valley’s corporate website and the FoodValley Update.nl weblog, as well as the launch of DutchFood Innovations.com, a site dedicated to food innovations from The Netherlands. The year 2014 also saw the intro-duction of Food Valley NL’s new trade show formula and label, the Holland Food Valley House.

CHAPTER 4

Communicate

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DIGITAL

4.1 Corporate Site

In 2014, the Food Valley corporate website was totally redesigned. The aim was not just a more modern look and feel but also increased user-friendliness through responsive design. The information on Food Valley NL activities was made more accessible. Not only did it become a more usable site, it also became more findable; Search Engine Optimization (SEO) increased its ranking in various search engines.

4.2 Food Valley Update Blog

The Food Valley blogs in Dutch and English – FoodValley Update.nl and FoodValleyUpdate.com, respectively – were both transformed. Food Valley NL uses these blogs to inform companies about available knowledge, the latest innovations and the many opportunities for innovation. Easy-to-use filters allow visitors to find content on a particular topic or trend. Excellent search options make it simple to find older news items. Both blogs have been optimized for mobile devices.

4.3 DutchFoodInnovations.com

At the Food Valley Expo, Food Valley NL launched DutchFoodInnovations.com, a new website offering an overview of Dutch innovations from the agro-food, feed and horticultural industry. This site is the successor of the innovation database that Food Valley NL introduced in 2013, which was only available in print. The new website is the only one of its kind, presenting agro-food innova-tions in an online database.

When it was launched, the new site contained more than 150 agro-food innovations, including food ingredients, technologies for clean and sustainable food manfacturing, and solutions for increasing crop yields and reducing waste. DutchFoodInnovations.com is accessible for free on desktop and mobile devices. It is a great tool for anyone interested in agro-food innovation. The website makes it easy to share innovations on social media, encouraging joint development of new solutions. Food Valley NL continues to add innovations to the database and develop the site.

4.4 Digital Newsletters

In 2014, Food Valley NL Food Valley NL published the following digital newsletters:

Food Valley Update This weekly Dutch newsletter reports on innovation-related news, trends and events. In 2014, readership reached 1,610, a 16% increase from 2013. Response to the newsletter is monitored using Mailchimp. This shows that 28-36% of subscribers open Food Valley Update, which is a good result. On average, 23% of industry news-letters are opened, according to Mailchimp’s analyses.

Food Valley Update InternationalOnce a month, Food Valley NL sends out an English-language newsletter with news, trends and events. In 2014, readership rose to 500, with some 30% of recipients opening the newsletter. This international newsletter reaches readers in the USA, Canada, Japan, China, India, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and Western Europe.

4.5 Other Websites

Food Valley ExpoThis website offers information about the annual Food Valley Expo and the opportunities the Expo offers for presenting innovations and knowledge, gaining new knowledge, networking, and comparing notes with others from the industry. www.foodvalleyexpo.nl

Food Valley AwardThis website is a source of information about all the innovations that were shortlisted for the Food Valley Award over the past ten years, including the winners. It lists eligibility requirements, rules for submitting an innovation and award criteria, and provides information on the judges’ panel and latest news on the award. www.foodvalleyaward.nl

Holland Food ValleyThe Holland Food Valley website is a site dedicated to Food Valley NL’s formula for presentations on trade shows. It lists information on participation in the Holland Food Valley pavilion and the Holland Food Valley House of Tastings at upcoming international tradeshows. It also features companies that took part in previous editions. www.hollandfoodvalley.nl

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Food2Market This website offers an online innovation scan, a market-place for food and nutrition facilities, current market information, and information on open innovation sessions and co-creation workshops for the German, Dutch and Flemish markets. www.food2market.nl

NetGrowThis website provides access to NetGrow research results and publishes news pertaining to the NetGrow project and its constituent European food clusters. The site also offers access to the NetGrow toolbox online support platform. www.netgrow.eu

Food Valley TVFood Valley TV is the Food Valley NL YouTube channel. Food Valley TV (www.foodvalleytv.nl) shows promotional videos about the latest Dutch innovations and reports on Food Valley NL’s activities, highlighting its contributions to Dutch and European innovation performance. In 2014, the following videos were produced:• Meet & Match: ten portraits of innovative Dutch companies taking part in the IFT Food Expo in New Orleans, USA; • Reportage on Holland Food Valley @IFT Food Expo, New Orleans;• Ten Years of Food Valley NL;• Winner of the 2014 Food Valley Award: Pluckr;• 2014 Food Valley Award nominee: PaperFoam champagne packaging;

• 2014 Food Valley Award nominee: Pienter, chilled baby food;• Reportage on Holland Food Valley @Food Matters Live, London, UK;• Interview with Bakhytbek M. Amirov, General Director of the ‘Kazakh Research Institute for Potatoes and Vegetable Growing’.

4.6 Social Media

Food Valley NL is active on social networks and has three Twitter accounts (@FoodValley_NL and @Foodvalleyexpo, and @HollandFoodValley). The number of Food Valley NL followers rose from 1,925 in 2013 to 2,574 in 2014 (up 33.7%). The FoodValleyExpo twitter account has 652 followers while the HollandFoodValley account has 45. There is also a Food Valley NL LinkedIn Group and a Food Valley NL Facebook page.

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PRINT

4.7 Food Valley Update Magazine

In 2014, three editions of the Food Valley Update magazine were published. This periodical offers news and feature articles about developments and trends in the agro-food industry. It is published in English and Dutch and distributed to member companies in the Food Valley Society and to other Dutch and foreign institutions that express an interest. Readership figures are listed below.

4.8 Dutch Innovation at Its Best 2014

In 2014, Food Valley NL again published a compilation of selected Dutch innovations. The publication Dutch Innovation at Its Best 2014 was commissioned by the Dutch Top sector Agri & Food. It is the sequel to 50 Selected Dutch Food Innovations, published in 2013. The new booklet was distributed at the IFT Food Expo in New Orleans, at Food Matters Live in London and at various national and international events. For print run numbers, see the table below.

4.9 Leaflets

Food Valley NL presents its services and projects in easy- to-read brochures. In 2014, we published three new Dutch-language leaflets:• Verleg uw grenzen met Horizon2020;• Hallo Markt, je coach voor een succesvolle product- introductie;• Koplopers in Ambitie: de circulaire economie voor foodbedrijven.

Table: Food Valley NL publications, publication date and print run.

Publication Date Print run

Dutch English

Update No. 3 March 2014 600 500

Update No. 4 July 2014 500 500

Update No. 5 October 2014 500 500

Dutch Innovations 1st edition July 2014 n.a. 2,000

Dutch Innovations 2nd edition September 2014 n.a. 2,000

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TRADE SHOW FORMULA

4.10 Holland Food Valley House

Seven years ago, Food Valley NL introduced the Holland Food Valley pavilion for joint representation at national and international trade shows. In 2014, the formula was expanded to include the Holland Food Valley House of Tastings, which offers innovative agro-food companies an attractive new opportunity to raise their profile.

Participants in the Holland Food Valley House of Tastings can now opt to take part in one or more of the following: • a joint presentation from an exhibition booth resembling an authentic Dutch canal house;• participation in a Taste & Try event where real chefs prepare dishes using innovative ingredients and technologies;• a Meet & Match publicity video;• presentation of participant’s products in a showcase;• presentation of printed material in a display case.

The Holland Food Valley House was launched at the Holland Food Valley pavilion during the 2014 IFT Food Expo in New Orleans, USA. Development of the formula was sponsored by the Top sector Agri & Food. Eleven companies took part in the Holland Food Valley House at the New Orleans Expo.

The formula was deployed for a second time at the Food Valley Expo in Arnhem (ten participating companies) and again at the Food Matters Live in London, UK (eight participating companies).

The Holland Food Valley pavilion has its own website www.hollandfoodvalley.nl and its own twitter account (@hfoodvalley).

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Food Valley NL has been boosting innovation in the Dutch agro-food industry since 2004 by fostering links and partnerships between business, knowledge institutions and government agencies. In 2014, Food Valley NL celebrated its 10th anniversary.

CHAPTER 5

About Food Valley NL

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Core Activities

• Guidance & support in finding expertise, information and potential business partners (Food Valley Direct);• Tailor-made tours and programs for foreign companies interested in doing business with Dutch companies;• National and international matchmaking & technology scouting;• Building national and international clusters of businesses, knowledge institutions and government agencies (Food Valley Society, European Food Alliance, Food2Market, NetGrow);• National and international promotion of Dutch businesses’ innovation capacity (Food Valley Award, Food Valley Expo, Holland Food Valley Pavilion).

Board

Bert Roetert (Chair)Chair Centraal Bureau Levensmiddelenhandel (CBL)

Volkert ClaassenVP Innovation Management at DSM Food Specialties

Rob HamerDirector at Unilever R&D

Fred van HeyningenDirector of Food & Agri International at Rabobank

Ad JuriaanseManaging Director at NIZO food research

Govert van OordManaging Director at OMVE Netherlands

Geert van RumundMayor of the City of Wageningen

Henny SwinkelsCEO at VanDrie Group

Arjen van TunenCEO and Director of Upstream Research at Keygene

Advisor to the board

Karin van WilligenDirector of Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij Oost Nederland NV

Staff*

Roger van HoeselManaging Director

Ynske AckermanProject Assistant

Joyce BerntsenOffice Assistant

Ilse DulkCommunications Assistant

Saskia van ErkelensProject Manager & Account Manager, Food Valley Society

Frances FortuinSenior Project Manager, Expertise Center for Innovation

Monique GrefkensOffice Manager

Mia HollemanProject Manager, Food2Market

Florentine Jagers op AkkerhuisEditor/copywriter

Lieke de KanProject Manager, Hallo Markt

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Hans KellerhuisWebmaster

Rowena KleijwegtProject Manager, Food Valley Direct

Poulien van MarleOffice Staff, Financial

Guido MatthéeProject Manager, Food Valley Direct

Anne MensinkInternational Relations Manager & Sr. Scientific Officer

Jolanda WelsCommunications Manager

Jeroen Wouters Director of International Relations & Projects

Food Valley Society Members(as of December 31, 2014)

AdifoAd van GelovenAgrojobsAgruniekRijnvalleiAkzoNobel Functional ChemicalsAlewijnse IndustrieAsahi Group Holdings Ltd.AVEBEAvikoA-Ware Food GroupAxon AdvocatenBactoforce BeneluxBaltussen KonservenfabriekBarentz EuropeBasidioFactoryBetagro Public Company LimitedBioActor BiqualysBLGG AgroXpertusBodecBouwpaco Packaging Equipment Buisman Ingredients Bunge LimitedC4C Holding Cargill R&D Centre EuropeChainPointClean Light

CM Plastic Codrico Rotterdam Contined CSK Food Enrichment Danone ResearchDe Korrel Beheer De Vries Nutrition SolutionsDenkavit Nederland Dishman Netherlands DocomarDonny CravesDUPP – Food RecruitmentDutch Bakery CenterDutch Spices Dutch Sprouts Egemin EuroProximaExtensor Extract Fabelco Fagron IndustryFarm Frites InternationalFeyeCon D&I Foodcase Foodlight ConsultancyFoodResult, marketing based solutionsFrieslandCampinaFydroFire Baking Stones/Fydro Gelderse Vallei HospitalGenetwister Technologies Givaudan Nederland Groen Agro ControlH.J. Heinz Imtech Food & FeedInnova Market InsightsInternational Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F.Intertaste Food Ingredients ISACert IsoLife IXL Netherlands JFPT foodlifeKadans BiofacilitiesKaneka CorporationKennisinstituut BierKeygene Kikkoman Foods Europe Kitchen on a MissionKostelyckLaVitella Leloux, Science & BusinessMead Johnson NutritionMérieux NutriSciences

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Metabolon Inc.MicCell Bioservices Micreos Mitr PholMustard CompanyNational Sports Centre PapendalNederlandsch OctrooibureauNewtricious Nippon Suisan Europe NIZO food research NSure NutraVit Technology Nutreco/Nutreco R&DNutri-aktNXP SemiconductorsNYtorODOjah OMVE Netherlands Pectcof PerfoTec P.G. Korver Transport Philips Innovation Services Phycom Pit-FoodconceptsPlantalogica PNO Consultants Produsafe Provalor ProViand Puur VeltmanQING GroupQlip Royal DSM SanoRiceScelta Mushrooms Schuiteman Corporate ConsultantsSchuttelaar & PartnersShieltronics Sime Darby Unimills SNTech Co. Ltd.Solynta Struik Foods EuropeSuiker UnieSuntory Global Innovation Center Ltd.Syngenta Crop Protection Synthite Industries Ltd.TailTec Thai Union Frozen Products PCL. (TUF)TNOTNO Triskelion TOP

Unilever R&D VlaardingenVan Eeghen Functional Ingredients Veldhuyzen Kaas Verbeek Hatchery HollandVika VitablendVMEngineeringVNO-NCWVos LogisticsVossen Laboratories Int. Wageningen UR Food & Biobased ResearchWeLL Design W&G GroupYama ProductsZetadec ZON Fruit & Vegetables/Fresh Park Venlo

www.foodvalley.nlP.O. Box 294, 6700 AG Wageningen, The NetherlandsNieuwe Kanaal 9D-3, 6709 PA Wageningen, The Netherlands info@foodvalley.nl, +31.317-427 095

Food Valley NL is sponsored by:

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