Feeding the PlanetEuropean Agri-Food and Ag-biotech Clusters on the

World Stage

What is “Feeding the Planet”* ?

Feeding the Planet is a consortium of 3 world-class Agri-Food / Ag-biotech Clusters

•Established at European level

•Based on the collaboration between academia (R&D and higher education), business, and economic development

agencies

•Focusing on leading-edge research and innovation

•Providing the ideal gateway to find expertise and business, R&D partnership opportunities throughout Europe in

the Agri-Food and Ag-biotech sectors.

*Feeding the Planet is a consortium funded by the European Commission and coordinated by Region Lombardy (Italy)

2

Feeding the Planet: the concept

• A consortium based on complementarities and synergies allowing for covering the widest range of

competences and expertise:

From farm to fork

Food quality and safety

Vegetal and animal foodstuffs

Vegetal and animal biotechnologies

Environmental issues related to farming and industry

Temperate, Mediterranean, Subdesertic and Tropical Areas

• Promoting the “Cluster concept” (see Michaël Porter) as a key instrument for ensuring and optimizing

interactions between academia and business to the benefit of innovation and competitiveness.

3

Europe: a powerhouse of the Agri-Food business

4Source: FoodDrinkEurope 2013

5

Feeding the Planet: a european alliance

Feeding the Planet: the consortium

R&D &Innovation:

•28 knowledge organizations with

major French agronomical research and higher education organizations: INRA, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro , 9

academic campuses

international institutes :CIHEAM-IAM.M, ICRA, Bioversity International, the headquarters of CGIAR Consortium

foreign labs : Australia-CSIRO, Argentina-INTA, Brazil-EMBRAPA, USA-USDA in Montpellier

– 7 500 scientists in the region with 2 700 scientists focused on Agriculture Agri-Food Biodiversity and

Environment inside 80 laboratories and 1 450 PhD (1 000 invited scientists/year)

– 7 000 students trained in Agriculture Food Biodiversity and Environment,

155 graduate courses technicians, engineers, BSc, MSc, PhD (20% foreign students)

•A platform with a window towards Mediterranean and Tropical regions

(400 French scientists based in 60 partner countries)7

Agropolis International, Montpellier (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) (1)

Feeding the Planet: the consortium

Industry and major foodstuffs:

• 1st agricultural producer in Europe / 5th largest exporter of agri-food products worldwide (1:USA, 2:The Netherlands,

3:Germany, 4:Brazil) / 1st national industrial sector (turnover & jobs)

• Main sectors in Languedoc-Roussillon area:

• 127 companies within Qualiméditerranée competitiveness cluster focused on innovating in Mediterranean Agriculture and

Food

Public support to innovation:

• regional incubator to support the creation of start-ups (47 incubated projects from 2000 to 2010 in the field of Science-

Health-Food-Biotechnologies)

• Business & Innovation Centers supported by local authorities (consultants, office space, training and information on business)

8

Agropolis International, Montpellier (Languedoc-Roussillon, France) (2)

Feeding the Planet: the consortium

Bio-economy, Science and Technology Park Cluster and Cluster management organization of the High Tech Agro-Food Cluster of Lombardy (CAT.AL), which involves 300 partners among research centers, SMEs, big companies, private and public stakeholders.

R&D & Innovation:

•A Research Centre specialized in animal and plant genomics, cell and molecular biology, bio-informatics (75 researchers).

•Network of 7 Universities and 17 Research Centers in the area,( e.g. University of Milano, Catholic University of Piacenza,

Research National Council).

•International collaboration with more than 70 Research institutes.

•Genome resort facility and integrated –omics services

•42 on-going R&D & Innovation projects (2009-2013).

9

Parco Tecnologico Padano, Lodi and Milan (Lombardy, Italy) (1)

Feeding the Planet: the consortium

• Specialization and Excellence of Lombardy:

- Agricultural leadership in production of Cereals, Livestock and dairy sector

- food processing industries, milk and dairy products, (e.g. Grana Padano), nutraceutical and functional food

- Large number of DOP products and DOC wines

- Strong position in industry, e.g. INALCA-Cremonini group, Lombardy Dairy District, Riso Scotti, Polenghi,

Cargill and HQ of all large multinationals in Italy.

- Leader in distribution activities, (retail density network: 290 sq.meters per 1000 inhabitants = most dense

EU countries).

• Industry and services:

- “Alimenta” Business incubator : 26 enterprises more than 20MLN € VC raised

- 300 Companies inside the High Tech Lombardy Cluster

- Connection to Life Sciences, Green Chemistry & Pharmaceuticals Regional High-Tech Clusters.

- New trends: Bio-energy, Cosmetics, food-health, bio-based economy

10

Parco Tecnologico Padano, Lodi and Milan (Lombardy, Italy) (2)

Feeding the Planet: the consortium

R&D&Innovation:

20 research institutes like

•Wageningen University and Research Centre

•NIZO food research

•TNO Healthy Living

Wageningen University and Research Centre (Wageningen UR): A staff of 6,000 and 8,000 students (BSc and MSc) and

1,000 PhD students from over 100 countries work and study at Wageningen UR in the domain of healthy food and living

environment

•R&D centres of major companies like Danone, H.J. Heinz, Friesland Campina.

•15.000 scientists in Wageningen area, domain Agri-Food and life sciences

•Strong collaboration between industry and research institutes in public private cooperation on topics like: food security,

sustainability and food & health;

11

East Netherlands Development Agency / Food Valley region,

Wageningen (The Netherlands) (1)

Feeding the Planet: the consortium

• Industry and major foodstuffs:

– Number two exporter of agri-food products in the world

– Main sectors: milk and dairy products, poultry and eggs, pig meat, ingredients, machinery (poultry processing, red

meat, bakery and cheese), enzymes, animal breeder material and biological crop protection.

– Unique research infrastructure facilities, like The Restaurant of the Future

– Mature Clusters like: Food Valley NL and Dutch Poultry Centre

– Accelerator StartLife with more than 50 start-ups in Agri-Food

• Public support to innovation:

– East Netherlands Development Agency (Oost NV) supports international companies willing to invest in the region,

supports start-ups, develops research and development projects for SME’s, supports their internationalization,

develops business parks and invests in companies with venture capital and loans.

12

East Netherlands Development Agency / Food Valley region,

Wageningen (The Netherlands) (2)

Feeding the Planet: what we offer on the global market

• Expertise (‘hard’ science, as well as economic and social expertise) through direct provision of services or bidding for national

and int’l calls:

– farming systems, animal feed

– food processing and production

– food quality and safety

– preservation of the environment, in particular in fragile areas

– genomics and biotechnologies

– cluster building

• Building partnerships with our HEI / universities / R&D organizations, and our companies and business/farming organizations:

– R&D partnerships (e.g. through EU R&D programs)

– Business partnerships

– Partnerships in bidding for relevant calls of development agencies, UN and World Bank organizations foundations and

charities

13

Feeding the Planet: Objectives of our Mission

1. Contact and get to know institutional partners in agri-food, biotech and research and

development, working with and promoting a cluster to cluster approach.

2. Present the Feeding the Planet consortium, the clusters, organizations and its capabilities

and objectives.

3. Set up a long term cooperation with one or more organizations.

4. Incubation and start-ups, in agri-food and biotech. Soft landing exchange.

5. Collecting technological needs, offers and business opportunities. Matchmaking Events.

6. Look for new innovation and research and development projects, cooperation between

companies with a technological development focus between Brasil and Europe.

7. Support companies and institutes interested to invest and cooperate in Europe (set up an

office, joint venture).

14

15

Obrigado!

www.feedingtheplanet.eu

@FeedingPlanet

Linkedin group: Feedingtheplanet