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Exploitation of functional food science by creating a European network of food industries

Final Report Summary - FUNCTIONALFOODNET (Exploitation of functional food science by creating a European network of food industries)

FUNCTIONALFOODNET was a pilot project intended to improve dissemination and exploitation of new functional food science by establishment of a functional food network in European Union and the new Member States with links to third countries, involving food industries, in particular Small and medium-sized entreprises (SMEs).

The main strategy of FFN was to establish networks between a limited number of primarily non-competing SMEs and larger companies within specific food production areas of major importance for the development of functional foods and to focus on major market oriented issues. Thus, it has been the intension to identify just a handful of enterprises from each country / region throughout Europe which were willing to discuss innovation and development strategies for the benefit of their competition. It was also an important element in the strategy to integrate companies and research organizations from the new member states: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.