Over 300 entrepreneurs and scientists discussed the future of food industry in Tartu

Over 300 entrepreneurs and scientists discussed the future of food industry in Tartu The cooperation festival Kõik söögiks (Everything Is Food) of the ADAPTER cooperation network of the Estonian R&D community, which focused on topics such as food production, the environment and nutrition, was held on 14 November.

The main organiser of festival Anneli Saaroja said that the reason these topics were selected for the festival is that the preferences of consumers are changing. “Consumers are becoming increasingly informed and want their preferences to be taken into account,” explained Saaroja. “Businesses must be able to keep up with this. The reports and discussions heard at the festival today focused on the technical solutions used to produce food and bring it to consumers, what does food have to do with circular economy and what is the connection between people’s consumption habits and healthy eating.”

Vice Rector for Development at the University of Tartu Erik Puura said he was pleased to see that the cooperation festival of universities and the R&D community initiated by the University of Tartu and Tallinn University four years ago has developed into such a substantive event. “As Professor of International Business at the University of Tartu Urmas Varblane said in his presentation, the food industry is the most important industry to people,” said Puura. “The information day that was attended by scientists from different institutions focused on the topic of food and nutrition. It ended up being very interesting and offered solutions that will certainly be implemented in the increasing cooperation between scientists and entrepreneurs.”

The participants could take a look at the results of the development work of research institutions and food businesses as well as innovative foodstuffs in the demo area of the festival. The festival partner of the ADAPTER cooperation network this year was the Estonian Food Industry Association. Over 300 people visited the festival and more than half were representatives of companies.

For further information, please contact: Erik Puura, Vice Rector for Development, University of Tartu, 506 9882, erik.puura@ut.ee