How did the virus situation affect the agri-food chain?

On 23 July 2020, the South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency, as a partner of the Regions 4Food Interreg Europe project, participated in an online webinar organized by the World Business Angels Forum (WBAF) and the European Foundation for Innovation and Technology Development (INTEC).

At the meeting, experts examined the consequences of the current viral situation that has hit the agri-food chain. A report has been produced that seeks to provide a complete picture of startups operating in the agri-food chain. This sector is in a critical situation due to the COVID-19 virus, which also represents an extraordinary opportunity to develop the digital and innovation transformation. The report itself is comprehensive, analyzing the business ecosystem, looking for solutions to development opportunities. They outline the categories that gave direction in the report: agricultural technology, animal husbandry, fisheries, manufacturing, smart devices and cooking, waste management, consumer applications, food safety, food transport, genetic developments, artificial proteins.

Mr. Juan Francisco Delgado was the moderator of the event, who is the vice-president of the European Innovation Foundation and senator of the WBAF in the European Union, as well as he was the presenter of the summary of the report. The INTEC Foundation’s quantitative reporting infrastructure includes data from more than 3,000 companies, more than 42 ecosystems, and survey data from more than 100 start-up leaders worldwide. These were also worked on when compiling the report.

In addition to Mr. Juan Farncisco Delgado, the meeting was attended by authorities such as Mr. Baybars Altuntas, President of WBAF, economist Mr. Rudy Arnoud, participant in the ESCALAR Programme and member of the European Commission, Ms. Isabel Bombal, General Director of Innovation and Rural Development of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Government of Spain), Mr. Jose Bayon Lopez, President of ENISA, Mr. David Cierco Jimenez de Praga is the Managing Director of Red.es and Ms. Paula Morales, the director of FYCMA Fair.

The webinar provided an extensive situation analysis due to the viral crisis and opportunities for innovation, which is well linked to the action planning of STRIA’s Regions 4Food project.

The Regions 4Food project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and Hungary.