The National Centre for Research and Development

“The world we live in and the current geopolitical situation require taking appropriate and very often innovative measures to adapt to change, respond to crises or counter negative circumstances. Environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss or water scarcity are putting food systems around the world under increasing pressure. Research and innovation can help pave the way to generate effective solutions in this regard (…)”, highlighted Arkadiusz Pluciński, Deputy Permanent Representative of Poland to the EU, during his inauguration speech.

Without a doubt, those effective solutions are delivered by the NCBR being active in many fields and sectors, funding research and innovations. “On the national level, we support innovations in nutrition, agriculture, ICT, waters, sea basins, soil, management systems, and AI, by launching programmes and calls for proposals. Our national strategic programme called NUTRITECH (…), aims at increasing the access to products and solutions in proper nutrition, through research and innovation achievements based on sustainable food production. Under this programme we launch calls for proposals dedicated to specific thematic areas”, emphasized Agnieszka Ratajczak, Director of the International Cooperation Department in NCBR, within her opening remarks.

After the official opening, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development introduced a panorama of EU actions on food security, placed in the context of climate change and as an effect of the war in Ukraine. Her key note speech was followed by a discussion panel. Ilario Ingravallo (EIT Food), Zoë Compston (UK Mission to the EU), Radosław Kowalski, (Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn) and Liselotte De Vos (Flemish Government) talked about emerging trends and benefits in the field of food security, presented governmental strategies designed to promote research and technology adoption in food related policies, as well as projects and initiatives dedicated to effective use of agricultural practices and alternative food products.

As every year, we had with us Polish entrepreneurs and researchers presenting their products and achievements:

• FIBRI TECH(start-up that developed a new technology from ecological spatial materials),
• Rebread (startup that turns old bread into new resources enabling creation of new products: vegan cosmetics, packaging etc. )
• Food  Jack (pioneering plant-based Foodtech startup, that produces food from Asian jack fruit)
• Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences   (presenting, among others, technologies related to fish reproduction in the event of an ecological disaster and failure in fish hatcheries, i.e. fish sperm bank)
• DELTIMA (which conducts research and laboratory activities focused on testing residues of plant protection products in agri-food products, water and wastewater analysis).

Thank you for joining us and we hope to see you next year.