Working together for a green, competitive and inclusive Europe

The last quarter of 2021 is a real boom in Polish-Icelandic cooperation for innovation in the field of the circular economy #CircularEconomy. Our Institute, together with the University of Iceland, Reykjavik and the Matís research institute, has carried out a number of activities that will help young scientists in Poland develop the competences necessary to co-create a sustainable food supply chain.

In October, we spent two weeks in Iceland and together with students we explored the phenomenon of the Icelandic way of managing side streams from agri-food production. Plant visits, meetings with entrepreneurs, lectures and exercises. Solving the real problems faced by food producing companies on the island. Then another training in the field of entrepreneurship and commercialization of scientific ideas, already conducted in Poland, with the participation of investors, start-ups and food producers. At the same time, exchanges and visits by employees of both countries.

We are about to work on a unique online course on adding value to side streams from agri-food production, which will equip young scientists and entrepreneurs with the knowledge necessary to create innovations in the circular economy, in which what is waste today has a chance to become fully valuable tomorrow product.

These activities were carried out thanks to the Bilateral Initiative „Innovation, business creation and valorization of side streams of food production and processing” financed by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism under the Bilateral Cooperation Fund.