Join us for a practice-oriented study visit in Olsztyn (Poland) and explore how food recovery, social innovation, citizen engagement and applied food science are implemented in real-life Food Systems Living Labs. The programme includes site visits, spotlight sessions, an interactive workshop, and peer exchange within the FutureFoodS community.
We are pleased to invite you to a study visit at the Food Bank in Olsztyn – FutureFoodS Social Lighthouse Living Lab, taking place 25–26 February 2026 in Olsztyn, Poland.
This study visit is designed as a practice-oriented, immersive learning experience built around concrete Living Lab activities and real-life environments. It offers direct exposure to the work of the Food Bank in Olsztyn as a Social Lighthouse Food Systems Living Lab, while also showcasing science-, education- and campus-based Living Lab approaches in collaboration with the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (UWM).
Participants will explore how Living Lab activities support business development and market uptake, exchange practical tools for co-creation and stakeholder engagement, and gain transferable insights that can be applied within their own Food Systems Living Labs. The programme also includes informal networking and space for reflection and peer learning.
Olsztyn, the capital of the Warmia & Mazury region in north-eastern Poland, offers a unique setting for international collaboration—surrounded by lakes, forests and historic architecture, and known as the city where Nicolaus Copernicus lived and worked.
Apply to participate
Agenda
25 February 2026 — Food Bank & social innovation
Location: Food Bank in Olsztyn – FutureFoodS Social Lighthouse Living Lab, Marka Kotańskiego 1, Olsztyn
- 09:00 Welcome & study visit kick-off
- 09:15 InLife & FutureFoodS Partnership
- 09:45 Food Bank in Olsztyn: mission, operations, social impact & guided tour
- 11:15 Coffee break
- 11:30 Spotlight sessions: Living Labs in practice
- The Warsaw Food Lab: Co-Creating Systemic Solutions Through Evidence and Behavioural Insights
- Lab for Health IrsiCaixa, Barcelona: Participatory and systematic approach for food environment transformation
- Consumer Engagement Labs (EIT Food): Placing citizens at the heart of food system transformation
- 12:30 Lunch at the Food Bank Social Forge
- 13:15 Interactive workshop: Living Labs for Business Development – From Creation to Market Success
- 15:15 End of working day
- 18:30 One Table Experience – Cook, Learn, Share (chef-guided, co-creative social kitchen experience)
26 February 2026 — Science, education & campus Living Labs
Location: University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Michała Oczapowskiego 2, Olsztyn
- 09:00 Welcome by Dean of Faculty of Food Science
- 09:15 From Milk to Market (guided tour + hands-on session with fresh product tasting at the Dairy Processing Plant)
- 10:30 Campus Living Lab showcase (Jagiellonian University, Kraków)
- 11:00 Open discussion & reflections
- 12:00 Lunch
- 12:45 Departure
Organizer
InLife Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences is a leading research institute in Poland dedicated to advancing knowledge and developing innovative solutions in the fields of food, health, and reproduction. By combining interdisciplinary research with active engagement with society, InLife addresses global challenges, promotes well-being, and supports sustainable development.
InLife is a strategic member of the European Knowledge and Innovation Community EIT Food and a co-leader of the FutureFoodS Partnership Work Package focused on establishing the Food Systems Knowledge Hub, integrating a network of place- and context-based Living Labs.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
