About 70 representatives from research, industry, and civil society recently discussed current developments and future challenges across the entire value chain.
The event at the Future Food Factory OWL on the Innovation Campus Lemgo focused on practical applications of data-driven technologies. Presentations covered topics such as AI-supported quality assurance, digital twins in industrial practice, and cybersecurity issues in networked production systems.
The program was complemented by the “Match My Science” pitch format, which specifically promoted exchange between research and industry and identified concrete opportunities for collaboration.
A special highlight of the focus day was the ninth anniversary of the smartFoodTechnologyOWL initiative: Since 2017, the initiative has been funded as part of the “Research at Universities of Applied Sciences: FH-Impuls” program and has since launched numerous projects aimed at digitizing the food industry.
“Research in the context of food production can hardly do without digital and intelligent technologies today,” emphasized Professor Dr. Jan Schneider, spokesperson for the partnership and director of the Institute for Life Science Technologies.NRW (ILT.NRW). “This makes it all the more important to translate these findings into industrial practice quickly and effectively.”
The concluding panel discussion therefore focused in particular on the question of how the transfer between science and industry can be further strengthened.
“The added value of AI is particularly evident when research results are translated into concrete applications,” said Norbert Reichl, Managing Director of Food Processing Initiative e.V. “Formats like this focus day create exactly the interfaces needed for this—from the initial impetus to implementation within the company.”
At the same time, it was emphasized that the exchange must take place in both directions. Professor Schneider: “Input from industrial practice is crucial for further developing research in a targeted manner and creating relevant solutions.”
The smartFoodTechnologyOWL partnership aims to combine digital technologies with food technology expertise and drive innovation along the entire value chain—“From Farm to Fork.”
“Our goal is to make a sustainable contribution to a resilient food supply while further intensifying collaboration between science and industry,” emphasized Professor Schneider.
The focus day made it clear that the close integration of research and practice is a key success factor for innovation in the food industry.
