Bridging the Gap: How Academia and Industry Can Collaborate for a Sustainable Food Future

Bridging the Gap: How Academia and Industry Can Collaborate for a Sustainable Food Future

(IN BRIEF) The Food 2.0 project seeks to create a resilient food system by integrating circular economy practices and sustainability. Bridging the gap between academia and industry is key to translating research into practical solutions. Through initiatives such as rapid-fire pitch sessions and the Finnish Food RDI forum, academia and industry are coming together to accelerate innovations in food production. As Finland strengthens its food export strategy and enhances public-private collaboration, the Food 2.0 ecosystem continues to grow, fostering innovation and sustainable growth.

(PRESS RELEASE) HELSINKI, 7-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The Food 2.0 project envisions a nature-smart food system that blends ecological wisdom with economic growth for the benefit of all. The goal is to create a resilient, interconnected ecosystem where innovative technologies, sustainable production methods, and reformed value chains come together to shape the future of food.

As circular economy principles—such as waste reduction, resource optimization, and material repurposing—become central to modern food production, we face a key question: How do we turn research and innovation into real-world solutions? Insights from the first annual Food 2.0 seminar in March 2025 shed light on this issue and the journey to bridge the divide between academia and industry.

The Knowledge Gap: Understanding the Disconnect

While academia generates a wealth of research, much of it struggles to transition into industrial applications. Why does this gap persist, and how can it be addressed?

One major challenge is that industry often remains unaware of the research happening in academic circles, causing valuable knowledge to remain theoretical and disconnected from real-world applications. On the flip side, the research conducted in academia may not always align with the needs of industry, resulting in innovations that lack a clear market demand.

Another issue is the lack of investment in research once it moves beyond early-stage, low technology readiness levels (TRL). At this stage, companies are expected to step in, but the risk of commercializing unproven innovations often deters investment, leading to what is known as the “valley of death.” This phase, where substantial funding is needed, is often where progress stalls.

Ultimately, successful collaboration between academia and industry hinges on building stronger networks and relationships to facilitate knowledge exchange and shared problem-solving.

Bridging the Gap: Solutions and Collaborations

At the Food 2.0 first annual seminar, a rapid-fire pitch session was introduced to bridge the knowledge gap. During this session, PhD students presented their research projects, showcasing innovative developments ranging from atmospheric water generation without electricity to cellular agriculture, oat protein utilization, and microbial lipids.

These presentations provided a glimpse into the exciting potential within academia, revealing numerous opportunities for collaboration with industry. To further strengthen ties between academia and industry, the Finnish Food RDI forum was launched. This forum aims to improve cooperation within the food sector by facilitating early interactions between researchers, students, and companies, ensuring that research aligns with industry needs.

Industry Innovations and How Academia Can Contribute

Innovation is not limited to academia—industry is also making significant strides. Promising developments in digital transformation, such as 3D printing, nanobubble technology for agricultural efficiency, and the use of algae for high-value food products, are shaping the future of food production.

Academia can accelerate these innovations by building interdisciplinary teams that understand both scientific depth and market context. Just as academia needs to communicate its developments to industry, the reverse is also true: companies must share what is being developed, where support is needed, and what kind of expertise would make a difference.

The Role of Sustainability and National Strategy

Sustainability remains a core pillar of the Food 2.0 vision. Finland’s food export sector, for example, has seen modest growth in recent years, but a strategic reform may be necessary. By taking a page from Ireland’s successful transformation of its export sector, which focused on added value, sustainability branding, and market expansion, Finland can enhance transparency, strengthen public-private collaboration, and create a unified export strategy.

The Finnish non-governmental organization Ruokatieto Yhdistys ry is also working to increase Finnish food exports by promoting cross-sector collaboration, advancing innovation, and raising awareness of Finnish food culture.

Food 2.0: A Collaborative Ecosystem for Innovation

The Food 2.0 project has already built an ecosystem of over 170 partners in its first year. According to Veera Virtanen, Ecosystem Lead at Valio, successful innovators share several key characteristics:

• A clear innovation strategy
• Engaging external actors in the process
• Collaboration with academia and research institutes to develop effective products and processes
• A strong focus on market growth and sustainability
• A company culture that promotes creativity, sustainability, and modernization

Business Finland’s co-innovation funding model supports these attributes by enabling companies to run parallel projects linked to public research projects and to each other. For example, the NSF Global Center’s FoodID initiative, coordinated by VTT, has raised €10 million in co-funded projects focused on advancing cellular agriculture and hybrid foods.

Conclusion: A Call for Collaboration and Innovation

By strengthening cooperation between academic innovation and industrial application, we can ensure that research fuels a resilient, sustainable, and competitive food economy. Companies are encouraged to join public research projects, either by contributing their own R&D efforts or by participating in a collaborative or networking capacity. The available platforms and the growing network offer ample opportunities for exploration, experimentation, and shared success.

We encourage anyone with innovative ideas to share them, collaborate, and make them happen—together, we can shape the future of food.

Media Contact:

Tel: +358 10 381 2118
email: mediadesk@valio.fi

SOURCE: Valio