FoodWal: Development of innovative and sustainable agri-food approaches with industrial potential

   LIBST, LDRI-MNUT, CICN

Challenges

The idea is to propose disruptive innovations in the agri-food sector with three projects (MICROBoost, PEPTIBoost and PROTEBoost). The collaborative research developed within FoodWal brings together leading Walloon scientists from the five French-speaking universities of Belgium and the four accredited Walloon research centres. It also aims to provide doctoral training for young researchers who are aware of the issues and challenges that Walloon agri-food companies face.

UCLouvain’s contribution

Research and innovation are necessary for the development of agri-food sectors that produce the healthy and sustainable food of tomorrow. There are many issues and challenges, but they also represent opportunities for innovation for Belgian researchers. As a member of the FoodWal consortium, UCLouvain is responsible for the portfolio’s overall coordination. The university fosters cohesion between the partners of the three projects and connects researchers with Walloon agri-food companies. It does this by organising workshops, seminars and company visits. UCLouvain is also responsible for the scientific coordination and management of the MICROBoost project and is implicated in the scientific production of the three projects in the portfolio.

Contributors : Our partners: UCLouvain, UMons, UNamur, ULiège, ULB, CER Groupe, Celabor, Materia Nova and Multitel. 27 researchers and 4 technicians are paid through FoodWal but several other permanent researchers and technicians are also implicated in this portfolio of projects. They are joined by several undergraduate students who are writing a thesis, trainees and external researchers, whose numbers vary from year to year.