Budapest, 5 December 2024 – The Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) proudly inaugurated the Food4Health Innovation Hub during the international Food Industry Professional Days conference held at the MATE Buda Campus in Budapest. This new Innovation Hub, a key outcome of the international Food4CE project, is set to promote the development and sustainability of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) in Hungary.
Food4Health Innovation Hub aims to serve as a collaborative space for diverse stakeholders, including food producers, logistics operators, research institutes, public authorities, and professional associations. It will promote short supply chains, encourage digitalization, and facilitate knowledge-sharing to address the challenges of sustainable food production and distribution.
Food4Health Innovation Hub aims to serve as a collaborative space for diverse stakeholders, including food producers, logistics operators, research institutes, public authorities, and professional associations. It will promote short supply chains, encourage digitalization, and facilitate knowledge-sharing to address the challenges of sustainable food production and distribution.
Driving sustainability in food systems
AFNs (Alternative Food Networks) are gaining momentum as vital models for linking local producers and consumers, bypassing traditional retail chains to reduce environmental impact and enhance community engagement. The Food4Health Hub is at the forefront of these efforts, focusing on developing innovative tools and solutions for AFNs. It will also play a key role in addressing pressing issues such as supply chain efficiency, product development, and market competitiveness.
The hub will operate both physically and virtually:
- Physical Location: Villányi út 29-43, Budapest
- Operating Hours: Fridays, 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
- Virtual Services: Available daily
A remarkable launch event
The Food Industry Professional Days conference brought together international experts to discuss the future of food and health sciences. Organized by the MATE Institute of Food Science and Technology in collaboration with the Pálinka National Council, the two day conference brought a lot of interesting presentations, including two from Food4CE project partners:
- Introduction of the Food4Health Innovation Hub, carried out by Dr. Géza Hitka, Head of the MATE Institute of Food Science and Technology;
- The role of AFNs and the support of Food4CE, carried out by Metka Dernovšek, University of Maribor, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transport Engineering and Architecture.
At the event, the inaugural meeting of the Food4Health Advisory Board was held, which will oversee the hub’s activities. Discussions focused on objectives such as information on the hub’s services and knowledge-sharing platforms; introduction of an automated self-service food warehouse; networking and collaboration opportunities to drive AFN innovations.
Supporting Central European Alternative Food Networks
Food4Health is part of the broader Food4CE initiative, which spans multiple Central European countries. The aim of the project is to set up five regional innovation hubs in Slovenia, Austria, Italy, Hungary and Poland. These hubs will share best practices in digitalization and logistics for local food networks across these countries.
Contact information:
For more details about the Food4Health Innovation Hub, please reach out to:
Dr. Géza Hitka
Head of the Food4Health Innovation Hub
Email: geza.hitka@uni-mate.hu
Phone: +36-1-305-7662
Explore the Food4CE project at Food4CE Website.