AIT Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) has been a Core Partner of the EIT Food Network, Europe's leading innovation and technology initiative in the agricultural and food sector since Jannuary 1st 2020, with the aim of making the "Food System" more sustainable, healthier and trusted.
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an EU body established by the European Union in 2008 to strengthen Europe's innovative capacity. The EIT is an integral part of the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 and its successor Horizon Europe. EIT Food is one of eight successful innovation communities, with a total of currently 50 innovation centres across Europe, with over €1.5 billion of external capital from EIT-supported companies. With the beginning of 2020 the AIT as a driving force has also succeeded in bringing together national partners from different areas of the health sector to bring the EIT Health Network to Austria.
EIT Food is a network of leading companies, research centres, universities and other scientific institutions from all important areas of the food chain: primary production, processing, trade, research and development. The AIT contributes to the success of the network through its excellent network and comprehensive expertise in areas of plant production and beneficial microorganisms, user & technology experience as well as Policy & Governance, and benefits from this through long-term partnerships, market-oriented projects at medium technological maturity with business plan and efficient project applications. The aim is to promote the EIT Food Network in Austria and to expand it through national partners.
The objectives of EIT Food include increasing consumer confidence in Europe, promoting healthy nutrition, developing digital infrastructures and implementing bio-economic approaches and progress in education and entrepreneurship. The figures speak for themselves: the creation of 350 start-up companies, the training of over 10,000 academics and the development of 290 new products, services and processes. "Education, Excellence, Entrepreneurship" is the formula that sums up this ambitious project.
EIT website: https://eit.europa.eu/
EIT Food Website: https://eit.europa.eu/eit-community/eit-food
EIT Food Fact Sheet: https://eit.europa.eu/interact/bookshelf/eit-food-factsheet