For its fourth edition, InVivo Quest is focusing the challenge on Europe. The Quest EuroTour 2020-2021 has been collecting applications from start-ups and holding virtual selections events in seven European regions. The final selection round for UK-Ireland start-ups will be on 23rd to 25th March 2021.
The increase in health and environmental crises linked to climate change mean we need to develop more resilient, responsible and economically profitable models of production, distribution and consumption.
The European agri-food industry needs to become more resilient in times of crisis (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), and more sustainable to mitigate the effects of climate change.
As we at CHAP are well aware, innovation has a major role to play in this. The agri-food sector in the UK is changing and has the potential to produce innovative and sustainable solutions at all levels of the food chain.
While many solutions have yet to be invented, some are already being developed. Precision farming is making more efficient use of resources, the development of biological controls and bio stimulants is helping to reduce the use of chemical inputs and the creation of new markets for carbon dioxide sequestration or for agricultural by-products are all part of the bigger picture helping to counter climate change at farm level. And further down the chain, new distribution and consumption models, using digital platforms and networks, are increasing traceability to ensure food safety and health for consumers at the same time as increasing farmers’ profit margins.
InVivo Quest strongly believes that a thriving and supportive ecosystem which includes start-ups, cooperatives, agri-food companies, investors, R&D centres and universities will be necessary to make sure that European innovations are nurtured and given the opportunity to scale to maximize their impact on the resilience and durability of our food chain.
The fourth edition of InVivo Quest is looking to address these issues, with a strong focus on climate impacts. It aims to provide selected start-ups with support to test, develop and market their solutions, for the benefit of operators and consumers in France and abroad, thanks to its internal and external innovation ecosystems.
It is focusing its attention on Europe, which too often relies on American or Asian resources. Seven areas of interest with different areas of expertise have been identified: agronomy, life sciences, indoor cultivation in the Netherlands, agroforestry in Northern Europe, data analysis software in Eastern Europe, IoT, and equipment in Central Europe.
CHAP is delighted to announce that Dr Alex McCormack and Dr Aurélie Bovi will be part of the technical jury assessing the UK/Irish start-ups and we look forward to bringing you more news about the innovations they discover after the event.
The closing ceremony event (with winners and participants from the seven challenges) will take place on 22nd April and CHAP’s International Business Development Manager, Dr Jenna Ross will take part as the UK representative.
For more about this programme go to InVivo Quest.
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