What happens when agriculture, food and biotechnology are brought into the same conversation? This was one of the key takeaways from the EU AgRI 2040 Conference in Brussels, where Biotech4Food was represented alongside researchers, companies, policymakers and innovation actors from across Europe.
One message stood out: AgRI 2040 and Food 2040 are joining forces.
While AgRI 2040 looks at the future of agriculture, forestry and rural areas, Food 2040 addresses the broader food system, from processing and manufacturing to consumption and circularity. Bringing these perspectives closer together reflects a simple reality: innovation cannot stop at the farm gate.
This is particularly relevant for biotechnology. From fermentation and new protein sources to the valorisation of side streams and innovative ingredients, biotech solutions can help connect sustainable primary production with the food products and processes of tomorrow. For Biotech4Food, this convergence strongly echoes the project’s ambition to accelerate the uptake and scale-up of biotechnology solutions across European food value chains.
Another important discussion concerned the forthcoming European Biotech Act II. Of particular interest was the concept of regulatory sandboxes: controlled environments where innovative biotech solutions could be tested while companies engage with regulators and address regulatory requirements at an earlier stage. For food biotechnology companies, such an approach could help reduce uncertainty and shorten the path from innovation to market.
And AgRI 2040 was not only about policy. It was also a great networking opportunity, bringing together European researchers, companies, clusters, policymakers and innovation ecosystems.
Our takeaway? Agriculture, food and biotech are increasingly joining forces – and Europe is looking for new ways, from stronger collaboration to regulatory sandboxes, to turn innovation into market-ready solutions.
AgRI 2040: Connecting Agriculture, Food and Bioeconomy Across European Regions
How can Europe turn research and innovation into solutions that are actually deployed across its regions? This question was at the heart of the EU AgRI 2040 Conference in Brussels, where Valorial represented I4BE – Interregional Innovation Investments for the Bioeconomy.
One of the strongest messages from the conference was the closer connection between AgRI 2040 and Food 2040. Agriculture and food innovation can no longer be addressed separately: primary production, food processing, biotechnology, circularity and the bioeconomy are increasingly part of the same innovation ecosystem.
For I4BE, this is particularly relevant. Europe already has strong research capacities and innovative solutions, but the challenge is increasingly about connecting regional ecosystems, scaling up innovation and accelerating deployment across European value chains.
The discussions around the forthcoming European Biotech Act II reinforced this message. In particular, regulatory sandboxes could offer companies and innovators controlled environments in which to test new biotech solutions while interacting with regulators at an early stage. Combined with Europe’s growing focus on biomanufacturing and industrial biotechnology, such approaches could help innovative solutions move faster from demonstration to market.
But successful deployment requires more than technology and regulation. It also requires strong connections between regions.
This is why the networking dimension of AgRI 2040 was particularly valuable. The conference brought together policymakers, researchers, companies, clusters and regional innovation ecosystems from across Europe – creating opportunities to exchange experiences, identify complementarities and explore future collaborations.
For Valorial and I4BE, the takeaway is clear: Europe’s next generation of agri-food and bioeconomy innovation will depend not only on developing excellent solutions, but on our collective ability to connect regions, mobilise investment and turn innovation into deployment at European scale.
