Examples of previous and on-going projects

On this page, you can find examples of previous and on-going projects of the School of Food and Agriculture.

  • Regions4Food
    • Name of the project: REGIONal Strategies 4 FOOD 4.0 Revolution /
    • Funding: Interreg Europe, Eur 1 502 890
    • Duration: 1.6. 2018 – 31.5.2023
    • Coordinator: Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development of Andalusia (ES)
    • Partners: Pays de la Loire Regional Council (FR); Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (FI); ART-ER Stock Joint Consortium (IT); South Transdanubian Regional Innovation Agency (HU); Province Limburg (NL); Pazardzhik Regional Administration (BG)

    Aims to

    • make the most of new economic opportunities based on information, data and cognitive technologies
    • promote innovation-driven growth

    SeAMK’s role in the project

    • Actively participating the exchange of experience approach and work plan which allow partners to create synergies and opportunities by identifying good practice implemented in other territories.
    • Working in close cooperation with stakeholders to interconnect regional innovation ecosystems. Best practices for each region will be integrated in their action plans in order to improve the targeted policy instruments governance or to implement projects that will contribute to achieving the above-mentioned goal.

     Results and impact envisaged

    • In short-term: 7 action plans to improve policy instruments selected by project partners according to their relevance in terms of better exploiting ICT’s potential and deliver innovation to food industry and hence, smart progress and growth.
    • In long-term:
      • Support capacity-building at all levels, that is, staff, organisational and regional but also beyond the partnership considering most project partners are members of the S3P Agri-food on Traceability and Big Data.
      • Reinforcing cooperation between research and business sectors and therefore, to improve the economic exploitation of R&D results.
      • Delivering strategic guidelines for new programming period.

    More detailed information about the project can be found here.

    Contact person:

    Soila Huhtaluhta, Project Manager

    soila.huhtaluhta@seamk.fi

    +358 40 868 0604

  • NEFERTITI

    Networking European Farms to enhance Cross Fertilisation and Innovation Uptake through Demonstration

    • Funding: H2020, Societal Challenge 2, RUR 12-2017 call
    • Duration: 1.1.2018-31.12.2021
    • Coordinator: ACTA, the head of Network of the French Agricultural Technical Institutes
    • Partners: 32 partners from 17 countries

    Aims to

    • Establishing and sustaining interactive thematic networks at regional, national and EU levels by sectors and themes (and with the EIP related projects/landscape) to boost knowledge exchanges and cross fertilisation.
    • Fostering the learning process of all actors involved in demo-activities throughout the networks to identify best practices for demonstrations and interactivity between demonstrations on similar themes over Europe.
    • Improving the policy dialogue and networking the regional European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) managing authorities to ensure the network sustainability.
    • Promoting effective use of demo-and network activities by communicating and disseminating the practical oriented outcomes adapted at local level.

    SeAMK’s role in the project

    • Set up a network of public administration and managing authorities of European regions (via ERIAFF) and engage public administrations in acknowledging the relevance of demo-farms and supporting their functioning through dedicated tools and/or programs.
    • Exchange best practices and knowledge among EU regions and connect the demo-farms with existing S3 Agri- Food sub-thematic Platforms also through an inventory of relevant ESIF projects within the regions of the NEFERTITI networks that can be integrated to NEFERTITI hubs activities
    • Analyse the EU regions S3 and RDPs opportunities to facilitate interactive innovation projects genesis (i.e. OGs), anticipate the taking over of funding by regions so securing and expanding the networks sustainability via sub-networks and efficient cooperation between regions within the quadruple helix
    • Provide policy recommendation on demo-farming governance and financing

    Results and impact envisaged

    • In short-term: Developing Dynamic Action Plans by identifying the needs of demo actors and networks’, establishing a web based platform including knowledge reservoirs, supporting and facilitating cycle of demo activities and peer-to-peer learning
    • In long-term: Improving the policy dialogue and networking for sustainability, promoting effective use of demonstration and networks ‘activities

    More detailed information about the project can be found here.

    Contact person:

    Elina Koivisto, Project Manager

    elina.koivisto@seamk.fi

    +358 40 830 0353

  • Fresh Forest-chips for Farm-level Heat Production
    • Funding: Eur 150,000 € funded by Rural Development Programme (Regional) – Mainland Finland and Ely Center of Häme.
    • Duration: 10.2019 – 31.5.2021
    • Coordinator: SeAMK Food and Agriculture
    • Partners: Veljekset Ala-Talkkari Oy, farm holders Rantalan Broileri Oy and Kankaan Broiler Oy, Finnish Forest Center, University of Vaasa and University of Helsinki.
    • Other Collaborators: Thermopolis Oy Lapua,, Kauhavan kaukolämpö Oy, MTK Forest Owner Association and FinnMETKO Oy

    Aims to

    • develop and pilot a farm-level heating plants (400-500 kW) to use fresh forest-chips
    • promote work against climate change
    • promote sustainable and climate-wise food supply chain
    • disseminate the results via e.g. EIP-AGRI

    SeAMK’s role in the project

    • To be in charge of the general management of the project, monitor the implementation of the project on schedule and coordinates the activities according with the work plan.
    • To ensure that high quality is achieved in the project tasks and outputs, and risk management is assured.

    Results and impact envisaged

    • In short-term: new heating plant concept at farm-level
    • In long-term: prevent the climate change and reduce the emissions of food supply chain

    More detailed information about the project can be found here.

    Contact person:

    Risto Lauhanen, Senior Expert RDI, Adjunct Professor

    risto.lauhanen@seamk.fi

    +358 40 830 4150

     

     

  • PIKI - Local Proteins as Sources for International Innovations!
    • Funding: ERDF, Business Finland
    • Duration: 1.5.2019-30.6.2021
    • Budget: 508 000 €
    • Managing authority: Business Finland
    • Partners: Seinäjoki UAS Faculty of Food, University of Turku and 7 companies

    Aims to

    • research local sources of proteins from primary and side stream sources
    • research the technological (Seinäjoki UAS) and sensory (University of Turku) properties of protein sources
    • develop concepts for high value  and innovative products for various use cases based on these properties
    • support UN SDG 2 – food, sustainable source and use of proteins for food

    Results and impact envisaged

    • developing novel product concepts and functionalities using researched proteins, either singly or in conjunction with others
    • propagating the knowledge throughout the network of companies in South Ostrobothnia
    • setting up a centre of expertise on the properties of food proteins
    • leveraging research in teaching
    • giving local companies a competitive edge through innovations

     

    Contacts:

     Jarmo Alarinta

    RDI Manager, SeAMK

    jarmo.alarinta@seamk.fi

    +358 40 830 2450

     

    Anu Hopia

    Research Director, Functional Foods Forum

    Research Professor, Food Development

    anuhop@utu.fi

    +358 50 378 9919