INNOVATEX - I3X - 9
Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems - From Farm to Fork
Initiating Partner: LUT University (Kouvola R&I Unit)
Initiating Partner Contacts:
Dr. Kateryna Kryzhanivska
Professor Marko Torkkeli
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About LUT University's Kouvola Research & Innovation Unit - Industrial Engineering and Management. The Kouvola Research & Innovation Unit at LUT University operates in the Kymenlaakso region of Finland, a strategic hub for bioeconomy, logistics, food-system transformation and sustainable industrial innovation. The unit bridges industry, municipalities and research to co-design sustainable, circular and resilient food systems, integrating perspectives from industrial engineering, innovation management, sustainability, logistics and regional development. Its work supports the preparation, planning, implementation and evaluation of innovation initiatives that address systemic challenges across food production, processing, packaging, logistics and consumption, in line with European and regional sustainability agendas.
What are the desired outcomes of I3X-9?
SMAR3TS project partner - LUT University (Kouvola Research & Innovation Unit) is looking for innovative approaches to develop sustainable and resilient food systems, addressing the full farm-to-fork value chain while integrating energy efficiency, circular bioeconomy principles and regional resilience.
Across Europe and within the Kymenlaakso region, food systems are increasingly exposed to climate change, energy price volatility, geopolitical instability and resource constraints. Traditional food systems, optimised primarily for efficiency and cost, struggle to deliver resilience, sustainability and nutritional security under crisis conditions.
Within the SMAR3TS project, this I3X focuses on system-level transformation of food systems, connecting food production, processing, packaging, logistics, energy use and waste valorisation into coherent, climate-resilient and low-carbon regional models. The objective is to support food systems that are robust under disruption, resource-efficient and capable of delivering long-term societal value.
What skills and capabilities (across disciplines) would be beneficial for I3X-9?
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Food systems and nutrition science, including understanding of how food production, processing and consumption influence health, sustainability and resilience
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Food technology and bioprocessing, including fermentation, protein extraction, ingredient formulation and safety
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Bioeconomy and biomass utilization, particularly the valorization of forestry and food-industry side-streams
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Sustainable materials and packaging, including bio-based, biodegradable and circular food-contact materials
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Logistics and supply-chain design, especially for regional, low-carbon and crisis-resilient food systems
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Digital tools and data, including traceability, forecasting, digital twins and platform development
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Sustainability assessment, such as life-cycle analysis, carbon and resource footprinting, and impact evaluation
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Business models and market development, including scaling, investment readiness and value-chain coordination
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Policy and regulatory understanding, especially related to food safety, circular economy and climate adaptation
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Stakeholder engagement and ecosystem building, working with industry, municipalities, SMEs, civil society and research partners
Examples of Challenges that need to be addressed for I3X-9?
Challenges can be related e.g., to market and business model, technology adoption, sustainability assessment, regulation, policy, technologies, data availability, methods & analysis, technical or methodological gaps, ecosystem building or community development, societal & cultural acceptance of innovations, impact, etc.
Key challenges include:
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High vulnerability of food systems to climate and energy shocks: Extreme weather, energy disruptions and geopolitical risks threaten food availability and affordability.
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Fragmented farm-to-fork value chains: Production, processing, packaging, logistics and waste management are poorly integrated, limiting system-level efficiency and resilience.
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Energy-intensive food systems: Food production, processing and logistics remain heavily dependent on fossil energy, increasing costs and emissions. Processing to use resilient, underutilized, low-impact raw materials. Usually, the highest environmental impacts come from the agricultural sector, and this is linked to the nature of the raw materials.
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Food loss, waste and underutilized side-streams: Large volumes of food and bio-based resources are lost due to inefficient collection, processing and valorization.
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Dependence on long and fragile supply chains: Regional food systems rely heavily on global imports and just-in-time logistics.
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Regulatory and market barriers: Sustainable food innovations face complex approval processes and unclear pathways to scale.
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Limited coordination and data: Lack of shared data, digital tools and coordinated governance hinders resilience planning and crisis preparedness.
I3X-9 Alignment to R3 - Resilience, Restoration, Regeneration
Resilience
Resilience by safeguarding food availability and access under climate, energy and geopolitical disruptions.
Restoration
Restoration by reducing emissions, waste and resource inefficiencies across the food system.
Regeneration
By rebuilding regional capacity for circular, low-carbon and nutrition-sensitive food systems that support long-term wellbeing.