EU Consortia
We are very open to joining EU consortia, please contact hello@biainnovatorcampus.ie and we will send you our Partner Information Form and OID registration number
BIA Innovator Campus was inspired by Galway’s 2018 EU Region of Gastronomy designation, and that European focus continues as we work across Europe on transformative EU projects that will make a difference in our food community. Join us in exploring how these European projects enhance our mission, support regional development, and position BIA Innovator Campus as a key player in the evolving global food landscape. All resources developed as a result of our EU projects are free to access and are industry focused.
BIA Innovator Campus actively participates in Interreg projects, engaging with both the Interreg Atlantic Area and Interreg Europe programs to foster regional development and cooperation across Europe.
Interreg Atlantic Area focuses on the Atlantic coastal regions of France, Ireland, Portugal, and Spain. Our involvement centres on addressing the unique challenges faced by these areas, such as enhancing marine environment protection, fostering innovation in marine industries, and improving regional connectivity and accessibility. Through collaborative projects, we contribute to sustainable economic growth and strengthen territorial cohesion along the Atlantic coast.
Interreg Europe offers us the opportunity to improve regional and local government policies across the European Union and beyond. We engage in the exchange of knowledge and best practices to enhance the effectiveness of development policies in key areas like research and innovation, support for the low-carbon economy, and environmental sustainability. Our participation helps shape broader policy frameworks and supports sustainable development initiatives at a pan-European level.
By being involved in these programs, we are at the forefront of addressing regional challenges and contributing to the economic and social advancement of diverse European communities.
The Interreg Atlantic Area 2021-2027 supports transnational cooperation in the Atlantic regions of four countries: Portugal, Spain, France and Ireland. In this new programme, the EU Commission renews their commitment with the Atlantic regions in support of innovative initiatives that contribute to the growth of this area, solving common challenges across borders through the implementation of joint actions, exchange of good practices and contribution to new or current policies.
Hub4Food is an innovative project designed to revolutionize the Atlantic region's food industry by establishing a collaborative hub. This hub will serve as a center for new ideas, bringing together agricultural groups, food industry stakeholders, and research organizations to foster closer collaboration. The primary aim of Hub4Food is to enhance the connectivity and capabilities of the food sector, with a special focus on developing new and improved marine-based food products.
To align with market demands, Hub4Food will initiate a program to test and certify new technologies tailored for the food industry. The project plans to facilitate partnerships between research bodies and businesses, particularly small enterprises, enhancing their collaborative potential. Support services will also be provided to assist food businesses in navigating challenges and fulfilling their operational needs. By involving researchers, policymakers, and the public in its strategy, Hub4Food ensures a comprehensive and inclusive approach.
The overarching goal of Hub4Food is to stimulate innovation, enhance competitiveness, and promote long-term sustainability in the food industry, positioning the Atlantic region at the forefront of food innovation.
The Interreg Europe 2021-2027 program fosters pan-European cooperation among local and regional authorities across the continent. In this new cycle, the European Commission renews its dedication to enhancing policy development and execution by supporting the exchange of knowledge and best practices. This initiative helps to address shared challenges and promotes the growth of participating regions. Through collaborative projects, participating regions contribute to the improvement of existing policies and the creation of innovative solutions, significantly impacting Europe's cohesive development.
Tourism significantly contributes to the European economy, accounting for 10.3% of the EU’s GDP and employing 27 million people. While some European destinations face challenges such as overtourism and its environmental and social impacts, others have yet to fully tap into their tourism potential. In response, the SLOWDOWN consortium advocates for slow tourism—an approach that emphasizes a deeper, more sustainable engagement with destinations. This initiative seeks to promote slow tourism through improved local and regional policies that support the sector's growth and sustainability. By fostering an intensive learning and exchange process among nine partners from eight EU countries, and involving key stakeholders, SLOWDOWN aims to enhance policy-making and ensure comprehensive regional development.
Stimulating Healthy Food Service Innovation (SUSTAIN) empowers food service SMEs with the innovation knowledge and skills to introduce healthy, affordable products to the market, thus boosting their competitiveness and contribution to a healthier society.
At the intersection of culinary heritage and modern educational practices, the project benefits students specialising in hospitality and cooking, as well as their teachers. Its core objective is to rejuvenate traditional European culinary practices, recipes, and ingredients, adapting them to contemporary demands and sensibilities. It encourages students to innovate old recipes and traditional cooking methods, thereby connecting the rich culinary past with the needs of the 21st century. This project was highly regarded, scoring 98 out of 100 points upon evaluation by Erasmus+.
BIA Innovator Campus was delighted to be a part of EU Youth Eco Tourism Initiative (Yeti), an Erasmus+ youth project that aims to support young people in their commitment to share and value Europe in a more sustainable and civic way than before the COVID crisis. Over 30 months, the YETI consortium developed the potential of young people and those who train them in tourism (including food tourism), environment, creative industries and cultural heritage development sectors, as well as supporting entrepreneurship.
Little YETI brings together 6 complementary partners (tourism, environment, European cultural heritage and youth) and spread geographically throughout Europe. BIA Innovator Campus is delighted to bring this exciting project to Ireland.
EFE empowers a new generation of food entrepreneurs to start, grow, and adapt ethical food enterprises and consequently accelerate progress based on the triple-bottom-line approach (Planet, People, Profit). This project aligns with BIA’s commitment to promoting sustainable and ethical practices in food entrepreneurship and education. Check out the resources available in 4 languages on the project website including an Educator’s Guide, A Good Practice Compendium, An Innovating Ethical Food Entrepreneurship Manual, An Online Course and A Knowledge Sharing Platform. We love hosting our transnational partner meetings in Galway , and highlighting the many inspiring food businesses we have.
The project is led by Savonia-ammattikorkeakoulu and has the support and expertise of Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Antalya Bilim Üniversitesi, Bia Innovator, EUEI and Momentum educate + innovate
The ECOSME project is working to enhance the sustainability skills of SMEs in the hospitality sector by providing flexible training tools and recognising the global challenges faced post-COVID. ECOSME seeks to raise awareness of sustainable business management, develop green skills, and encourage sustainable entrepreneurship. This project is highly relevant to BIA Innovator Campus's goals of fostering sustainable practices in the food and hospitality industry. The project results are made up of a comprehensive set of resources including a Self-assessment tool, A catalogue of innovative practices, An EcoSME Training programme and a Toolkit for Change.
The project is led by the Atlantic Tech University, ATU (Ireland), EURAKOM (France), VSGT in Maribor (Slovenia), DOMSPAIN (Spain), the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (Portugal) and Bia Innovator Campus CLG (Ireland).
The NATURE project focuses on creating new training materials and resources for adult educators and professionals in the field of inclusion, particularly around new urban agricultural trades. It aims to provide vulnerable adult groups with skills and knowledge in this area, fostering resilience. The project involves the identification of innovative practices in urban agriculture, development of new job streams, certification training courses, a comic strip training manual, and an immersive online training toolbox. This project is relevant to BIA Innovator Campus as it aligns with the campus's focus on inclusion while simultaneously considering sustainable and circular practices within our regions.
This project is led by Halage (France), Plaine Commune (France), Lai Momo (Italy), Jonkoping University (Sweden), Le Laba (France), and BIA Innovator Campus CLG (Ireland)
The DigiFaBs Digital Change Agents for Food and Beverage SMEs project which launched in February 2024 is funded by the EU Erasmus Partnerships for Innovation Alliances and is co-ordinated by FH Münster University of Applied Skills, Germany. The project brings together a multidisciplined consortium of five Higher Education Institutions, two Vocational Training Institutions, four SMEs, a Regional Public body, a Social Partner and an NGO, all working to help bring advancement to the EU food and beverage sector.
The 14 project partners, representing 7 European regions, are as follows:
Over the next three years, DigiFaBs partners will work to foster digital, resilience, and innovation skills to optimise the management of digital transformation in food and beverage Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. The DigiFaBs programme shall deliver an innovative programme that serves transdisciplinary students, educators as well as businesses (especially SMEs) collectively. Moreover, it will transfer principles of digital transformation as well as sectoral knowledge to foster needed digital skills and green skills as well as personal, social, and methodological skills and resilience, much needed in this fast-changing sector.
Project Aims
Project Activities
The DigiFABS project aims to engage 100 students and 10+ scientists from Engineering / IT, Agriculture / Nutrition and Business fields, plus 15+ SMEs from food and beverage sectors to pilot the course programme including:
(1) a multidisciplinary action learning, ‘DigiFaBs’ summer school and challenge for students to acquire the digital, green and resilience skills both theoretically and practically so that they may become changemakers themselves and
(2) Piloting of bootcamps for educators and F&B SMEs to facilitate a DigiFaBs challenge in their region. The final materials will be made publicly available including introductory MOOCs.
The COVID-19 crisis accelerated the need for modernisation and digital transformation of
training systems in Europe. A few years ago, the first project CIRCULAR SME SCAN (CSS) was implemented which led to a greener economy in support of European economic recovery. The main goal of CSS was to support innovative practices in digital era by creating a self-scan and learning platform that developed SME circular economy skills competences by focusing on four main areas of entire SME circularity value chain (supply acquisition, operation-production, retail, waste stream analysis).
Now, we start to implement the continuation of the project – CIRCULAR SME SCAN INHOSPITALITY (CSS-H). CSS-H will provide (micro) SME owners, managers and staff withthe knowledge, skills and competences which will help to become more circular, through the development of an evidence-based auto-diagnostic tool that will guide them to the specific knowledge most relevant for their situation and business, not only from the perspective of their own internal processes, but also from their position within the value chain (and its processes) which requires coordinated (local) action with the rest of the actors in the chain.
For the delivery of the main goal, specific objectives are strongly linked with Intellectual
Outputs which are:
The 7 partners involved in this project are:
STRIA (Dél-Dunántúli Regionális Innovációs Ügynökség Nonprofit Kft), Hungary (LEAD)
EOLAS S.L., Spain
https://eolas.es/
TECHNOLOGIES CONSULTING, INFORMATICS AE (AVACA), Greece
www.avaca.eu
Udruga turističkih djelatnika Gorskog kotara "Wondernature (WN), Croatia https://www.wondernature.hr/en
Eger Térsége TDM Egyesület (ETTDM), Hungary
BIA Innovator Campus, Ireland
www.biainnovatorcampus.ie/
LIETUVOS KAIMO TURIZMO ASOCIACIJALCTA – LCTA, Lithuania
https://www.atostogoskaime.lt/apie-lkta-1/
The Food Includes project has the primary goal of creating innovative and inclusive food-based training programs, addressing the challenges of inclusion and diversity within adult and continuing education centres. This unique "seeking pedagogy" aims to reach, recruit, and engage traditionally excluded or non-interested learners, focusing on adult and continuing education centres. The thematic focus on food offers inherent advantages, fostering cultural and generational inclusivity, thus attracting a diverse array of learners, including those venturing into education for the first time. The project recognises food as a powerful vehicle for literacy, numeracy, communication, and entrepreneurship skill development and offers a more engaging alternative to traditional lessons, enhancing work readiness through competence development in the short term. Participating individuals not only acquire practical skills but also build self-esteem, trust, and a willingness to progress toward higher qualifications, effectively addressing the challenge of upskilling.
At its core, the Food Includes project aims to fortify the capacity of adult and continuing education centres to practice true inclusion and diversity. While many organisations are committed to these principles, the practical implementation often proves challenging. This initiative specifically targets individuals facing socio-economic difficulties, early school leavers, ethnic minorities, and migrants, providing a structured approach to overcoming economic, social, and psychological barriers.
The project introduces the "Food Approach”, facilitated by a comprehensive Starter Kit and Open Educational Resources (OERs). This approach equips adult educators with the knowledge and skills needed to create genuinely inclusive learning environments that promote equity and equality. The focus is on responsiveness to the needs of the wider community, ensuring that education is accessible and welcoming to all.
One significant outcome of the project is the improvement in the availability of high-quality flexible learning opportunities for individuals with fewer opportunities. The project's flexibility and investigative approach will explore various methodologies within the realm of food initiatives, such as food festivals, food stories recipe books, and food cooperatives. The resulting Starter Kit and OERs will prioritise flexibility, offering options and recommendations suitable for diverse adult education organisations, contexts, and target groups. Additionally, an empirical study will be conducted, and the findings will be made openly available. This transparency aims to enable more adult education organisations to adopt, adapt, replicate, and scale the “Food Approach”, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and equitable education landscape.
The project main objectives are to:
Foster inclusion and upskilling in adult education through flexible learning opportunities centred around food.
Equip adult educators with knowledge of the “Food Approach” through a Starter Kit.
Enable educators to introduce the “Food Approach” in partner organisations by developing OERs for food programs.
Increase competences and willingness to learn of adults through the delivery of “Food Approach” courses.
Evaluate the capacity of the “Food Approach” in improving accessibility, participation, and upskilling.
Develop a new, attractive, and accessible methodology to enhance adult education services and promote inclusion and diversity.
The partners involved in this project are:
Johannes Gutenberguniversitat Mainz (JGU), Germany (Lead)
www.uni-mainz.de
BIA Innovator Campus, Ireland
www.biainnovatorcampus.ie
EUEI, Denmark
www.euei.dk
EUCEN, Belgium
www.eucen.eu
CDEA, Spain
www.cebanc.com
FSUB, Spain www.solidaritat.ub.edu
Kariera na Plus, Poland www.karieraplus.com
First Rung Life Skills Ltd., Ireland
www.frls.ie
The LOPPO project aims to:
Promote Sustainable Rural Development:
Enhance Business Competitiveness:
Improve Quality of Life in Rural Population:
Promote Equal Opportunities:
Promote Integration of ICT in Rural Areas:
Provide Guidance and Technical Training:
The LOPPO project is presented by a consortium of six partner organisations from across Europe, namely Spain, Ireland, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Portugal. Project partners come from a variety of backgrounds and sectors; and have been chosen to participate in the LOPPO project because of their expertise and their commitment to actively promoting a culture of learning within the adult education and youth sectors.
The 6 partner organisations are:
Ingalacia, Spain www.ingalacia.org
GDR COMARCA DE LUGO, Spain
www.comarcadelugo.gal/
UBBSALA, Bulgaria www.ubbsla.org
Educational Association, Czech Republic
www.educational-association.webflow.io/
BIA Innovator Campus, Ireland www.biainnovatorcampus.ie
IPN Incubadora (HIESE), Portugal
www.ipn.pt
W2W’s overall objective is to improve the quality & relevance of VET offerings so that Food & agri-food SMEs are better equipped/skilled in food waste management & that through awareness waste streams become a critical action point in the fight against climate change & aid in the development of circular & bioeconomies in Europe while concurrently creating economic resilient communities.
The project involves different target groups:
EDUCATION PROVIDERS (VET colleges, enterprise agencies, local authorities) who recognise the value of training in the food sector, but LACK understanding of the macro need, their role as changemakers, the pedagogical strategies & new and novel content to support food SMEs & local food communities to protect the planet by building local food security and climate resilience
FOOD SMEs already operating in the sector. The project will help them develop personally and professionally to fulfil their potential to evolve as custodians of Europe’s food future and as sustainable agents of waste valorisation
PRIMARY FOOD PRODUCERS & BIOECONOMY STAKEHOLDERS. These groups are important as a TG as Traditional food production was developed over years, directly influenced by the natural capabilities, natural resources and limitations of local environments. We can gain direct insight, awareness and potential solution ideation from this TG while they simultaneously learn how to remain competitive and become more resilient within their communities.
There are 5 project partners in this project:
We are very open to joining EU consortia, please contact hello@biainnovatorcampus.ie and we will send you our Partner Information Form and OID registration number
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