Yesterday, academic researchers and industrial partners came together at VU Amsterdam for the next key step in the FERMI research program. This event marked an important follow-up to the FERMI kick-off in early February. PhD students and work package leaders presented their work breakdown structures (WBS), while industrial partners actively shared how they plan to apply the expected research results within their companies. This ensured the scientific work was closely linked to concrete industrial impact.
The collaborative exchange took place at VU Amsterdam. The day was designed to strengthen connections across the FERMI network, align on the program’s ambitions, and create a shared understanding of how research deliverables would contribute to innovation in the food industry.
“This academic-industry alignment meeting was an important follow-up to our original kick-off,” said Herwig Bachmann, program leader at VU Amsterdam. “By closely connecting academic expertise to industry needs, FERMI aimed to accelerate innovation across the entire food value chain. Our goal was to develop scientific insights that support sustainability, improve product quality, and contribute to healthier diets — while ensuring these insights find their way into real-world applications.”
A strong foundation of collaboration
The FERMI program is built on a strong foundation of collaboration between leading academic institutions — VU Amsterdam, Wageningen University & Research, and Delft University of Technology — and an impressive consortium of industrial partners. Participating companies include Roquette, IFF, Ferrero, Flora Food Group, Brannatura, The Mediterranean Food Lab, Nizo, Arla, Bel Group, Unilever, dsm-firmenich, and Novonesis.
The Meeting
The day began with PhD students and work package leaders introducing the focus and deliverables of each work package. In the afternoon, interactive working sessions gave industrial partners the opportunity to respond directly to the proposed research. This dialogue allowed companies to highlight which results were most valuable to their business challenges, and how they planned to translate academic findings into practical innovations.