27/04/2020
Food Business Incubator and Innovation Center in Greece, by the program “New Agriculture for a New Generation”. Generation Ag Greece
The "New Agriculture for a New Generation" program is an initiative that aims to create career opportunities and entrepreneurship for youth in the Agrifood sector in Greece and implemented through an exclusive grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The program is a catalyst for innovation in the Agrifood ecosystem in Greece. It enables empowerment of youth and support the revitalization of the sector through strategic initiatives, including the creation of innovation networks.
Rutgers University is leading this innovative multiyear program, in partnership with the Agricultural University of Athens and the American Farm School. The program is currently designing some major infrastructure projects that will become leverage for innovation in the sector. With the rapid changes in global agri-food, both in terms of new technologies, industry consolidation, changing consumer demands and the global challenges for a sustainable agri-food system, the Greek agri-food industry needs a catalyst to unlock its resources and move towards sustainable economic growth. More specifically, a feasibility study for a Food Business Incubator and Innovation Center for agri-food businesses is currently under way. This major infrastructure initiative is expected to alter the food industry in Greece. The incubator will provide practical, hands-on knowledge that helps entrepreneurial youth establish viable careers/businesses in agriculture, value-added agricultural products, food and related areas. It is anticipated that the center will provide programs in training, business development, exporting, marketing/sales, product development, and small-scale manufacture of food products, as well as a full range of other services/programs for new product and enterprise development.
The Food Business Incubator and Innovation Center for agri-food businesses will receive know - how from Rutgers University which has established since 2001 in the state of New Jersey, two very successful Food Innovation Centers. These Centers have trained more than 5,000 entrepreneurs in food safety and agri-food topics and have developed more than 200 new products. Also, 75% of the companies that started their production process at the Innovation Center continue to be in the market after 5 years. While the Rutgers University—New Brunswick Food Innovation Center serves as the model, the facility in Greece will be purpose-built for its region and the markets it will serve.
The proposed Food Business Incubator and Innovation Center, will serve as the foundation of a comprehensive hub where, industry, academia, and government can further develop the nation’s agri-food industry – the “triple helix” of the future. This will be the one-stop shop, where innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry leaders, will develop ideas into viable businesses and innovations. Importantly, it will be where young entrepreneurs and incumbent workers will be trained to become the future leaders in a revitalized agri-food system.
The initiators of this project are aspiring to assist in developing viable businesses and expanding existing ones abroad, as well as improving Greece's position in international competitiveness indicators. This concept attains the long-term vision of the “New Agriculture for a New Generation” program for the agri-food industry in Greece: to develop a new industry paradigm that creates opportunities for employment and new business success.
“We are currently running the tender processes for the programmatic study and the initial architectural and engineering design of the Center. The studies are due to be completed in the summer of 2020 and will include, among others, the criteria for the exact location of the investment, the services and programs offered, the business model and the viability plan. The next phase is the construction study, scheduled to begin before the end of 2020. We are looking forward to creating an infrastructure that will have a significant impact at the food industry of the country "said Efi Lazaridou, Managing Director of the “New Agriculture for a New Generation” Program. www.generationag.org