Technology transfer seminar

The European food industry is to gather in Spain at the end of the month for an international symposium on the food and canning industries.

Organisers are expecting up to 200 food companies at the event in Murcia, Spain, to hear about the latest technological innovations in the European food sector.

To coincide with the symposium, the Innovation Relay Centre's Agrofood Thematic Group and IRC Cenemes, hosted by Murcia's Regional Development Agency (INFO), are organising a technology transfer event to bring together companies interested in working together in food technologies.

The IRC brokerage event, which will be held on the afternoon of day one, is expected to provide a platform for some of Europe's most innovative companies and research centres to present new technologies and findings. More than 100 representatives from SMEs across Europe are lined up to attend.

A catalogue of more than 200 food-related technology and research organisations has been put together in advance of the event. IRCs from Spain, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Norway and Poland will be on hand to facilitate the meetings.

"The response to the event has been tremendous and is way beyond our initial expectations,"​ said Esteban Pelayo from IRC Cenemes. "Thanks to the work of my IRC colleagues in the Agrofood TG we've received technology offers and requests from across Europe covering all aspects related to the production of canned vegetables and juices."​

Technologies and research will focus on artificial vision applications for the classification and selection of fresh products, processing control, implications for quality, security and competitiveness.

There will also be opportunities to research new developments in enzymes, including the improvement of the organoleptic quality of food products using enzymes, and the substitution of traditional processes.

Aseptic packaging, such as the development of new processes using aseptic technologies and filling machinery, will also be covered.

The event​ takes place on 28-29 April at the Palace of Congress in Murcia.