An Introduction to Food Systems: Scientific, Technical and Socioeconomic Principles to Facilitate the Creation of Food Value Networks

This online course introduces the concept of Food Systems. Students learn about its origins and its potential use, such as to create new valued-added products to facilitate more sustainable and healthier diets, foster circularity and resource efficiency. As a basis, system science principles are used to analyse and optimise the workings of complex systems. The course then presents specific nodes of the food system supported by case studies from European food and logistic companies. This course covers 4 units, with asynchronous activities and an accompanying live lecture series with contributions from industrial and academic partners.

Learning outcomes

•   Demonstrate the importance of a food system approach and its relevance for system innovation
•   Discuss key principles of system science, in particular those relevant for food systems
•   Analyse the principal components of the food system and describe their systemic interactions and dependencies
•   Critically evaluate different responses to current challenges in food systems
•   Model the research project in the food system by reflecting on existing competencies and the potential for knowledge and skill development in the chosen study career path

Assessment strategy

Formative assessment for this module is implemented continuously, as well as through structured feedback related to the EIT overarching learning outcomes addressed by the module. Summative assessment for this module is an individual reflective portfolio for the student to contextualize their research in the food system.

Total hours of study

6 credits, 160 hours

Pathways to impact

This course provides an introduction about and starting tools for how to change the world by using research. The programme design takes a contextualized approach for food systems to develop an understanding of possible innovation pathways to for specific research outcomes. The programme is based on learning by doing: the participants will explore for their research what are possible routes to impact, and what would be viable strategies to reach this. To achieve this, the programme therefore includes the following elements:

•   Exploring innovation trajectories: there are different ways to achieve impact, ranging from policy drivers to commercialisation, and from industry collaboration to spin-out/startup. For each of these, what are the specific aspects that need to be considered for a piece of research?
•   Intellectual Property protection: for commercial pathways to impact, IP needs to be secured which also impacts on communication strategies.
•   Engaging with innovation ecosystems: solutions need to be co-created with a range of actors in a relevant innovation ecosystem. Who are these actors, and what are useful strategies to engage with them?
•   Understanding the regulatory context for specific solution: how do regulations for food and medicine shape commercialisation trajectories, and what is involved in gaining approvals?
•   Enhancing an entrepreneurial mindset and developing entrepreneurial skills: Entrepreneurship is a way of solving practical problems, which is particularly suited to translate research into societal impact; it is not about venture creation but about shaping and testing ideas, articulating their value, mobilizing resources and networks, and taking practical action to ensure impact is achieved.
•   Communicating to different non-expert audiences, including funding agencies, stakeholders and broader society.

Learning outcomes

•   Identify possible impact pathways for specific research outputs, and explore possible innovation trajectories that could achieve them
•   Develop an initial IP strategy in line with possible impact pathways
•   Map relevant ecosystems to translate research to impact, and identify key actors for concrete impact pathways
•   Understand the role and scope of regulation in routes to market for a research output
•   Articulate the value of a specific research output to a range of stakeholders
•   Identify relevant resources to support value creation to achieve impact

Assessment strategy

Formative assessment for this module is implemented continuously, particularly focussing on the ability to conceptualise possible pathways to impact for the research and to communicate about this to different, no-expert audiences. Summative assessment for this module is an individual pitch about the potential societal and environmental impact of the research, including an IP strategy and relevant regulatory aspects.

Total hours of study

1.5 credits, 40 hours

Seedbed Incubator

The EIT Food Seedbed Incubator is a dedicated programme to transform research discoveries into market-validated business propositions. The goal of the Seedbed Incubator programme is to increase the number of impactful agri-food tech ventures launched in Europe and that proceed to raise investment to grow and scale the new venture. It is designed to support scientists who are developing innovative solutions that have the potential to solve food system challenges.

Over 6-months, the programme provides participants with the requisite skills to commercialize their research outputs through training, coaching, and access to the EIT Food network to test ideas directly with 100+ potential customers and end-users. Commercialisation journeys may be through industrial, entrepreneurial or policy pathways.

This main goal is supported by the following key programme outputs:

•   Engaging scouting activities and events to increase the number of high quality and relevant applications coming from diverse teams from all regions of Europe;
•   Increase the number of women who (co)-found and launch new ventures;
•   Decrease the number of non-commercial ideas forming new ventures (killed/pivot);
•   Increase societal impact through research in partnership with industry and other stakeholders.

This course covers twelve units, with synchronous and asynchronous activities. The first four units offer a pre-incubation training programme to explore key values about entrepreneurship, creating sustainable solutions for a world in crisis, and the role of technology and its unintended consequences (the ethics of technology and innovation). This leads to the articulation of a value proposition that is based on the University of Cambridge’s Value Mapping Tool. This basis is followed by eight units focussing on technical aspects of the research commercialisation journey. The result of the training is a concrete plan to ensure the impact of the research is achieved.

Unit content:

Pre-incubation programme

•   Unit 1: Food System Impact – this unit helps learners to conceptualize concrete solutions that solves the environmental and social challenges posed by the current food system based on the outcomes of their pathways to impact module. Using the University of Cambridge’s Value Mapping Tool, this defines value created, value missed, and value destroyed, to articulate multiple value propositions;
•   Unit 2: Setting your entrepreneurial mind-set – this unit helps learners identify their why, vision and mission and building entrepreneurial confidence. This builds key competencies for successful academic and non-academic careers;
•   Unit 3: Designing for impact: From Technology to Product – this unit helps learners to design solutions based on their research outputs using inclusive design principles;
•   Unit 4: Bootcamp – this unit helps learners to map the commercialisation journey for their research outputs by developing a market segmentation, customer value proposition, and an impact pitch;

Technical skills for commercialisation

•   Unit 5: Business models – this unit helps learners to develop a business model for their commercialisation plan using the Business Model Canvas;
•   Unit 6: Funding and investment spectrum – this unit helps learners to identify potential funding routes to secure follow-on funding and/or investment to achieve impact with their research outputs;
•   Unit 7: Legal and IP – following on from the IP discussion in the Pathways to Impact module, this unit helps learners define their legal and IP strategy for the commercialisation pathway of their research;
•   Unit 8: Financials and key value drivers – this unit helps learners to develop realistic financial plans for the commercialisation pathway, and teaches the basics of financial management in academic institutions, entrepreneurial ventures and industry;
•   Unit 9: Communication and Storytelling – this unit helps learners to use storytelling to transmit complex ideas to a range of different stakeholders and to communicate effectively with policy makers and industry;
•   Unit 10: Negotiations – this unit helps learners to acquire key skills in negotiations to achieve win-win outcomes;
•   Unit 11: Building a diverse and inclusive team – this unit draws on the latest thinking in gender and diversity to support learners to build and contribute to diverse and inclusive teams;
•   Unit 12: Leadership – the final unit helps learners to conceptualise their leadership style and to practice dimensions of leadership for effective food system transformation through research.

Learning outcomes

•   Create a compelling vision to drive value creation to achieve impact from research outputs
•   Develop key entrepreneurial and leadership skills to enhance academic practice, and to enable both academic and non-academic careers
•   Synthesise and create a concrete plan for the commercialisation of relevant research outputs
•   Enhance the IP strategy based on the selected impact pathway
•   Create credible and realistic financial projections for appropriate funding sources to enable commercialisation
•   Engage with relevant ecosystems to translate research to impact
•   Communicate effectively about the research commercialisation pathway with a range of stakeholders

Assessment strategy

Formative assessment for this module is implemented continuously, as well as through structured feedback related to the EIT overarching learning outcomes addressed by the module. Summative assessment for this module is an individual pitch and outline impact plan to drive positive change in the food system.

Total hours of study

7.5 credits, 200 hours