Università degli studi di Milano-Bicocca

It has a wide training offer, with about 900 teachers and researchers, 32 Bachelor’s Degree courses, 36 Master’s Degree courses and 5 Long cycle Master’s Degree courses. Part of the European Universities Association (EUA), it also includes fourteen Departments and covers very different fields of research from ICT to Human Sciences; from Economics and Business Management to Sociology; from Law to Mathematics; from Physics and Natural Sciences to Psychology. In order to guarantee high scientific standards, all departments are complemented by more than 30 universities and academic networks, centres of research and excellence.

For the sake of brevity, only the most prominent funded projects referred to the last 7 years will follow herein. The team involved in Spoke 6 is made up of researchers from the Biotechnology and Biosciences, Medicine, Earth and Environmental Sciences and Sociology departments with large experience in many topics related to food quality, nutrition and human health. Among the most meaningful design experiences this research unit boasts: regional projects in collaboration with companies such as Food Social Sensor Network (FOOD NET) (2018-21 - Funding Body: Lombardy Region, CUP E47F17000020009. Role: Scientific Coordinator) dedicated to the development of new foods for over-65s; NATHURA (2016-18, Funding body: Regione Lombardia, CUP E67H16000970009. Role: partner) focused on the production of functional food. The group also has experience in projects dedicated to the identification of bioactive compounds such as PRESERVE (Plants bioprospecting of Serine Proteases Inhibitors to develop an innovative colon cancer prevention strategy. Funding Body MUR - PRIN 2021. Role: National Coordinator).

By adopting a Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) approach during project planning Best4Food represents a scientific and technological centre where research institutions and companies cross-skill collaborate in order to realise research and innovation in food transformation, distribution and consumption in order to improve environmental sustainability and human life quality.

Strong networking has already been put in place with other research institutions and notably with CETEC - Asociacion Empresaria de Investigation Centro Tecnologico del Calzado y de la Region de la Murcia (2021: AGRO2CIRCULAR - Territorial Circular Systemic Solution for the upcycling of residues from the agri-food sector, H45F21002260006, H2020, Funding Body: European Commission); and with ADEL ASONANTE - Agencia de Desarrollo Economico Local de Sonsonante (2021: Seguridad Alimentaria Sostenible en el Occidente de El Salvador: agroecología, empoderamiento, participación e innovación, H45F21000080006, Programas Tematicos en El Salvador IEDDH - Instrumento Europeo para la Democracia y los Derechos Humanos, OSC-Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil and EuropeAid/168542/DD/ACT/SV, Funding Body: European Commission).