Potsdam: Next generation kebab, egg and shrimp
The Potsdam Science Park Conference focused on innovations for the food industry and medicine. Around 160 interested people came to find out about new developments on the Golm Campus and in the Berlin-Brandenburg metropolitan region.
The Potsdam Science Park in the Golm district is increasingly developing from a science campus into a dynamic innovation ecosystem. This became clear once again at this year's Potsdam Science Park Conference (PSP Conference 2023). The two-day event attracted around 160 guests from science, business and administration to the Fraunhofer Conference Center on 9 and 10 October. With diverse formats such as panel discussions, startup pitches and a science slam, the conference offered exciting insights into novel food and medical innovations. There was also plenty of space for networking and personal exchange.
The PSP Conference was organised by Standortmanagement ("location management") Golm GmbH and Potsdam Transfer of the University of Potsdam together with a large number of partners from Brandenburg. The information platform bioökonomie.de was also one of the supporters of the conference and presented itself on site with, among other things, the film: Bioeconomy can do that! ("Das kann Bioökonomie!")
Megatrends in the food sector
The first day of the conference was about food of the future and the formative developments in the industry. Dirk Vetter, CEO and co-founder of the Heidelberg-based biotech company Perora GmbH, addressed the megatrends that are important for foodtech innovations. In addition to digitalisation, he also mentioned the topic of sustainability, which is becoming increasingly important for consumers, but also for venture capitalists and funds. The trend towards vegan food has recently suffered a damper, Vetter said. "Sales of many brands are stagnating because it is proving difficult to get people to buy vegan products on a regular basis," Vetter said.
Another challenge for the food industry comes from the pharmaceutical industry: more and more people are taking "weight loss injections" with the drug semaglutide - since it curbs the appetite, fewer food products will be purchased in the future. "In the long term, the food industry will have to adapt to this pharmaceutical trend, but a lot of data still has to be collected and evaluated," says Vetter.
Innovative food on the presentation plate
In a session moderated by radio journalist Julia Vismann, players from four start-ups presented exciting food innovations. Fabian Machens from Ordinary Seafood explained how his start-up develops and sells vegan salmon and tuna alternatives at the Potsdam Science Park. The products consist of processed soy and pea protein. In addition, the team relies on precision fermentation. Machens also introduced a vegan shrimp product from the Ordinary Seafood pipeline. "Our king shrimp are encapsulated with a novel protein that makes them a high-quality vegan alternative in terms of taste and feel."
Arianna Spaggiari from Neggst Food GmbH presented a plant-based egg innovation: The egg looks like a chicken egg, with shell, yolk and egg white - but consists of purely vegetable ingredients. Neggst contains a combination of legumes, vegetables, unsaturated fats and fibre. "Our goal is for Neggst to cost about the same as an organic egg," said Spaggiari.
Frederik Schwarz from nonimal food GmbH wants to conquer the world of kebab with his vegan alternative. "In Berlin and Potsdam alone, 400,000 kebabs are consumed per day," said Schwarz, who runs a food truck. He uses wheat, pea and soy protein in his product. "Taste is the decisive criterion," said Schwarz, "and here we want to be on par with the original kebab." At the Future Kitchen Event in the evening, PSP Conference participants had the opportunity to try the innovative foods presented on the first day of the conference, such as vegan kebabs and seafood alternatives, as well as insect food.
Panel discussion on food systems of the future
Why the transformation of the agricultural and food system is important for sustainable development was discussed by a panel of experts. Rebecca Klopsch, project manager and head of the coordination office of the BMBF funding measure "Agricultural Systems of the Future" (BMBF-Fördermaßnahme „Agrarsysteme der Zukunft“) explained how the eight research consortia are exploring innovative strategies for sustainable food production of the future by cleverly combining modern farming methods and closing material cycles. Katharina Petereit from KitchenTown GmbH stressed that we need to think more in terms of cycles and also be open to technology. There are already many complete substitute products. "The simpler the substitution, the easier it is for consumers to make the switch," she said.
All three experts agreed on the importance of improving knowledge and education about food and addressing the younger generation in particular. "You should start with this in the kindergarten," said Ina Henkel from the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE).
Startup Pitch: From menopause to nutritional supplements
A highlight on the second day of the PSP Conference was the start-up pitch. This year's competition was won by "beyoni health". The team around Benita Yon is developing a digital solution to help women manage menopause and prevent chronic diseases. bioökonomie.de had donated a prize: the hydroponic herb garden went to the Berlin team of Michael Gusko from ZERO1 HEALTH GmbH as the fourth winner of the Startup Pitch. The Berlin-based company produces a nutritional supplement.
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