The HIGHFIVE project “enHancing dIgital and Green growtH in the Food processing industry via Interregional innoVation invEstments” aims to support and facilitate the implementation of digital solutions in food processing SMEs, through interregional investments in innovation to accelerate the dual transition (digital and green) in Europe.
HIGHFIVE has a budget of more than 11 million euros and is supported by the European instrument Interregional Innovation Investments (I3), which aims to promote innovation through smart specialization and interregional collaboration.
HIGHFIVE Specific Objectives
The HIGHFIVE specific objectives are:
- Create a portfolio of industry-driven implementation projects that will serve as demo cases and provide valuable lessons learned for both cluster partners and other SMEs.
- Apply a vouchers system, through cascade funds, to finance investment projects in innovation of SMEs in the participating regions.
- Provide personalized individual and collective support actions that allow SMEs to overcome obstacles related to the application of innovative digital technologies.
- Extract the results and lessons learned throughout the project activities and valorise them within the SS4AF network and transfer them to other European stakeholders.
Project Partners
The HIGHFIVE consortium is coordinated by the Flanders Food cluster and includes more than 20 partners, representing 39 regions from 9 European countries. Clusaga and ITG are the Galician partners involved in this project.
Both the more developed regions and the transition and developing regions will benefit from the actions and results of the project. HIGHFIVE reinforces the cooperation between these regions and will contribute to a stronger European food value chain and a more digital, sustainable and resilient European food sector.
All project partners are members of the S3 association Smart Sensors 4 Agrifood (SS4AF).
Projects powered by HIGHFIVE
The supported projects incorporate several advanced technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), sensor systems and predictive algorithms. Almost all projects aim to improve food quality and operational efficiency.
Specifically, the projects that are being carried out in Galicia are the following:
- PREVAI - AI-based demand prediction for the optimization of cream cheese manufacturing, carried out by Innolact (Quescrem) and TripleAlpha
- CREAMSENSE - Advanced sensor technology to improve the valorization of whey cream, made by Queizuar, in which ANFACO-CECOPESCA also collaborates
- BUPAIC - Butter production automation with online control, promoted by Glaücor Engineering, in collaboration with AOTECH
- Tech4RedWines - Sensorized fermentation system for native red wines, which will be implemented by Bodegas Casa Montepío, in collaboration with ANFACO-CECOPESCA
- Smartz4Can - Digitalization of SMEs in the fish and seafood canning industry, in which ASM Soft and Conservas Lago Paganini will work.
- Mayo-Q - IoT solution for the real-time quality evaluation of mayonnaise, which will be carried out by AOTECH Galicia in collaboration with Cidacos.
